An annual round trip of up to 8,000 kilometers undertaken by humpback whale populations between cold, food-rich polar and subpolar feeding grounds and warm tropical or subtropical waters where they breed and calve, one of the longest migrations of any mammal relative to the fact that humpbacks eat little to nothing for months during the journey and breeding season. Different humpback populations follow distinct, well-mapped routes, such as between Antarctica and eastern Australia or between Alaska and Hawaii, tracked for decades through photo-identification of individual whales' unique tail markings.
Facts
PeriodicityHumpback whales travel great distances every year and undertake one of the longest migrations of any mammal on the planet, moving between feeding and breeding grounds. 1 ScaleSome humpback whale populations swim 5,000 miles from tropical breeding grounds to colder, more productive feeding grounds. 1 First DescribedThe humpback whale's scientific species name novaeangliae, meaning New England, references the location where European whalers first encountered the species. 1 Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceThe humpback whale gets its common name from the distinctive hump on its back. 1 Sources
1. NOAA Fisheries: Humpback Whale
Migration overview paragraph
They travel great distances every year and have one of the longest migrations of any mammal on the planet.
Migration distance paragraph
Some populations swim 5,000 miles from tropical breeding grounds to colder, more productive feeding grounds.
Introduction
Its long pectoral fins inspired its scientific name, Megaptera , which means "big-winged" and novaeangliae , which means "New England," in reference to the location where European whalers first encountered them.
Appearance paragraph, common name
The humpback whale gets its common name from the distinctive hump on its back.
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