about the humpback whale

I’m pretty hard to miss–I can grow to be bigger than a school bus and weigh 40 tons! If my size weren’t enough to catch your attention, I’m also known for my acrobatics. I can use my powerful fluke, or tail fin, to launch myself out of the water. This is called breaching, and is a favorite of whale-watching tours around the world (what can I say? I’m a star!). Scientists suspect we breach and slap our fins and flukes on the surface as a way of communicating. We also communicate through our iconic “songs.” Our songs are longer and more intricate than any others in the animal kingdom! Only males sing, and all members of a group sing the same song at the same time. These songs consist of whistles and low moans and gradually change over time (it would get boring singing the same song over and over!).