{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "humpback-whale",
  "name": "Humpback Whale",
  "scientificName": "Megaptera novaeangliae",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The humpback whale is a large baleen whale found in oceans worldwide, famous for its complex, haunting songs, spectacular breaching, and enormous wing-like flippers. Humpbacks can grow to 15 m (49 ft), migrate thousands of miles between feeding and breeding grounds, and live up to 80 years or more. Once hunted to the brink, they are now a conservation success story listed as Least Concern.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Artiodactyla",
    "family": "Balaenopteridae",
    "genus": "Megaptera"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 30000,
    "lengthM": 15,
    "topSpeedKmh": 27,
    "lifespanYears": 80
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Megaptera novaeangliae"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore (krill and small fish)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Oceans worldwide"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Up to 80–90 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "25,000–30,000 kg (28–33 tons)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 27 km/h (17 mph)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Every major ocean, migrating between polar feeding grounds and tropical breeding waters.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "Cooke, J. G. (2018). Megaptera novaeangliae. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Megaptera novaeangliae. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Megaptera_novaeangliae/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World (6th ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press.",
      "url": null
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/humpback-whale/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/humpback-whale/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}