Humpback Whale skeleton reconstruction project

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus Megaptera. The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and tubercles on its head. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers. Adults range in length from 14–17 m (46–56 ft) and weigh up to 40 metric tons (44 short tons). Males produce a complex song typically lasting 4 to 30 minutes.

Humpback whales migrate more than 25,000 kilometers each year from feeding grounds to breeding grounds, and usually swim at a speed of 27.7 km/h.

They only feed in the summer in polar waters and migrate to the tropics and subtropics to mate and have their young, they are present in the waters of São Tomé and Príncipe between the months of July and October.

This juvenile specimen, with a size of about 9 meters, was found dead on the coast near Neves, in July 2021, and was recovered by mucumbli’s team to reconstruct its skeleton. The causes of his death are unknown.