Humpback Whale Facts

Humpback Whale Facts

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1. The humpback whale gets its name from fact that the dorsal fin sits on a large “hump” on the back, which is noticeable when the whale arches its back and dives.  The scientific name, Megaptera novaeangliae, means “big wing of New England.”  The “big wing” refers to the humpback’s very long flippers, which can  be one-third of its body length.

2. Humpback whales can grow to 18m in length and weigh up to 45 tonnes. The female is larger than the male and both can live for over 50 years.

3. Humpback whales feed on small prawn-like animals called krill, that they strain through hundreds of hair-like strips called baleen. During their summer months in Antarctica these ocean giants may eat nearly 1 tonne of food a day, they then don’t eat for 8 months! 

4. Humpback whales sing! Their songs can be heard 30-40 km away and each population has their own song.

5. Humpback whales are famous for their remarkable surface displays. These displays include: propelling their body out of the water then crashing back down, slapping their side fins, slapping their tail and lifting their head out of the water.

6. Humpbacks fast for the several months they are on the breeding and calving grounds; living off their vast reserve of blubber.

7. Are warm blooded mammals who evolved from land mammals 50 million years ago.

8. Are Baleen whales who filter feed and do not have teeth.

9. Adults grow to 15 m and weigh 40 tones.

10. Adults lungs are the size of a small car.

11. Blow reaches 3-5m above the surface.

12. Adults can hold their breath for up to 40 min.

13. Migrate 10,000 km per year.

14. Feed on krill in the Antarctic during summer months.

15. Can eat 2 tone of krill per day.

16. Calve and mate in tropical waters during winter months.

17. Do not usually feed on migration, living off their own body fat/blubber.

18. Calves are 4m long at birth and weigh 1 tone.

19. New born calves can hold their breath for 5 min.

20. Calves drink up to 600lt of milk per day from their mothers.

21. Calves stay with mother for 1 year.

22. Gestation is 11 months.

23. Only male humpback whales sing the long mating song.

24. Singing whales produce sounds of around 170 decibels - like standing behind a jet aeroplane at take off.

25. Humpbacks have the longest pectoral fins of all cetaceans up to 5m.

26. Pectoral fins contain 5 large finger bones.

27. Humpbacks have hair follicles on their head called tubercles.

28. Behaviors include: breeching, spyhopping, tail slapping, pectoral slapping, bubble blowing.

29. Can see well both above and below water.

30. Have eyes the size of a grapefruit on either side of their head.