Humpback Whale

The humpback whale is a large baleen whale found in oceans worldwide, known for its long pectoral fins, which can reach up to a third of its body length, its distinctive knobbly head, and its complex, extended songs, particularly among males, thought to play a role in mating. Humpback whales undertake some of the longest migrations of any mammal, traveling thousands of kilometres each year between cold, nutrient-rich feeding grounds near the poles and warmer tropical waters where they breed and give birth. They feed by lunging through schools of small fish and krill, sometimes cooperating to trap prey using a technique called bubble-net feeding. Once heavily reduced by commercial whaling, humpback whale populations have recovered substantially under international protection, and the species is now classified as being of least concern.