Quick Facts
Common Name: Humpbacks are named for the steep arching of the back characteristic when they descend on deep, sounding dives.
Scientific Name: Megaptera is Latin for great, or large winged. This is descriptive of their pectoral flippers (side flippers), which are unusually long. The species name, novaeangliae, is Latin for New Englander given because of the location humpbacks were first described by scientists.
Scientific Name: Megaptera is Latin for great, or large winged. This is descriptive of their pectoral flippers (side flippers), which are unusually long. The species name, novaeangliae, is Latin for New Englander given because of the location humpbacks were first described by scientists.