Body length15 m
600,000Pollen grain widths
6.3 tenthsTennis court lengths
8.2Picnic table lengths
Average adult; females slightly larger than males
Photo by Oliver Tsappis on Unsplash
Humpback Whale
The singing traveler of the open ocean/Marine Life
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are famous for their complex songs, which can last over 20 minutes and be heard hundreds of kilometers away. They undertake one of the longest migrations of any mammal, traveling up to 8,000 km each way between feeding and breeding grounds. Their pectoral fins are the longest of any whale species, and they use bubble-net feeding, a cooperatively genius hunting technique.
Measurements
Body mass30,000 kg
417Full beer kegs
37.3 millionthsGolden Gate Bridge masses
96,774Sneakers
~30 metric tons
Song duration1,200 s
5.71Pop songs
57.1Mammal pees
300Silences
Songs last 10-20 minutes and are repeated for hours
Migration distance (one way)8 million m
177,778Unrolled toilet paper rolls
1.3 millionBoxing ring sides
4.6 millionYoga mat lengths
~8,000 km each way; among the longest of any mammal
Pectoral fin length5 m
3.4 hundredthsGreat Pyramid heights
1.17Trampoline diameters
1.4 hundredthsCruise ship lengths
Longest fins relative to body size of any cetacean
Fluke span5.5 m
1.9Condor wingspans
2.19Phone booth heights
18,333Grains of salt
Cruising speed4 m/s
1Running chicken
13.3Roombas
~14 km/h during migration
Dive depth200 m
28.6Tow truck lengths
2.37Olympic straights
3.53Leaning Towers of Pisa
Typical feeding dives