Humpback Whale ID Fact Sheet

Name: Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Local Names: Hump, Trouble

SARA Status: Not at Risk

Size: Adults are 11-15 metres long and weigh 23-27 tonnes

Diet: Capelin, herring, krill and other crustaceans

When you might see it: year-round, although they are more commonly seen during summer months when the capelin spawn.

Where you might see it: throughout the region in nearshore and offshore waters.

Notes: This whale is one of the most acrobatic, which combined with its obvious feeding behaviour and lack of fear around boats, makes it easy to spot. They have colour patterns on the underside of their tails as unique to each whale as a fingerprint. Male humpback whales are talented singers, especially on their winter breeding grounds in the tropics.