A humpback is a large whale known for its long flippers, knobby head, and the distinctive hump on its back near its dorsal fin. These magnificent creatures can grow to 50 feet long and weigh as much as 40 tons. They're famous for their haunting, complex songs that can last up to 20 minutes and travel for miles underwater. Scientists still don't fully understand these songs, though they believe male humpbacks sing to communicate with other whales.

Humpbacks are also spectacular acrobats. They frequently leap completely out of the water in a behavior called breaching, then crash back down with an enormous splash. No one knows exactly why they do this: it might help them communicate, remove parasites, or simply be playful.

These whales undertake incredible migrations, traveling thousands of miles between cold feeding waters near the poles and warm tropical waters where they give birth. In the 1960s, humpback whales were nearly hunted to extinction, with only about 5,000 remaining. Thanks to international protection, their population has rebounded to around 135,000 today, making their recovery one of conservation's greatest success stories.