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Large mammals

Humpback whale

Humpback whale · Megaptera novaeangliae

Humpback whales impress with huge leaps and distinctive songs close to the coast. Experience striking fins and impressive silhouettes.

Fact file

Size: Up to 16 metres long and around 30 tonnes in weight, with strikingly large fins
Males and females: No obvious differences between the sexes visible to the untrained eye
Sounds: Singing males, with famous whale songs audible even under water
Diet: Feeds on krill, small fish and other marine animals
Offspring: A calf is born after a gestation period of around 12 months

How to identify Humpback whale

Humpback whales are easy to recognise by their massive, dark grey to black bodies and their strikingly long pectoral fins. The flippers almost look like large white wings and can reach a third of the body length. Their back shows small humps along the fin every time they surface.

It is mainly the high, humped back as they dive that gave the humpback whale its name. The head is covered with distinctive knobs and bristle hairs. Compared with other large whales, the humpback whale has an unusually jagged silhouette, which is particularly clear when the fins slap out of the water.