The Ultimate Guide to Humpback Whales and all the FAQs you need to know!

What do Humpback Whales Feed on and how do they Feed?

Humpback whales eat krill and small invertebrates called zooplankton. They feed via lunge feeding, thrusting forward and opening their mouths wide. Their throat grooves extend, opening and closing like an accordion, allowing them to gulp a mouthful of water containing their microscopic prey. They then push the water back through their baleen plates, which trap the krill and zooplankton. Once the water is expelled, they swallow their captured food.

Humpbacks also eat schooling fish like pollock, herring, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies. These fish are caught if they are too large to be expelled through the baleen plates. Some humpback populations use a technique called bubble netting, performed in teams. One whale calls loudly from below, scaring fish upward while releasing bubbles in a circle or spiral to trap the prey. Other whales use their white underbellies to direct the fish upwards. The whales then erupt from the bubble net, mouths open, to capture their food.

When do Humpback Whales Feed and how often?

In the Southern Hemisphere, humpback whales primarily feed during summer in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica, sometimes opportunistically feeding on baitfish along their migration. The food source is concentrated in Antarctica due to nutrient release from melting ice caps, resulting in plankton blooms.

As they migrate to higher latitudes, the food source becomes less reliable. Therefore, while in the Southern Ocean, they focus on gaining weight to utilize stored energy during migration. Humpbacks need to consume at least one tonne of prey per day on their feeding grounds to sustain their metabolism. They can hold almost 19,000 liters of water in a single gulp. When bubble netting, they can feed for 12 hours or more, gaining up to five kilograms per hour when feeding twice a day.

How do Humpback Whales impact the Cycling and Movement of Nutrients in the Ocean?

Humpback whales’ prey, zooplankton and krill, feed on phytoplankton, which convert sunlight into food and sequester carbon. Humpback whales contribute to marine nutrient cycling through their consumption and defecation of nutrient-rich krill and zooplankton. Predators like killer whales prey on humpbacks, and deceased whales are consumed by sharks and other marine scavengers.

The carcasses of dead whales, known as “whale fall,” provide food and nutrients, supporting rich marine communities for years. This process creates new food webs that recycle energy back into the ocean ecosystem.

Do Humpback Whales hold Cultural Significance in Regions around the World?

Humpback whales are significant in many indigenous cultures, such as in Polynesia and Australia, where they are recognized in mythology, totemism, and customary harvest. Aboriginal subsistence whaling is still permitted for some indigenous communities in Denmark, Greenland, the Russian Federation, and the United States, regulated by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

Why were Whales Harvested during the Whaling Period?

Humpback whales were heavily targeted by commercial whaling for their oil, baleen, and blubber. Whale blubber was used for lamp fuel, lubricants, candles, and as a base for perfumes and soaps. Baleen was used for corsets, whips, and umbrellas, and their meat was sold for consumption. Commercial whaling began in the seventeenth century in all major oceans. An estimated 215,848 humpbacks were exploited in the Southern Hemisphere and 33,585 in the Northern Hemisphere, depleting over 95% of populations, leaving about 10,000 individuals globally.

Commercial whaling of humpbacks ceased in the Southern Hemisphere in 1963, and they were placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List to aid in their recovery.

What are the current threats to Humpback Whales in Australia?

Humpback whales face several threats from human activities along Australia’s busy coastline. They can become entangled in discarded fishing gear and face ship strikes from large commercial vessels and increased recreational traffic, especially in resting and protected bay areas. Oil and gas companies use seismic blasting to locate gas reservoirs, which can damage whale hearing, essential for communication. Noise pollution can disrupt their ability to follow migratory paths, teach young, and share songs.

Coastal development projects, like marina construction, often involve dredging and sedimentation, polluting the water with noise and debris. This pollution may cause whales to change their resting areas along migration routes.

Where can Humpback Whales be found and what is their Population?

Humpback whales live in every ocean, with a global population estimated at over 140,000 across 14 recognized breeding populations. The southern hemisphere has around 97,000 humpbacks, with 35-40,000 off Western Australia, the largest population in the southern hemisphere, and 30-35,000 off Eastern Australia. After commercial whaling in Western Australia ceased in 1978, the population has grown at a rate of 10.15% to 13% per year, increasing from fewer than 300 adults.

