Baleines Spm Frag'iles

Suborder: mysticetes
Family balaenopteridae
Common Name: Humpback Whale
Scientific name: Megaptera novaeangliae
Size: On average 12 or 13 m
Weight: From 25 to 30 tons
Dorsal fin: Small, triangular or falciform, perched on a hump, at two thirds back
Lifespan: 30 to 40 years
Blow: From 3-4 m high, wide, diffuse, like a balloon.

The Humpback whale is one of three species of cetaceans most commonly observed in the waters of the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. This species is the most interesting one as far as observation is concerned: its behavior is very demonstrative and sometimes even spectacular. The presence of these whales  in the month of April off the south coast of Newfoundland, their feeding grounds, is the result of a migratory journey of thousands of km, (see the map). Most leave our waters in late October for their wintering grounds in the Caribbean, where they will mate and/or give birth.

 The tail, dorsal and pectoral fins are characteristic of each individual, so it can be identified. Re-sightings sometimes thousands of km apart is a good way to follow their migration routes.

The pattern of the ventral side of the tail flukes is unique for each individual and usually do not vary significantly.