HUMPBACK WHALE

Hnúfubakur

Megaptera novaeanglia

The humpback whale is another favorite among our whales here around Iceland. It is the biggest whale we commonly see on our whale watching tours. It doesn’t live in our Faxafloi bay like the minke whales, but visits us quite often during the summertime while it is searching for food. Then it stays for several days.

Watching the humpback is always great fun. The excitement starts when we spot its tremendous blow from far away and builds as we get closer and closer. It is a very lively whale and very famous for its entertaining behavior. It shows its big tail before it goes down for a deep dive, it rolls its body and twists its tail fin as it basks in the pleasure of being on the surface, and it likes spy hopping. The humpback’s most amazing trick is when it jumps with its whole body out of the water and falls back with a tremendous splash. Spotting a humpback is the high point of any whale watching tour.

Length: 13-17 metres
Weight: 25-40 tons
Life expectancy: 95 years
Status: vulnerable, was intensively whaled, numbers probably increasing

Migratory species comes to Iceland for feeding although many stay here during winter following the herring and capelin. In autumn it migrates to Caribbean where breeding takes place
Has the longest migration of any mammal
Slow swimmer
Several short dives of about 20 seconds intervals, followed by deep dive of around 4-8 minutes
3-4 metres high bushy blow
Normally it lifts its tail high in the air before deep diving
Longest pectoral fins (flippers) of any whale. They can grow up to 6 metres
Has very entertaining behaviour including breaching and flipper slapping
Has unique feeding techniques such as the bubble-net technique
Can carry up to half a ton barnacles attached to its body
Male humpback has the most complex song in the animal kingdom. It can sing for 24 hours a day at the breeding grounds