What is the Status of Global Humpback Whale Populations?

Humpback whale populations have recovered significantly, leading to their downlisting from “Vulnerable” to “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List in 2008. Southern Hemisphere populations are estimated at around 70% of their pre-whaling numbers. In Australia, Humpbacks are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) and the Western Australian Biodiversity Conservation Act (2016). In WA, they are listed as a “conservation dependent” species, requiring ongoing management for population stability.

What are Humpback Whales Characterised and Known for?

Humpback whales are known for their social behaviors, including breaching, lobtailing, and pectoral slapping. They have the largest pectoral fins of any whale, reaching up to 5 meters in length. Their bodies often have acorn barnacles and whale lice, and their heads and pectoral fins feature sensory knobs called tubercles.

Acorn Barnacles on Humpback Whales

The acorn barnacle species Coronulla diadema settles on humpback whale skin. This relationship is commensal, with barnacles benefiting from the water flow as the whale swims. Barnacles filter feed on plankton and may help whales inflict damage during fights. Large barnacle populations can increase drag, but they typically live for up to a year, dropping off during migration or at calving grounds. A single whale can carry up to 450 kg of barnacles.

How long can a Humpback hold their Breath for and why?

Amazingly, Humpbacks can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes, but more regularly every 5-10 minutes when active. Calves can hold their breath for around 5 minutes. Humpbacks use their breath hold for sleeping, feeding, and reproduction, usually staying within the top 200-300 meters of the surface. Unlike sperm whales, which dive deeper and hold their breath for up to 2 hours, humpbacks stay in shallower waters.

How does a Humpback Whale sleep?

Humpbacks are conscious breathers, meaning they need to think about surfacing to breathe. They sleep by shutting off half of their brain for about 30 minutes at a time, staying motionless just below the surface. This allows them to breathe and remain aware of potential predators and dangers while sleeping.

How to Tell a Female Whale Apart from a Male

From the surface, it’s difficult to distinguish a female from a male humpback whale unless a calf is present. Females grow slightly larger than males, about 1-1.5 meters longer. Males may have more scars due to barnacles and combat. Females have a ‘hemispherical lobe’ behind the genital slit, about 15 cm wide, which males lack.

Length and Weight of a Humpback Whale

• Males: 11-15 meters, 25-35 tonnes
• Females: 12-16 meters, 25-35 tonnes
• Max recorded length: 18.6 meters
• Max recorded weight: 40 tonnes
• Calves: 4-4.6 meters at birth, 0.6-1 tonne

Longest Migration by a Humpback Whale

Western Australian humpbacks migrate up to 13,000 km. The longest recorded journey was 18,840 km from the Antarctic Peninsula to American Samoa and back. Mother-calf pairs may take longer due to rest stops.

Breeding and Birth in the Southern Hemisphere

Western Australian humpbacks breed and give birth during their northern migration in waters warmer than 25°C. Females ovulate between June to November. The gestation period is 11-12 months, aligning with migration patterns.

Whale Blows

Humpbacks have two blowholes, one for each lung. Their blows are bushy and columnar, typically 4-5 meters high, reaching up to 10 meters.

Surface Behaviours of Humpback Whales

• Tail Lobbing: Throwing the tail or peduncle out of the water, possibly for defense or communication.
• Tail Slapping: Repeatedly slapping the fluke against the water’s surface, possibly to communicate or stun fish.
• Pectoral Slapping: Slapping the pectoral fin against the water, possibly for communication or muscle strengthening.
• Breaching: Launching part or the whole body out of the water, possibly for play, communication, or skin cleansing.
• Head Lunging: Pushing the head and chin out of the water and slapping the chin against the surface, possibly to alleviate itchiness or remove barnacles.
• Spy Hopping: Poking the head out of the water in a vertical orientation, possibly to observe surroundings.

Do Humpback Whales Interact with other Species?

Humpbacks sometimes associate with other species like southern right whales, fin whales, and dolphins. Dolphins often harass or play with humpbacks. Humpbacks have been recorded intervening when other species, like grey whales and seals, are attacked by orcas.

What are the Predators of Humpback Whales and how do they Hunt them?

