Artist: Sean Neilson

The Latin or scientific name for the humpback whale is Megaptera novaeangliae, which means giant-winged New Englander…New England for the place humpbacks were originally identified and giant-winged for the massive pectoral fins, which are approximately one-third the length of the whale's body. With a 45 foot long adult whale, that makes for 15 foot long fins! It may surprise you to know that the bone plan of the pectoral fin is similar to our own human structure. Here, two humpback whales interact with each other as they roll on their backs, doing, well, your guess is as good as mine.