Newfoundland and Labrador
Humpback Whales/Rorqual à bosse


Humpback whale: 12 meters; 35 tons

When summer comes to Newfoundland and Labrador so do thousands of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Look for their balloon-shaped blow and watch while they dive with their tails in the air as if saying goodbye. Their long white side flippers, which are about one-third of their body length, can be observed at close range from shore and boats (see photos below). Humpbacks arrive from the Caribbean in the early spring to feed on the south coast in the Hermitage and Placentia Bays. See this baleen whale just off St. Vincent's beach as they lunge feed for caplin. Take a boat tour around the bird sanctuaries at Witless Bay, and then follow them to Trinity Bay and Terra Nova Park and up to the coast of Labrador (see Newfoundland map).

Rorqual à bosse (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Taille: 11 à 13 m, jusqu'à 16 m
Poids: Jusqu'à 36 000 kg
Mode de vie: Solitaire, souvent en paire ou en groupe
Longévité: 30 ans à 50 ans
Observations: Occasionnelles de juin à novembre dans le golfe, rares dans l’estuaire
Notes: Ses habitudes côtières et ses longues pectorales en font une des principales victimes des filets des pêcheurs. Ses chants sont parmi les plus longs et les plus complexes du monde animal.


Closeup photo of a humpback whale


This humpback fin is slapping the water off Twillingate, Newfoundland. "Flipper slapping or flippering" (see whale words) is a common occurrence amongst humpbacks. Its scientific name Megaptera novaengliae(itl) means "long-finned New Englander."


Note the bumps and barnacles on the edge of this humpback's white pectoral fin. These bumps are often the cause of the whale hooking netting as it feeds and swims through fishing gear. Barnacles on humpbacks can be as big as your fist.

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