While sharks have been seen feeding on whale carcasses and will generally only prey on the sick, injured or vulnerable humpback calves, killer whales (Orcinus orca) are the primary predator of humpback whales. Orcas hunt tactically in their family pods, utilising each other to complete a certain aspect of the predation event and in instances, have been recorded using some individuals to cut abruptly across the mothers head to distract her, then have others separate the calf from her side and usher it away in the slipstream of their movements through the water or move them away on top of their own bodies. Orcas may grab the humpback calf by the tail and pull them underwater in an attempt to drown them or may puncture their sides and cause them to bleed out.

Humpbacks are not particularly fast swimmers but are very agile meaning they are effective fighters and will attempt to defend themselves and their calf by tail lobbing, slamming their forceful and hefty tail into the orcas which can lead to injury or even death with the sheer force. Often on their southern migration, mothers will generally have an unrelated male that travels with her who is attempting to breed with her if she comes into heat, but also adds extra protection to her and her calf during their journey. Having two large adults protecting the calf increases the chances of that calf’s survival significantly.

A study in Ecuador analysing the battle scars associated with killer whale attacks found that 11.5 percent of adult humpback whales and 19.5 percent of their calves carried scars.

What is a Competition Pod and how does it work?

A competition pod is the group arrangement of several males in pursuit of a mature and fertile female. Competition is necessary as the sex ratio is 2-3 males per reproductive female (equal ratio overall, however all females aren’t reproducing each year). There is a primary male escort that follows the female at the breeding grounds and typically stays a body length away, defending his right to mate from other potential suitors. A competition pod can form when additional males attempt to compete for the breeding right of that female. These pods can exceed a dozen males, especially if she is a larger female. Competition pods can last a few minutes or several hours involving a range of behaviours including lunging, lobtailing, bubble blowing, head lifting, ramming and high-speed chasing, all which can result in injury.

The female is the one usually in the lead and has been recorded to potentially convey their presence to males from surrounding areas through percussive sounds, bringing them in from several kilometres to join in on the action. Most of the action will occur between the primary escort and two or three main challengers who may temporarily work together to outmanoeuvre the primary escort. The primary escort may become displaced by a challenger or be successful in his defence, all in the aim to be the closest male for when the female comes into her oestrous cycle.

What is an Oestrous Cycle?

The oestrous cycle can be defined as “the cyclical pattern of ovarian activity that facilitates female animals to go from a period of reproductive receptivity to non receptivity ultimately allowing the establishment of pregnancy following mating”. Oestrous cycles for humpbacks rarely occur during pregnancy, but ovulation can often follow shortly after parturition (birthing), while the females are breastfeeding their calves. It is shown that when the calf is lost at or soon after birth, oestrous cycles usually recommence at once. Where the calf is suckled for the normal period, there is no anoestrous (rest) period following the end of lactation as oestrous cycles recommence in July, immediately after (occasionally just before) weaning at the end of June. How often the cycle commences is unknown but thought to be prominent during the northern migration in June-November, peaking in July-September.

Are Humpback Whales Monogamous or Polygamous?

Humpbacks are polygamous breeders, often having multiple partners in their lifetime and not holding any loyalty to one singular individual. The males also do not have any parental responsibility in the nursing of the calf or to the female whilst she rears the calf, however, have been recorded to guard/protect calves that are not their own in many populations around the world. 

How often does a Humpback Whale fall pregnant? What is their sexual maturity? Can they have Twins?

A female can start ovulating in an oestrous cycle once she gives birth and starts lactating, but generally she may rear a calf once every 2-3 years. Sexual maturity of females range between 4-11 years, when they are between 12-15 metres in length. The females must be of sufficient length to safely carry the 4-4.5 metre calf throughout pregnancy. Humpbacks are uniparous, meaning they give birth to one baby at a time. Twins in cetaceans are possible, however are very rare, occurring in less than 1% of births.

Do all Humpback Whales Sing?

It is thought that only males sing. Little to no information has been found on females singing. Each juvenile male learns from other whales around them on how to conduct a series of sounds and compose intricate “songs.” The males often sing while suspended deep below the surface, their long pectoral fins jutting rigidly from their sides. The songs can last up to 20 minutes and can be heard over distances exceeding tens of kilometres. The whales repeat the same song for hours, often incorporating their own modification which may be adopted by others in the group. It can take 2-5 years for the entire song to change in composition.

