Humpback whale, Hawaii

A humpback hits Hawaii

The humpback whale's scientific name is Megaptera novaeangliae, or 'big wing of New England,' after its broad fins and once-frequent spotting by the whalers of old New Bedford and Nantucket. Ranging far beyond the shores of America's Northeast, these playful and talkative migratory mammals are now protected from hunting in nearly every part of the world. That means whether breaching in Buzzards Bay or (like our pal pictured here) taking a Hawaiian vacation, these cetaceans are safe to capture imaginations with their songs and spirited antics.