Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Humpback Whale — photo 1 of 2
Photo 1 of 2 · Nathaly 1106 (CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
uncommonLC · Least Concernblackwhitehugeopen water
Group
Marine mammal
Habitat
Open water
Max size
16.0 m
Family
Balaenopteridae

The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual and is the only species in the genus Megaptera. Adults range in length from 14–17 m (46–56 ft) and weigh up to 40 metric tons. The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and tubercles on its head. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song that typically lasts from 4 to 33 minutes.

Adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Behaviour

A seasonal visitor rather than a resident: humpbacks pass through Vanuatu on their winter breeding migration, broadly July to October, and are absent the rest of the year.

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