Facts about Humpback Whale
- 07
In the Southern Hemisphere, humpback whales undertake one of the longest migrations of any mammal, traveling approximately 16,000 miles annually between Antarctic feeding grounds and Brazilian breeding waters.
- 06
Humpback whales produce loud clicking and knocking sounds through their blowholes that can reach frequencies up to 24,000 hertz, helping them navigate and communicate in deep ocean waters.
- 05
Newborn humpback whales gain approximately 50 pounds per day during their first year of life, consuming up to 50 gallons of their mother's nutrient-rich milk daily.
- 04
Humpback whales can leap completely out of the water, reaching heights of up to 40 feet above the surface in a behavior called breaching that may help remove parasites or communicate with other whales.
- 03
A humpback whale's pectoral fins can reach lengths of 16 feet, making them the longest fins relative to body size of any cetacean species.
- 02
Male humpback whales produce songs lasting up to 20 minutes that they repeat for hours, with populations in different ocean regions singing distinctly different melodies.
- 01
During their 16,000-mile annual migration, humpback whales fast for up to five months while traveling between Arctic feeding grounds and tropical breeding waters.