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New Zealand has 3 main species of Whale that travel through its oceans.
The Humpback Whale
Scientific name: Megaptera novaeangliae - Belonging to the family of Baleen whales
Length: Adults range from 12 to 16 metres, calves between 4 and 5 metres.
Weight: Up to 36,000 kilograms
Diet: Feeding only in summer on krill and small fish, during winter they fast and live off their fat reserves.
Physical appearance description: Very stocky body, large hump, dark dorsal colouring, unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head
Life expectancy: 40 to 50 years of age
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Length: Adults range from 12 to 16 metres, calves between 4 and 5 metres.
Weight: Up to 36,000 kilograms
Diet: Feeding only in summer on krill and small fish, during winter they fast and live off their fat reserves.
Physical appearance description: Very stocky body, large hump, dark dorsal colouring, unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head
Life expectancy: 40 to 50 years of age
Conservation Status: Least Concern
The blue represents the Humpback whale's range throughout the world.
Size comparison of the average Humpback whale to the average sized human.
A Humpback whale breaching out of the water. Click on this image to view it larger
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The Southern Right Whale
Scientific name: Eubalaena australis - Belonging to the family of Baleen whales
Length: Can grow up up to and between 11 and 18 metres
Weight: These whales can weigh between 25,000 and 65,000 kilograms. Calves weigh in at 1,500 kilograms at birth!
Diet: They feed off smaller foods like krill and plankton because their throats are very small and they cannot each big foods
Physical appearance description: Very large head (takes up a third of its body size), on their heads they have white-coloured outgrowths of tough skin, grey in colour over all.
Life expectancy: Unknown.
Conservation Status: Least concern
Length: Can grow up up to and between 11 and 18 metres
Weight: These whales can weigh between 25,000 and 65,000 kilograms. Calves weigh in at 1,500 kilograms at birth!
Diet: They feed off smaller foods like krill and plankton because their throats are very small and they cannot each big foods
Physical appearance description: Very large head (takes up a third of its body size), on their heads they have white-coloured outgrowths of tough skin, grey in colour over all.
Life expectancy: Unknown.
Conservation Status: Least concern
The blue represents the Southern Right whale's range throughout the world. Click on this image to view it larger
Southern Right whale breaching out of the water. Click on this image to view it larger
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The Sperm Whale
Scientific name: Physeter macrocephalus
Length: Males can grow up to 20.5 metres, whereas females can grow upto ⅔’s of this length
Weight: Males can weigh up to 57,000 kilograms, females weigh up to around ⅓ of this weight.
Diet: Feeding on mainly giant squid and colossal squid, occasionally fish.
Physical appearance description: Very large block shaped head, flukes are triangular and are very thick.
Life expectancy: Up to 70 years of age or more
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Length: Males can grow up to 20.5 metres, whereas females can grow upto ⅔’s of this length
Weight: Males can weigh up to 57,000 kilograms, females weigh up to around ⅓ of this weight.
Diet: Feeding on mainly giant squid and colossal squid, occasionally fish.
Physical appearance description: Very large block shaped head, flukes are triangular and are very thick.
Life expectancy: Up to 70 years of age or more
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
The blue represents the Sperm whale's distribution throughout the world. Click on this image to view it larger
Size comparison of the average human with a Sperm whale.
