Humpback Whales in Hermanus

“Humpback” refers to the habit of raising and curving its back in preparation for the dive, accentuating the pronounced hump in front of the dorsal fin.

The humpback whale is a baleen whale and a rorqual whale with a rounded body narrowing to a slender tail. The bulky head and jaws have numerous knobs that contain hair follicles and provide sites for barnacles and whale lice.

Humpback Whales are easily distinguished by their wing-like flippers often as long as up to as much as a third of their total body length.

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Quick Facts about Humpback Whales

  • “Humpback” refers to the habit of raising and curving its back in preparation for the dive, accentuating the pronounced hump in front of the dorsal fin.
  • The humpback whale is a baleen whale and a rorqual whale with a rounded body narrowing to a slender tail. The bulky head and jaws have numerous knobs that contain hair follicles and provide sites for barnacles and whale lice.
  • Humpback Whales are easily distinguished by their wing-like flippers often as long as up to as much as a third of their total body length.
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