What You Need to Know About Humpback Whales in Alaska

The humpback whale is classified as a baleen whale, also sometimes called a toothless whale, because it uses baleen to filter food from water rather than chewing with teeth. All baleen whales share this feeding pattern: they open their mouths to take in as much water as possible, close the mouth, and squeeze water out through their baleen bristles. When they’re done, the water has been expelled back into the ocean, while any small prey animals remain in the whale’s mouth.

Female humpbacks average about 49 feet in length and a whopping 35 tons in weight, while the males are slightly smaller. That’s roughly the size of a school bus to put in perspective how massive these creatures are!

Contrary to popular belief, humpback whales don’t actually have a natural hump on their backs. Instead, the name comes from the way they arch their back up before diving deep into the ocean. The “hump” is what’s most recognizable to humans on the surface of the water, so the name stuck!

Humpback whales have long, wide bodies that narrow at the head. They tend to be mostly black but may feature some sections of white coloring, especially on the throat, belly, flippers, and flukes. Compared to other whales, humpbacks are most easily recognized by their extremely long flippers, which can reach up to 30 percent of the whale’s total length.

Unlike some other types of whales, humpbacks tend to travel alone or in very small groups that convene for just a few hours. In the summer, they may stay together slightly longer to feed as a group. Humpback whales tend to only feed during the summer months, and they live off their fat reserves throughout the winter breeding season.

How to See Humpback Whales in Alaska

Humpback whales are incredibly satisfying to view in their natural habitats, so a whale watching trip out of Juneau is the perfect opportunity to connect with these beautiful creatures. Humpback whales will often display their acrobatic feats for tour groups, breaching and tail-slapping consistently for hours at a time.

The summer is the best time of year to view humpback whales in Alaska, as the local whale population tends to migrate down to Hawaii to breed during the winter. Throughout the summer, they’re easy to find all up and down the Alaska coastline. Definitely plan to work a whale watching trip into your Alaska plans to spot our magnificent humpbacks!