Humpback whale breaches the water, Kenai Fjords National Park, 2014.

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are rorquals, which are the largest group of baleen whales. This group (Cetacea) includes the largest animal that has ever lived, the blue whale. Humpback whales are found in oceans and seas around the world, typically migrating up to 16,000 miles every year. A humpback can easily be identified by its stocky body with an obvious hump and black dorsal coloring. The fluked tail has wavy trailing edges and a unique pattern, which makes individual whales identifiable.