In the Summer of 2014, we spent some time in the South Pacific Archipelago of Vava'u in The Kingdom of Tonga or Friendly Islands as James Cook called them after visiting them extensively in his second voyage of discovery of the South Pacific.
We were documenting the migration of the Humpback whales from the cold food-rich waters of the Antarctic Ocean to the warm shallow waters of Tonga.
We were documenting the migration of the Humpback whales from the cold food-rich waters of the Antarctic Ocean to the warm shallow waters of Tonga.
Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 16,000 km each year. They feed in polar waters and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to breed and give birth.
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus Megaptera. Adults range in length from 14–17 m and weigh up to 40 metric tons. The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviours, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song typically lasting 4 to 33 minutes.
Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 16,000 km each year. They feed in polar waters and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to breed and give birth. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish, and they use bubbles to catch prey. They are promiscuous breeders, with both sexes having multiple partners. Orcas are the main natural predators of humpback whales.
Like other large whales, the humpback was a target for the whaling industry. Humans once hunted the species to the brink of extinction; its population fell to around 5,000 by the 1960s. While numbers have partially recovered to some 135,000 animals worldwide, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution continue to affect the species.
Megaptera novaeangliae's Conservation Status (2022)
