The humpback whale is one of the largest animals on earth and can grow to more than fifty feet long. The humpback whale belongs to a sub-order of whales called baleen or toothless whales. These whales must surface to breathe and through its paired blowhole atop its head, this marine mammal will exchange 80 percent of the air from its car-sized lungs. In mid to late summer humpback whales will often join in a group to feed. These whales were traveling together in search of their next meal of small schooling fish like herring. According to recent estimates about 18,000-20,000 humpback whales live in the waters of the North Pacific.
