Photo: Humpback Tail Fluke Whale Watching Bay Fundy Nova Scotia

As the Humpback Whale comes up out of the water and dives back down again it's magnificent tail is visible above the surface of the water. This whale was seen in the Bay of Fundy during a whale watching tour from Tiverton on Long Island in Nova Scotia.

The Humpback Whale is a magnificent marine mammal, and one that many people go whale watching for just to see. It used to be hunted relentlessly for meat and its whale oil and due to that in the early 1900s, the numbers in the wild dropped so dramatically that they almost became extinct. After there was a moratorium introduced in 1966, their numbers have started to climb back up, but they are still hunted for their meat, albeit in smaller numbers.

Their tail flukes, which are mostly seen when they make deep dives, have wavy edges, and markings which makes it possible for scientists and researchers to identify some of these animals.

When someone does get the opportunity to see a Humpback Whale during a whale watching expedition, these whales are sometimes a curious marine mammal and will occasionally stick around for a few minutes; they are generally curious about their environment. ... continue below the picture...

This picture is part of the photo album "Animal Pictures" - there are more beautiful images waiting for you.

... The only time they will be a little more wary of a boat is when a mother is with its calf and she will generally place herself between the boat and her baby just in case.

Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, tail fluke seen during a whale watching tour in the Bay of Fundy from Tiverton on Long Island, Digby Neck and Islands Scenic Drive, Nova Scotia, Canada.