OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Megaptera ("giant wing") novaeangliae ("New Englander")
Adult Humpback Whale (subspecies M. n. kuzira) on Half Moon Bay Pelagic - September 2022
Featured Subspecies: Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira
Weight: 40tns / Length: 14-17m
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern
The seventh largest species on earth, the Humpback is a huge and distinctive member of the rorquals - the ground the comprises the largest of the baleen whales. They are visually distinctive amongst this group due to the tubercles they have on their head and flippers, as well as having jagged edged to their tail flukes. Once bought to near extinction by the whaling industry, their numbers have substantially rebounded, but they continue to be affected by ship collisions, fishing gear entanglement and noise pollution.
Related Species:
Order: Artiodactyla (Infraorder: Cetacea)
Family: Balaenopteridae
Genus: Megaptera
SUBSPECIES: M. n. novaeangliae, M. n. kuzira, M. n. australis
- Sighting Locations -
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
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