Aquarium of the Pacific | Online Learning Center | Humpback Whale

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Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

 |   Conservation Status:  Endangered - Protected

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  • Courtesy of NOAA
  • Baleen

Humpback whales are mysticetes, (baleen whales), in the family Balaenopteridae which includes fin, blue, sei, Bryde’s, and minke whales, the rorquals. All rorquals have a small dorsal fin and longitudinal throat grooves or pleats from their chin to their navel that expand when they feed. The common name, humpback, comes from this whale’s appearance when it arches its back out of the water in preparation for a long dive. These whales are noted for their haunting songs, acrobatic behaviors, and the cooperative feeding methods they use. Easily identified because of the distinctive variability of the black and white patterns on the undersides of their flukes, photo-identification of humpbacks whales started in 1970. Today humpback whales and orcas are the most studied of all the cetaceans.

Facts and FeaturesFull Description >>

Geographic Distribution

All regions of the world ocean to the margins of ice packs with distribution changing seasonally. Non-migrating population in the Arabian Sea.

Amazing Facts

SPLASH!: How many humpbacks are there across the North Pacific? What are there migratory routes and destinations? What is their genetic diversity? How are humans impacting them? SPLASH! Is an international cooperative effort among U.S., Mexican, Canadian, and Japanese researchers, academic and private institutions, NOAA Fisheries, and the National Marine Sanctuary Program to study humpback whales in an effort to find definitive answers to these and other questions. The research began in January 2004 and will continue until summer 2006. This is the most comprehensive study ever attempted of the entire North Pacific humpback whale population.

At the Aquarium

Due to the space requirements for these intelligent and dynamic animals, we do not exhibit live whales or dolphins. The humpback whale, is featured in Whales: a Journey with Giants (a large-scale multimedia presentation), signage,and in the Passport, a visitor’s guide. The songs of humpback whales can be heard in the interactive kiosk's i>Whales: Voices in the Sea.