Humpback whale
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The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a sentient aquatic cetaceous mammal species indigenous to Earth. An adult usually ranges between twelve and sixteen meters in length, and weigh approximately thirty-six metric tons. This species is well-known for its complex song, which was proven in 2286 to be a full-fledged language. This species went extinct during the 21st century due to overhunting.
In 2286, Admiral James T. Kirk traveled back in time to 1986 San Francisco and retrieved two humpback whales to answer an alien probe that threatened Earth. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
The two whales seen in Star Trek IV were mechanically created by ILM under project supervisor Walt Conti with help of advisor and marine mammal expert Pieter Folkens. Several scenes such as the last scene in which the two whales responded the alien probe and were swimming out into the sea were footage from a whale documentary.
