It’s no secret that Fantasea Cruising loves whales! All whales, though we’re sure you will notice that we tend to talk a lot about humpback whales. This is not only because they are the most commonly seen whale on out ‘premium’ whale watching experiences but because we think they are absolutely captivating!
Humpback’s are baleen whales

Baleen whales are identifiable by the two blowholes visible on the top of their heads.
What does ‘baleen’ mean anyway?
Unlike their toothed counterparts, humpbacks have ‘baleen’ plates that hang from the roof of their mouth. The humpback’s mouth is expandable with a flexible lower jaw to allow for their gulping feeding style. Food such as fish, plankton and krill are caught in hairs on the baleen whilst the saltwater is strained through back into the ocean.
Humpback Migration
Why do they migrate? In short, humpback whales migrate to feed and breed! The extremely cold waters which are plentiful for krill, a humpbacks favourite food is way too cold for newborns. For this reason, humpback whales travel great distances from cold feeding waters to warm shallow water for mating in calving. Giving us the perfect opportunity the gaze at the glory of these majestic mammals of the sea!
Humpback whale fun facts
- Whales cannot drink saltwater
- They can weigh up to 40 tonnes
- They can migrate over 10,000km annually
- Despite being so heavy, humpback whales can breech their full body above the water
- Humpback whales are baleen whales, meaning they do not possess any teeth
- Calves are born around 3.75–4.5m long
- They eat up to 1.5 tonnes of food a day
- Humpback whales can live for at least 45 years, but complete lifespan is still unknown
- They sing for anything between 15 minutes and 24 hours
- Females are the larger sex. They grow up to 13–16m, with males growing up to 12–15m