🌿Native Nature

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia ›Phylum: Chordata ›Class: Mammalia ›Order: Artiodactyla ›Family: Balaenopteridae ›Genus: Megaptera

About

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 m (39–52 ft) and weigh about 36,000 kg (79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they repeat for hours at...

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the scientific name of Humpback Whale?
The scientific name of Humpback Whale is Megaptera novaeangliae.
What is the conservation status of Humpback Whale?
The Humpback Whale has a conservation status of Least Concern.
What kingdom does Humpback Whale belong to?
Humpback Whale belongs to the kingdom Animalia.
What phylum does Humpback Whale belong to?
Humpback Whale belongs to the phylum Chordata.
What class does Humpback Whale belong to?
Humpback Whale belongs to the class Mammalia.
What order does Humpback Whale belong to?
Humpback Whale belongs to the order Artiodactyla.
What family does Humpback Whale belong to?
Humpback Whale belongs to the family Balaenopteridae.
What genus does Humpback Whale belong to?
Humpback Whale belongs to the genus Megaptera.

In the News

Humpback whale breaks migration record with 15,000 kilometer ocean journey

Scientists have uncovered an astonishing new chapter in humpback whale migration: two whales were found to have traveled between breeding grounds in Australia and Brazil, crossing more than 14,000 kilometers of open ocean. One whale shattered records by covering at least 15,100 kilometers between sightings, marking the longest confirmed journey ever documented for an individual humpback whale.

ScienceDaily Plants & Animals · 5/20/2026

The Southern Ocean is key to our planet’s future & we have a chance to protect it this year (commentary)

One of the most striking images in David Attenborough’s Ocean, his defining 2025 documentary, is of supertrawlers dragging vast krill nets through a pod of feeding humpback whales off Antarctica. For most viewers, it will have been the moment a distant and invisible crisis became viscerally real. But it was also something else: a glimpse […]

Mongabay · 5/13/2026