Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

About Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Kingdom: Animals
Phylum: Chordates
Class: Mammals
Order: Cetacea
Family: Balaenopteridae

The cerebellum of humpback whales constitutes about 20% of the total weight of the brain; the brain does not differ much from those of other mysticete whales.

The olfactory organs of humpback whales are greatly reduced and it is doubtful whether they have a sense of smell at all. Their eyes are small and adapted to withstand water pressure. Their external auditory passages are narrow, leading to a minute hole on the head not far behind the eye.

Humpback females are larger than males. They are one of the few species of mammals for which this is true.

The most distictive external features of humpbacks are the flipper size and form, fluke coloration and shape, and dorsal fin shape. Flippers are quite long and can be almost a third of the body length. They are largely white and have knobs on the leading edge. The butterfly-shaped tail flukes bear individually distinctive patterns of gray and white, and have a scalloped trailing edge. The dorsal fin can be a small triangle or sharply falcate, and often has a stepped or humped shape; this is one source of the name "humpback."

There are 14 to 35 ventral pleats or grooves.

Humpbacks have the greatest relative blubber thickness for their size of any rorqual. Megaptera novaeangliae is second only to blue whales in absolute thickness of blubber. Blubber thickness varies at different times of the year, as well as with age and physiological condition.

Baleen plates are usually all black with blackish bristles.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: female larger

Average mass: 3e+07 g.

The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors

Lifelists

Trips

Visits

2001-01-05

Playa Punta Raza, Mexico

One was breaching repeatedly visible from the beach.
2002-01-02

Isla Isabel, Mexico

We often found ourselves fairly close to them, and in a very small boat.
2002-05-28

Farallones Marine Sanctuary, United States of America
2005-03-24

Kauai - Na Pali Coast, United States of America
2006-06-03

Farallones Marine Sanctuary, United States of America
2007-03-10

Big Island - Kona / Four Seasons Hotel, United States of America

saw many of them offshore, breaching, tail slapping, and fin slapping.
2010-05-17

Farallones Marine Sanctuary, United States of America
2012-09-22

East Wash, United States of America

Saw spout about one mile off. Not 100% on this, but the newspaper is reporting that they have been coming in through the golden gate.
2012-11-24

Wollongong Pelagic Trip, Australia

Mother and calf.
2013-08-18

Farallones Marine Sanctuary, United States of America
2014-01-25

Bahia de Semana, Dominican Republic
2014-07-22

Kenai Fjords NP--Aialik Bay-Aialik Glacier, United States of America
2014-09-01

Pigeon Pt., United States of America
2015-08-23

Farallones Marine Sanctuary, United States of America
2016-07-09

Witless Bay, Canada
2016-07-12

St. Shott's, Canada
2017-07-29

Sutro Heights--Baths / Land's End, United States of America
2018-09-21

Oceano, United States of America
2019-02-09

Elkhorn Slough, United States of America
2020-01-31

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
2021-12-01

South Georgia Island - Gold Harbor, Antarctica
2021-12-02

South Georgia Island - Cooper Bay, Antarctica
2021-12-07

Antarctica - Brown Bluff, Antarctica
2023-10-21

Farallones Marine Sanctuary, United States of America
2024-02-24

Nago, Okinawa to Naze, Amami Ferry, Japan