Humpback whale  (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Humpback whales became one of the major targets of the whaling industry due to their coastal migration routes; it is estimated that over 100,000 humpbacks were slaughtered in the southern hemisphere alone, between 1900 and 1940 (6). Protected from whaling today, these whales are vulnerable to changes in the marine environment and are threatened by pollution and the possible alteration of fish stocks as a result of climate change (8).

Humpback whales received full protection in 1966 and have since captured the public's imagination (6). Whale watching tours to see these magnificent animals are popular throughout the world from Alaska to Hawaii and Japan to Australia (2). In the northwest Atlantic particularly, these have worked closely with scientists providing valuable photo identification of individuals that has helped to uncover some of the mysteries surrounding their impressive migration (2). Humpback whales are the most studied of the large whales but little is still known about some aspects of their behaviour and about population dynamics (9), further research and monitoring is therefore needed to safeguard these awe-inspiring acrobats of the sea.