humpback
n.a very large whale with a curved back and long fins. These whales are famous for their beautiful songs and for jumping out of the water.
n.a large baleen whale of the genus Megaptera, characterized by a humped back and exceptionally long pectoral fins. Known for complex vocalizations and breaching behavior.
“We saw a humpback jump out of the ocean today.”
“During their winter migration, several humpback whales were spotted breaching just a few miles off the coast.”
“Marine biologists have spent decades recording the intricate, evolving songs of the humpback, which can travel for hundreds of miles through the deep ocean.”
Often used as a modifier in the compound 'humpback whale'.
“Now it is accepted that many species have whole cultural traditions shared between kin – with one of the most enigmatic embodied in the songs of the humpback whale .”
“The change is dramatic: ship-based surveys in the region did not record a single humpback whale sighting there until 2006.”