Humpback whales’ life span is about 30-50 years (exact years are unknown).  They mate during their winter migration to warm tropical waters and then travel to colder waters to feed.  The embryo takes about 11 to 12 months to develop before the mother gives births.  The mother whale gives birth near the surface of the water so that the newborn calf can breathe its first breath within seconds of leaving the mother. 

               The calves are between 3 to 4 meters long at birth, and weigh up to 907kg.  During the juvenile development of the humpback whale, claves have doubled their length and weigh 5-10 times more than their birth weight.  They reach sexual maturity at ages 6 to 8 or when they reach a certain length, 11.6m for males and 12m for females. 

                The humpback whale mothers must feed newborns about 45kg of milk each day for 5 to 7 months.  The calves may stay with the mother for up to a year.  Humpback whale mothers’ maximum rate of reproduction is one calf per year and each female typically bears calf every 2 to 3 years.