Humpback Whales in Hervey Bay, Queenlands

The humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae is aptly named from the Greek magas meaning great and pteron a wing, because of its huge wing-like flippers. It is the fifth largest of the great whales. Adult females grow to 15m, slightly longer than males. A mature humpack can weigh 4o tonnes.

Each year humpback whales migrate from Antarctic to the subtropical coastal waters of western and eastern Australia and South Pacific islands where they give birth and mate during winter and spring. Around August, the whales migrate back to Antractic waters, many stopping for a period of time in Moreton and Hervey bays (where we awere at). Most humpbacks have left Queensland waters by later October.