These songs are thought to be a method in serenading females, determining or facilitating male-male interactions, a way for males to signify status and/or attract females into a male aggregation, or of course a combination of all proposals. 

How long do Humpback Whales Live for?

It is thought their lifespan is between 50-75 years with the oldest recorded at 95 years!

What is the Gestation Period for Humpback Whales and how do they give Birth?

Gestation is between 11-12 months and it is thought that the birthing process is relatively quick, estimated at around 15 minutes! Any longer than that and the calf has a high risk of drowning. They are birthed tail first and once successfully out, the mother will rush to assist pushing the calf to the surface to get its first breaths in. Little information is known about their births as few have ever been recorded or seen by scientists.

Do Humpback Whales Breastfeed? How long do they Breastfeed for? 

Yes, humpback whales like other mammals have mammary glands in which they can nurse their calf for the first few months of their life. Unlike humans, humpbacks and other whales do not necessarily have nipples for the calf to attach to in order to receive the breast milk. Therefore, the breastfeeding process is quite different to what we know breastfeeding as. When the calf is receiving the milk, it is secreted into the water column via muscular contraction around the mothers mammary gland.

The breast milk is approximately 60-70% fat, which prevents the milk from dissolving into the water without a latching process. Instead it conglomerates (sits in a blob) and the calf can eat it straight from the water. The fatty consistency of the breast milk is highly nutritious and allows for the calf to put on weight easily in a short amount of time. They tend to breastfeed for the first 6-12 months, depending on the individual, and are usually weaned sometime during the summer feeding in Antarctica.  

How many Calves will a Female Whale have in their lifetime? When do Whales Stop Reproducing? 

After reaching sexual maturity as early as 4 years of age, possibly reproducing every 2-3 years and living to as old as 75, females can have as many as 20-25 calves in their lifetime! Females do not go through menopause but may slowly cease reproductive behaviours as they get towards the later stages of their life. Little is known about if and when females stop reproducing once they get to a certain age. 

Do the Humpback Whales have Families they stay with for Life?

No. Unlike species of dolphins such as orcas, humpback whales do not have family units that they stick with for their entire lives. The only family bond present can be found between mother and calf humpback in that first rearing year of life before becoming independent. Humpbacks are social animals despite not having family tied units, often travelling in small groups of at least a pairing, up to as many as 10 or more individuals. They seem to enjoy the social connection and interaction with other individuals as well as this interaction acting as a safety mechanism, travelling in numbers on their journeys to protect them from potential predators. 

Do you ID the Humpbacks? How can you Distinguish Individual Whales?

Yes. Scientists can utilise the underside of humpback flukes (tails) and their unique black and white pigmentation, scarring and serrations of the trailing edge of their flukes to distinguish individuals from one another. An additional form of identification can be found using the dorsal fins, examining the shape, size and any scarring present. There is an online citizen science platform called ‘HappyWhale’ (https://happywhale.com/home) where anyone with an account can upload their ID photos of any whale and log their data as well as individuals in a certain area. Some humpback individuals have been tracked via photo ID for more than 40 years! 

How do Humpback Whales Communicate?

Humpback whales can produce moans, grunts, blasts and shrieks, as well as vocalise song, feeding calls and trumpet blasts. Through a variety of ‘throps’, ‘wops’ and grunts, each sound seems to be used in different circumstances and are utilised differently depending on the interaction between certain individuals. For example, it is thought that ‘wops’ are used between mother and calf, ‘throps’ are general communication between any individual and grunts are used when multiple animals come together in a group. 

What is the Evolution of Humpbacks Whales?

Whales began to evolve over 50 million years ago, with the ancestor of this group being originally terrestrial. As their ancestors developed a more aquatic lifestyle, their nostrils gradually moved further back along the snout, resulting in their current placement on top of their heads. When humpback whales swim, they move their tails up and down, as opposed to side-to-side like a fish. This is a side effect of evolving from walking land mammals whose backbones did not naturally bend side to side, but up and down.

Sizes and Weights of Humpback Whale Body Parts

Whale Brain

A humpback brain can weigh over 6 kilograms, nearly 5 times the weight of a human brain! Patrick Hof and Estel Van der Gucht from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York studied the humpback whale brain. They found a type of neuron called a spindle neuron in the cortex, also found in humans. The function of spindle neurons is not well understood. They might be involved in cognition, learning, remembering, and recognizing the world. Spindle cells are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders like autism and schizophrenia in humans. It is unknown if whales can suffer from these disorders.

