jubarte

Jubarte, the common name in Portuguese and Spanish for the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), is a baleen whale in the family Balaenopteridae. It is renowned for its breaching displays and complex vocalizations, especially by males during the breeding season.

Adults reach 12–16 meters in length and weigh 25–40 tons. They have long pectoral fins, a knobby head with tubercles, and a tail fluke with variable white markings. Dorsal coloration is dark on top and lighter below.

Jubarte whales occur in all oceans, in temperate and tropical waters. They migrate annually between high-latitude feeding grounds and warm breeding areas, often approaching coasts. Some populations perform near-shore migrations and calving in sheltered bays.

They are filter feeders, feeding primarily on krill and small schooling fish using baleen plates. Behaviorally they surface-display, breach, and tail-slap; many sightings show mothers with calves or social groups during migration.

Gestation lasts about 11.5 months; calves measure 4–5 meters at birth and nurse for roughly a year. Adults may live several decades, commonly 50 years or more, with calving every 2–3 years.

Conservation status is Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population recovery after whaling bans. They are protected by international agreements and national laws, but threats include entanglement in fishing gear, ship strikes, and climate-related changes.