Humpback Whale Facts
for Kids

Only male humpback whales sing, and the purpose is still debated by scientists. The leading theories are that songs attract females, establish dominance over rival males, or serve as long-range sonar for navigation. Remarkably, all males in the same population sing the same complex song, which gradually changes over weeks and months — a form of cultural transmission.

Adult humpback whales measure 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) long and weigh 25,000–40,000 kg (55,000–88,000 lb). Females are typically larger than males. Their distinctive pectoral fins are the longest of any whale species, measuring up to 5 metres (16 ft) — roughly one-third of their body length.

Humpback whales were reclassified from Endangered to Least Concern in 2008 after one of the most successful conservation recoveries in history. Commercial whaling reduced the global population from an estimated 125,000 to fewer than 5,000 by the 1960s. Following the 1986 international whaling moratorium, populations have recovered to over 80,000. Some regional populations remain at risk.

Bubble net feeding is a cooperative hunting technique unique to humpback whales. A group of whales dives beneath a school of fish and one or more whales spiral upward while blowing bubbles from their blowholes, creating a cylindrical 'net' of air bubbles that traps the fish. The entire group then lunges upward through the centre of the bubble column with mouths wide open, engulfing thousands of fish in a single gulp.

Humpback whales undertake one of the longest migrations of any mammal — up to 8,000 km (5,000 miles) each way. They feed during summer in cold, nutrient-rich polar waters (Antarctica, Alaska, Norway) and migrate to warm tropical waters near the equator to breed and calve during winter. The round-trip can exceed 16,000 km annually.