Whale Lungs

Humpbacks have two blowholes, one for each lung. Each lung is about the size of a small car! A humpback whale’s lungs can hold approximately 5000 litres of air. In humans, our lungs take up about 7% of the body cavity, while a whale’s lungs take up only 3%. Larger lungs in whales would mean more nitrogen absorption, creating toxicity and decompression illness. To prevent this, their lungs are relatively small. Humpbacks adapt to retain as much oxygen as possible while diving.

Scientist Scholander proposed that cartilage surrounding the trachea prevents airway compression under pressure. This allows the alveoli to collapse, reducing gas exchange and preventing high nitrogen levels in the blood. The depth of lung collapse depends on diving lung volume. After alveoli collapse, surfactant is required for re-inflation. In marine mammals, surfactant reduces alveolar surface tension and is produced and released via hormones. In terrestrial mammals, surfactant production occurs via hyperventilation. Through this process, cetaceans can use nearly 90% of the oxygen in each breath, whereas humans can only use about 75%.

Width of tail

The fluke (tail) can be up to a third of body length and it is fully cartilaginous. The width can be up to 5 metres.

Whale Heart

The humpback heart can weigh as much as 199 kilograms! It has been noted that their hearts possess large stores of glycogen, suggesting that their cardiac tissues are capable of a greater anaerobic capacity than those of terrestrial mammals (Pfeiffer, 1990; Pfeiffer and Viers, 1995). The current maximum heart rate measured for humpback whales is approximately 40 bpm, in line with the idea that the larger the animal, the slower the heart beat. 

Humpback Whale Oxygen Storage and Distribution

Humpback whale blood contains 60% hemoglobin, compared to 30% in humans. Additionally, whales have more blood, which accounts for 10-20% of their body volume, while in humans, it is around 7%. Oxygen is stored in whale muscles in a protein called myoglobin, with concentrations up to 30% higher than in terrestrial animals. Myoglobin holds up to 35% of their oxygen stores, crucial for ensuring a constant supply to the brain while underwater.

A study in Brazil found humpback whales have up to 13 spleens. These spleens contract during dives, releasing fresh blood with oxygenated red blood cells. During extended dives, when aerobic metabolism is insufficient, whales accumulate byproducts like lactic acid and hydrogen ions. To conserve oxygen, whales undergo several physiological responses: a decline in heart rate (bradycardia), regional vasoconstriction to prioritize oxygen delivery to vital organs, a drop in core body temperature, hypo-metabolism, and tolerance to low oxygen and high CO2 levels.

Do Humpback Whales Equalise?

Humpback whales have external ear openings on each side of their head. Their dense ear bones resist pressure during dives. A waxy plug blocks seawater from entering the auditory canal. Whales effectively equalize due to flexible material lining their middle ear cavity. When diving, their sinuses flood with blood, reducing air space and allowing equalization. Large Eustachian tubes enable easy air displacement from the mouth to the ear.

Humpback Whale Blowhole

The humpback blowhole evolved from nostrils migrating to the top of the head, minimizing energy used when breathing at the surface. The blowhole acts like a valve, closing underwater and opening at the surface. A nasal plug covers the nasal passage to the blowhole, relaxing underwater and contracting at the surface to allow breathing.

When a whale exhales, a spout is seen, indicating the whale’s presence and often its species. The exhaled air is higher in pressure and warmer than the surrounding air, causing condensation and forming the blow.

Can Humpback Whales Feel Pain and Emotions?

Humpbacks can feel physical pain and are thought to have a pain tolerance similar to humans. Entangled whales often emit moans and wails of pain and show visible soreness from lacerations. Humpbacks can also feel emotional pain. For instance, mothers mourning the loss of their calves produce wailing sounds.

In Mexico, underwater cameraman Rodrigo Friscone Wyssmann observed a female humpback whale mourning her calf, killed by orcas. The mother sat motionless, while a male escort swam nearby, potentially comforting her. They stayed near the site for nearly a week. Another example occurred in Long Island, where a lighthouse keeper heard loud mournful whale sounds after a breastfeeding calf washed ashore, indicating a searching mother.

