Humpback Whale
Humpback WhaleHumpback WhaleHumpback WhaleHumpback Whale

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Cape Range
17 Verified sightings at Cape Range From 2019 to 2026
2,602 Verified sightings across all 49 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Humpback Whale

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 (46–56 ft) and weigh up to 40 metric tons (44 short tons). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and tubercles on its head. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song that typically lasts from 4 to 33 minutes.

Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate between feeding areas towards the poles and breeding areas near the equator. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish, and they usually use bubbles to catch prey. They are polygynandrous breeders, with both sexes having multiple partners. Males will follow females and fight off rivals. Mothers give birth to calves in shallower water. Orcas are the main natural predators of humpback whales. The bodies of humpbacks host barnacles and whale lice.

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. Numbers have partially recovered to some 135,000 animals worldwide, but entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution continue to affect the species. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Cape Range

Minke Whale
LC

Minke Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Australian Humpback Dolphin
VU

Australian Humpback Dolphin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Sousa sahulensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Killer Whale

Killer Whale

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Orcinus orca

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Long-snouted Spinner Dolphin
LC

Long-snouted Spinner Dolphin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Stenella longirostris

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Bottlenose Dolphin
LC

Bottlenose Dolphin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Tursiops truncatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~80%
2 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~50%
3 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~50%
4 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
5 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
~40%
6 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
7 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~40%
8 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~40%
9 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~40%
10 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
11 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
12 Cape Range 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
13 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~30%
14 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
15 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
16 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
17 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
18 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~20%
19 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
20 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
21 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
22 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
23 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
24 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
25 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
26 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
27 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
28 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
29 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
30 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
31 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
32 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
33 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
34 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
35 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
36 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
37 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
38 Tierra del Fuego National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
39 Flinders Chase 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
40 Península Valdés 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
41 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
42 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
43 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
44 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
45 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
46 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
47 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
48 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
49 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Humpback Whale in Cape Range?

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Humpback Whale sighting in Cape Range, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Humpback Whale in Cape Range?

September has the highest sighting rate for Humpback Whale in Cape Range in our monthly data.

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