These markings are unique to each individual whale, like a fingerprint. The humpback's skin is frequently scarred and may have patches covered with diatoms. Humpback whales have 14-35 throat grooves that run from the chin to the navel. These grooves allow their throat to expand during the huge intake of water during filter feeding. The flippers may have barnacles growing on them.
Humpbacks have a small dorsal fin toward the flukes.
Concentrated masses of prey are preferable for this method of feeding. They eat twice a day. Humpbacks cooperate in hunting and have developed a method of rounding up highly concentrated masses of prey that is called bubble-net feeding. Then the humpbacks blow a wall of bubbles as they swim to the surface in a spiral path. The humpbacks then eat a large, hearty meal.