Humpback whales can reach 60 feet long and weigh 40 tons. They predominantly have a black or gray body with white patches on their pectoral fins, stomach, and tails. Their name comes from the hump they have on their backs.

Their distinctive fluke, or tail, can be up to 18 feet long with serrated edges. They can also be sighted by their long pectoral fins, which can be almost a third of their body length.

Humpback whales can be found in polar and tropical waters in the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans. Most of the populations will migrate up to 5,000 miles from the polar region to breed in warmer tropical waters.

The main habitat requirement of humpback whales includes deep ocean waters for them to swim and feed, but they can be found swimming near coastline shores in the waters of New England during the summertime.

Humpback whales have a unique feeding system using the baleen plates in their mouths, which help to act as strainers for ocean water. These baleen plates allow for the whales to gather large amounts of krill (the majority of their diet) and other small fish while getting rid of the water. The plates in the front measure about 18 inches while the ones in the back can reach 3 feet!

When humpback whales feed together, they use a technique called bubble net fishing, which is when the whales swim around their prey in a circle and blow bubbles to herd prey in a mass.

Male humpback whales will compete to mate with a female in the winter in tropical waters. Humpback whales will often mate once every 1-2 years, with it being as frequent as twice every 3 years.

Female humpback whales will carry the baby for 11 months, giving birth to a live calf measuring around 15 feet. The mother is very protective of the baby, with the calf staying with the mother for up to a year after birth.

The pattern on a humpback whale’s fluke is as unique as a human fingerprint and can be used to identify the particular whale.

The humpback whale will perform songs during mating  season to attract mates, and will include moans, cries, and howls that can be heard from miles away underwater.

Humpback whales are known to be a friendly species. Across all oceans, scientists have observed humpbacks interacting with marine life such as bottlenose dolphins, right whales, sperm whales, minke whales, and more; they even sing special songs to them. Researchers have recorded these whales protecting seals and others from killer whales.