Humpbacks possess spindle cells in their brains, linked with empathy and intuition, suggesting they can understand and feel for another whale in distress.

Humpback Whale Placenta

Limited information exists about the placentas of humpback whales. However, in 1994, researchers in Hawaii recorded a floating portion of the placenta measuring about 1.2 to 1.5 meters long, with the submerged portion around 2.4 meters long.

Do Whales Get Periods?

Humpback whales do not menstruate like humans. They go through an oestrous cycle, ovulating and releasing an egg typically between June and November, which can be fertilized. While little is known about their oestrous cycles, it is proven that mothers can enter oestrous during lactation or soon after losing a calf. The most common cycle involves an absence of ovulation after birthing, or a failure to conceive even if in oestrous, resulting in one calf every two years.

How Does a Humpback Whale Umbilical Cord Detach?

There is limited information on whale births, but it is believed that the umbilical cord detaches itself during birth. A placenta found in Hawaii in 1994 had an umbilical cord approximately 5 centimeters wide and 1.3 meters long.

How Often Do Whales Poo and How Much?

Humpback whales eliminate approximately 9.42 kg of nitrogen per day while feeding. They typically release their bowels at the surface when taking a breath. The nature of whale poo is similar to a loose aggregation of particles, contributing to the ‘whale pump,’ which brings nutrients back to the surface.

Can Humpback Whales Smell?

Whale olfaction is not well understood, and many cetaceans are believed to be incapable of smelling. Marine mammals like whales breathe differently from gill-breathing species like sharks. While whales must hold their breath underwater, sharks extract oxygen directly from the water, allowing them to ‘smell’ their surroundings via particles passing over their gills.

How Good is a Humpback’s Hearing?

A study by Tubelli et al. found that the middle ear transfer function of a humpback whale is in a frequency range between approximately 15 Hz and 3 kHz, or between 200 Hz and 9 kHz, based on two potential stimulation locations. Humpbacks emit sounds of both low and high frequencies, requiring a broad range of sound interpretation.

Do Humpback Whales Get Sick?

Respiratory infections are the most common diseases in cetaceans. Little is known about their response to such infections, but humpback lungs can produce mucus, which has been reported to be ‘coughed up’ while exhaling at the surface. Cetaceans can contract a range of infectious parasites and diseases, often leading to fatality.

Can Humpback Whales Sneeze and Cough?

Humpbacks do not sneeze or cough as humans do. Their digestive and respiratory systems are separate, unlike humans. Coughing and sneezing typically clear the airways of irritants and mucus, which whales can manage during exhalation.

How Do Humpback Whales Cool Off or Warm Up?

As mammals, humpbacks need energy to stay warm. They warm up through movement, such as breaching or tail slapping. To cool off, they may hold their tail flukes or pectoral fins out of the water. The large surface area allows cool air to pass across their skin, removing heat. This behavior is observed in high latitudes where the water is warmer, especially in northern Australian waters during winter breeding.

How Long Does a Whale Calf Stay with Its Mother?

Humpback calves stay with their mothers for the first year of their lives before becoming independent.

What is the Survival Rate of Humpback Whale Calves?

A 2018 study estimated natural calf mortality rates between 15-24% during their early life stage. This rate is likely higher due to predation events by orcas during their first year, which are often not recorded.

Percentage of Successful Orca Predation Events

A 2015 study at Ningaloo Reef documented 22 orca attacks on humpback whale calves, with 64% resulting in kills and 36% unsuccessful. Satellite-tagged data showed orcas attacked eight humpback calves, with 43% of known outcomes resulting in kills. All attacks targeted yearlings or calves; orcas left immediately if no calf was present.

Length of a Humpback Whale’s Penis

At puberty, a humpback whale’s penis averages just over 1 metre. In sexually mature males, it ranges from 0.97 to 1.88 metres.

Speed of Humpback Whales

Humpback whales can travel at a maximum speed of approximately 27 km/hr, but their cruising speed ranges between 3.8 and 14.3 km/hr.

Why Do Humpback Whales Breach? Does it Require Lots of Energy?

Humpbacks breach for various reasons. Calves and sub-adults breach as a form of play. Breaching also helps cleanse and exfoliate dead skin cells and parasites. It relieves itchiness, with the force of hitting the water aiding in alleviating irritation. Adults may breach for communication over long distances.

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