How big does a Humpback whale get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) reaches an average size of 12.87 meter (42′ 3″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). During their lifetime of about 95 years, they grow from 1300 kg (2866.01 lbs) to 30000 kg (66138.6 lbs). A Humpback whale has 1 babies at once. The Humpback whale (genus: Megaptera) is a member of the family Balaenopteridae.
As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. It is one of the larger rorqual species, with adults ranging in length from 12–16 m (39–52 ft) and weighing around 25–30 metric tons (28–33 short tons). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they repeat for hours at a time. All the males in a group will produce the same song, which is different each season. Its purpose is not clear, though it may help induce estrus in females.Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 km (16,000 mi) each year. They feed in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to breed and give birth, fasting and living off their fat reserves. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the bubble net technique.Like other large whales, the humpback was a target for the whaling industry. The species was once hunted to the brink of extinction; its population fell by an estimated 90% before a 1966 moratorium. While stocks have partially recovered to some 80,000 animals worldwide, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships and noise pollution continue to affect the species.
Animals of the same family as a Humpback whale
We found other animals of the Balaenopteridae family:
- Common minke whale with a size of 5.53 meter (18′ 2″)
- Sei whale with a size of 17.44 meter (57′ 3″)
- Bryde’s whale with a size of 13.85 meter (45′ 6″)
- Blue whale with a size of 30.48 meter (100′ 0″)
- Fin whale with a size of 20.65 meter (67′ 9″)
Animals with the same size as a Humpback whale
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Humpback whale:
- Gray whale with a size of 11.84 meter (38′ 11″)
- Southern right whale with a size of 14.15 meter (46′ 6″)
- Sperm whale with a size of 12.18 meter (40′ 0″)
- Bryde’s whale with a size of 13.85 meter (45′ 6″)
- North Atlantic right whale with a size of 13.92 meter (45′ 9″)
- Bowhead whale with a size of 12.2 meter (40′ 1″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Humpback whale
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (1) as a Humpback whale:
- Okapi
- Dusky fruit bat
- Eisentraut’s shrew
- Plains viscacha
- Galápagos fur seal
- Hooded seal
- Rhinolophus simplex
- Maxwell’s duiker
- Eld’s deer
- Black-capped squirrel monkey
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Humpback whale
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Humpback whale:
- Blue whale with an average maximal age of 110 years
- Asian elephant with an average maximal age of 80 years
- Gray whale with an average maximal age of 77 years
- African bush elephant with an average maximal age of 80 years
- Killer whale with an average maximal age of 100 years
- Sperm whale with an average maximal age of 77 years
Animals with the same weight as a Humpback whale
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Megaptera novaeangliae:
- Gray whale with a weight of 27312.01 kilos (60212.6 lbs)
- Pygmy right whale with a weight of 32000 kilos (70547.84 lbs)