Humpback Whales

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The humpback whale is a baleen whale and a rorqual whale that sings amazing songs. It performs complex and cooperative feeding techniques. The humpback has a bulky head with bumpy protuberances (tubercles), each with a bristle. Humpbacks are acrobats of the ocean, breaching and slapping the water. They live in pods and have 2 blowholes. The name humpback describes the motion it makes as it arches its back out of the water in preparation …showed first 75 words of 1276 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1276 total…years. LIFE SPAN Humpback whales have a life expectancy of 45-50 years. POPULATION COUNT It is estimated that there are over 10,000-15,000 humpback whales world-wide. Humpback whales are an endangered species. CLASSIFICATION Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are baleen whales (Suborder Mysticeti). They are one of 76 cetacean species, and are marine mammals. Kingdom Animalia (animals) Phylum Chordata (vertebrates) Class Mammalia (mammals) Order Cetacea (whales and dolphins) Suborder Mysticeti (baleen whales) Family Balaenopteridae Genus Megaptera Species Novaeangliae