Named for the distinctive hump just before the dorsal fin, humpback whales (Megatera novaeangliae) are the world's most popular whales. Humpbacks can reach a length of15.2 (50 ft) and weigh as much as 41 metric tons (45 tons).

Humpbacks are known to use an ingenious underwater "net" to catch schooling fish or krill. The net is created by blowing a curtain of bubbles in the shape of a circle. The fish are gobbled up by the whale swimming upwards with its mouth open inside the circle. The fish will not cross the bubble circle.

Humpback whales are famous for producing noises in the form of songs. These haunting songs are often mimicked by other humpbacks changing very little.

The worldwide population of the humpback whales is estimated to be 6500 to 7000. Humpbacks are found in all the oceans.

Humpback whales can be seen from the shores of Monterey bay, Point Lobos, and Big Sur.