Humpback Whale: (Megaptera novaeangliae) The humpback whale reaches a maximum length of about 15.6 meters (51 feet) and a maximum weight of about 34 metric tonnes (37.5 tons). In the southern hemisphere its primary food is krill, In the northern hemisphere it eats schooling fish such as anchovies, cod, and sand lance, and capelin. The humpback is one of the most popular whales for whale watching on both the east and west coasts. It is the whale most often photographed leaping out of the water--an activity called breaching. The humpback is also called the "singing whale." A male's song may be as long as half an hour and changes from year to year. Scientists estimate that there are 10,000 humpbacks worldwide--only about eight percent of its estimated initial population.

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