Least Concern· population increasing· assessed 2018

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Sighting evidence at Zamami Whale Watching Dive, Kerama Islands

Humpbacks arrive in the Kerama channel from January through March to calve and nurse in the warm, sheltered waters. Adult males produce complex songs lasting up to 20 minutes, which propagate through the water and can be heard from kilometres away. The Kerama population is a critical nursery for the North Pacific stock, with mother-calf pairs reliably sighted in depths of 10 to 25 metres.

Evidence at this site

17 records within 25 km

Confidence: medium

Last confirmed Feb 2026

Seasonality

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Humpback Whale

Evidence at this site

Seasonality

Also seen at other sites