Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassMammalia (Mammals)
OrderCetacea
FamilyBalaenopteridae (Rorquals)
GenusMegaptera (Humpback Whales)
SpeciesMegaptera novaeangliae (Humpback Whale)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Flinders Chase

1 Verified sightings at Flinders Chase From 2019 to 2026

2,602 Verified sightings across all 49 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ 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 →

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

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