Humpback Whale (S/F)

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaengliae) is a species of large rorqual, a baleen whale in the family Balaenopteridae. They evolved during the late Miocene epoch, about 7.2 million years ago, and currently have cosmopolitan distribution throughout virtually all of the world’s oceans. They are absent only from the Mediterranean and beneath the Arctic polar ice cap. Due to whaling practices, the species came close to extinction in the 1960s, with only about five thousand whales remaining; as of the 2020s there are now believed to be close to 135,000 humpbacks alive, but while they are no longer considered endangered, threats to their survival remain.