Megaptera novaeangliae are named after the distinctive hump on its back, and they can be found in most oceans of the world, excluding the far polar regions of the Arctic. They are incredible migrators, traveling up to 5,000 miles annually from their feedings grounds of higher latitudes to their mating and calving grounds in warmer, tropical waters. Although humpback numbers are growing today, by the end of commercial whaling in 1985, all humpback populations had reduced by more than 95%. Humpbacks are quite vocal, and all of us here in the lab easily recognize a humpback when we hear one. Click here to listen to the humpback:
Image by NOAA Fisheries