Humpback Whale

ID points

• Extremely long pectoral fins, close to a third of the body length
• Top of the head and the lower jaw covered with knobbly bumps
• The pattern under the tail is unique to each animal, like a fingerprint

Basics

Family

Balaenopteridae

Length

12.0–16.0 m

Depth

0-200 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic · Temperate & polar · Open ocean

Distribution

All oceans, feeding in polar waters and breeding in the tropics

Habitat

Open ocean, polar to tropical waters

Diet

Krill, small fish

Easily confused with

Fin WhaleLower jaw white on the right side and dark grey on the left, asymmetricMinke WhaleA striking white band across the middle of the pectoral finBasking SharkThe open mouth is almost as wide as the body

Fun fact

Male Humpback Whales sing complex songs that run for hours and keep evolving over time, all as part of courtship. They are also famous for bubble-net feeding, a cooperative technique for herding whole shoals of fish into a tight ball.