Body is primarily grey to black with varying amounts of white on the underside, throat and pectoral fins.

Pectoral fins are extremely long, nearly 1/3 the length of the body, with scalloped leading edges and vary from all black to all white.

Body is thick and rotund.

Maximum length of 16 metres.

Dorsal fin is located 2/3 of the way down the back, short with a broad base, and variable in shape.

Distinctive knobs, called tubercles, are present on the top of the head.

Underside of tail flukes can range from all black to mostly white.

Often solitary, but may occur in feeding or social groups of 10-15+ animals.

Can be very acrobatic; breaching, tail-lobbing and pectoral fin slapping are common behaviours.

When feeding, animals often lunge through the surface with mouths agape.

Humpback whales employ several feeding techniques, including bubble-netting, where one to several animals may create a circular wall of bubbles to concentrate food before lunging through it.

Upon initiation of long dives, the back arches high and tail flukes are often lifted out of the water.

In British Columbia, humpbacks are found in both coastal and offshore waters, mainly in the summer and fall.

Humpbacks undertake long distance migration, from winter breeding grounds in southern latitudes (Hawaii, Mexico, and Southern Asia) to northern feeding areas from California to Alaska and Russia.

Often confused with grey whales: humpback whales are primarily black and have a knubby dorsal fin, whereas grey whales are mottled in colour and lack a dorsal fin. Humpbacks also have much longer flippers and a broader head with numerous tubercles.

The colder, coastal waters that humpbacks frequent in the summer months are rich in prey, including small schooling fish such as herring, capelin, sandlance and pilchard, as well as krill.

Humpback whales are known as a ‘rorqual whale’, which means they have long pleats from their lower jaw to their abdomen that allows the throat to expand, allowing in huge amounts of food-filled water while feeding. Humpbacks then use baleen as a sieve to trap food while removing the salt water.

Breeding in humpbacks whales is very seasonal, occurring in the winter in tropical/sub-tropical areas. In these areas, males sing long, complex songs. The songs are specific to breeding areas and seem to evolve from year to year. These songs are likely used to attract females, though they may also be used in social ordering and competition among males.

Gestation is approximately 11 months, calves being born between December and April in the north Pacific. A calf will spend about one year with its mother before becoming independent. Females typically have a calf every 2-3 years, though annual breeding is not unheard of.

Besides the mother-calf pairs, humpback whales are not known to have long-term social bonds.

The lifespan of the humpback whale is still unknown, though it is believed to be at least 48 years.