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Humpback Whale

Mammals

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.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Filter Feeder 2
System (Realm)
Marine 3
Threats
Pollution 4
Relationship to People
Hunted or Fished 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Derived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status.
Scientific Name
Megaptera novaeangliae 1
Conservation Status
Least Concern 1
Population Estimate
135,000 1
2018 IUCN worldwide estimate; about 84,000 of the total are mature individuals.
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Distinctive body shape with long pectoral fins and tubercles on its head; known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors. 1
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
G4 Apparently Secure 5
CITES Appendix
Appendix I 6
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Balaenopteridae, Taxa
Source Catalogue of Life

In Biome

Marine, Biomes
Source Humpback Whale (Wikipedia)

In Ecosystem

Antarctic Peninsula, Ecosystems
Source Humpback Whale (Wikipedia)
Ross Sea, Ecosystems
Source Humpback Whale (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Antarctica

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Belgium

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Brazil

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Canada

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Colombia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Comoros

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Denmark

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Ecuador

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Greece

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Kenya

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Madagascar

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Mauritius

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Mexico

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Mozambique

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Namibia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

New Zealand

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Norway

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Portugal

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Seychelles

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Spain

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Taiwan

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Tanzania

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Venezuela

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Humpback Whale (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section, first sentence
    The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale.
  • Conservation status section, opening sentence
    As of 2018, the IUCN Red List lists the humpback whale as of least concern, with a worldwide population of around 135,000 whales, of which around 84,000 are mature individuals, and an increasing population trend.
  • Lead section, third sentence
    The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and tubercles on its head.
  • In Biome: Marine, Wikipedia 'Humpback whale': found in oceans and seas around the world
  • In Ecosystem: Ross Sea, Whaling
    Humpback whales were hunted as early as the late 16th century.
  • In Ecosystem: Antarctic Peninsula, Feeding
    A study undertaken in May 2009 found a super-aggregation of krill in Wilhelmina Bay, on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a large number of humpback whales feeding on the krill.
View the Source
2. EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)
3. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
4. Wikipedia: Humpback whale
Threat (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
Quote, Threat (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
Numbers have partially recovered to some 135,000 animals worldwide, but entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution continue to affect the species.
View the Source
5. NatureServe Explorer: Megaptera novaeangliae
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)
Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "G4"
View the Source
6. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Megaptera novaeangliae (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status: CITES
Quote, Conservation Status: CITES
CITES Appendix I
View the Source
Wikidata: Humpback Whale
Wikidata Q132905, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Humpback Whale (Wikidata)
Wikidata
  • Infobox: status3
    CITES_A1
  • Wikidata Q132905 (P1034 main food source): Euphausiacea
    Main food source (Wikidata property P1034): Euphausiacea.
  • Wikidata Q132905 (P1034 main food source): Atlantic mackerel
    Main food source (Wikidata property P1034): Atlantic mackerel.
View the Source
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: BalaenopteridaeView the Source
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