Whale Facts for Kids

Hey kids! Did you know that some of the world’s most incredible animals swim right here off the Queensland coast? That’s right! Every year, thousands of humpback whales pass through Hervey Bay on an epic journey. Cool, right?

In fact, there’s so much to learn about these beautiful creatures that we’ve put together some of our favourite mind-blowing whale facts for you to share with your friends and family.

Don’t have long to read? Here are a few super quick facts for you: 

Humpback whales can grow up to 16 metres long. They weigh the same as 8 elephants (that’s HUGE!), they travel 10,000 kilometres every year, and they sleep by resting half their brain at a time – this is called logging.

But that’s not all – we have so much more to share with you!

Read on to become a whale expert, just like us.

What Are 8 Interesting Facts About Whales?

We’re so glad you asked! Humpback whales are full of surprises, from what they eat to how they communicate. Here are eight of our favourite facts:

• Humpback whales have the longest flippers of any whale – up to 5 metres, which is nearly as tall as a giraffe.
• Before diving, they arch their backs into a hump shape, which is how they got their name.
• No two humpback tails (called flukes) look the same, just like your fingerprints, and scientists use the flukes to identify individual whales.
• They have no teeth! Instead, they filter food through bristly plates called baleen, like a giant sieve.
• They can hold their breath for up to 45 minutes.
• Male humpbacks sing complex songs that travel hundreds of kilometres underwater.
• Calves are already 4 to 5 metres long at birth, which means they’re bigger than most family cars.
• They migrate up to 10,000 kilometres between Antarctica and Queensland every year.

What Do Whales Eat?

Despite being absolutely enormous, humpback whales love eating some of the tiniest creatures in the ocean = krill! These little shrimp-like creatures might be small, but humpbacks can eat up to 1,360 kilograms of them per day in Antarctica. That’s the equivalent of around 2,700 hamburgers!

Here’s something interesting, though. When humpback whales visit Hervey Bay, they barely eat at all. They’re living off their fat reserves and saving their energy for the long journey ahead.

How Do Whales Breathe?

Whales are mammals, just like you, which means they need to breathe air! They do this through blowholes on top of their heads, and humpbacks have two. When they surface, their blow can shoot up to 3 metres into the air, and they can hold their breath for up to 45 minutes before coming back up. Pretty impressive, right?

How Do Whales Sleep?

You might be wondering – do whales even sleep? They do! But not quite the way you do. Humpback whales rest only half their brain at a time, so they can keep breathing while they snooze. Scientists call this a “unihemispheric sleep”. So, remember, if you ever spot a whale floating quietly near the surface without moving much, it’s probably having a nap.

Whale Songs

Here’s one of our favourite whale facts – male humpbacks sing! And not just a quick tune either. Their songs can last up to 20 minutes and travel hundreds of kilometres through the ocean. Scientists think they sing to attract a mate, but there’s still so much we don’t fully understand about it.

What we do know is that it’s one of the most magical sounds you’ll ever hear. On board the Spirit of Hervey Bay, we have hydrophones, which are special underwater microphones, so you can listen to the whales singing live from the water. Talk about goosebumps!

Do Whales Have Friends?

They do! Research has shown that female humpback whales form real friendships, and some of these bonds last for up to six years. Scientists have found that certain whales return to the same feeding grounds and seek out the same companions year after year. Those with the strongest friendships were even found to be more likely to successfully raise calves.

So next time you spot whales together in Hervey Bay, there’s a good chance some of them actually know each other. How cool is that?

Baby Whales

Baby humpbacks are called calves, and they’re already 4–5 metres long at birth, which is bigger than most family cars! Just like human babies, they drink their mum’s milk, though whale milk is incredibly thick and rich – more like yoghurt than anything you’d pour on your cereal. Calves can gain up to 45 kilograms every single day in their first year!

Hervey Bay is actually a special nursery area for humpback whales. Mums bring their calves here to rest and build strength before the long journey south to Antarctica. If you’re lucky, you might spot them swimming side by side, which is one of the most beautiful things you’ll ever see on the water.

The Great Migration

Every year, humpback whales make one of the longest migrations of any animal on Earth, travelling up to 10,000 kilometres from the icy waters of Antarctica all the way to Queensland. Hervey Bay is one of their favourite rest stops along the way. They linger in the sheltered waters of Platypus Bay near K’gari for days at a time, which is exactly what makes it one of the best whale watching destinations in the world.

By the way, you can learn more about whale migration in Australia here.

Cool Whale Behaviours

Humpback whales are incredibly active at the surface, and there’s nothing quite like watching them in action. Here’s what to look out for and what it all means:

• Breaching: This is when a whale launches its whole body out of the water with a giant SPLASH. Nobody knows exactly why they do it. It might just be for fun!
• Spy hopping: This is when a whale pokes its head vertically out of the water for a look around. They can be as curious to see you as you are to see them.
• Lobtailing: This is when a whale slaps its tail on the surface, making a thunderous sound that can be heard from far away.
• Pec slapping: This is when a whale rolls onto its side and slaps a massive flipper on the water. Imagine getting a high-five from a 5-metre fin!

Pssst: Think you can name every part of a humpback whale?

Download our free colouring sheet and find out!

Why We Protect Whales

There weren’t always this many humpback whales in our oceans.

Commercial whaling in the 20th century nearly wiped them out entirely, with numbers dropping to as few as 1,500 in the Southern Hemisphere. Thanks to international protection laws, though, they’ve made an incredible comeback, and there are now an estimated 30,000–40,000 humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere.

According to the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, humpback whales are protected in Australian waters, and strict whale watching guidelines exist to keep them safe. We’re proud to follow every one of them.

What Will I See on a Whale Watching Tour?

With 30 years of whale watching experience, we’re confident you’ll spot a humpback whale on your tour. In fact, we’re so confident that if you don’t, you can come back for free!

Here’s a taste of what you might see out on the water:

• Whales surfacing and blowing right next to the boat.
• Breaching, spy hopping, and lobtailing.
• Mums and calves swimming side by side.
• Whale songs live through our onboard hydrophones.

On board the Spirit of Hervey Bay, you’ll have five viewing decks and underwater viewing windows, making it the closest you can get to a humpback whale without getting wet! We also have activity books on board to keep little explorers busy between sightings.

Hey Kids! You’ve read the blog, now take the quiz.

Ready to Come and See a Whale in Real Life?

Now that you’re a whale expert, it’s time to see one in real life! There’s nothing quite like watching a humpback breach right next to the boat, hearing it sing through our hydrophones, or spotting a mum and calf side by side in the bay.

It’s the kind of moment kids (and grown-ups!) never forget.

Whale season runs from July to October, and spots fill fast, especially during school holidays. So grab your parents, book a whale watching tour and come see what all the fuss is all about.