Humpback Whale (Star Trek)

Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are a species of large sapient cetaceans native to the oceans of planet Earth. Their language consists of complex songs which can travel for several miles through the seas.

History
As Humans failed to recognize the whales as a sapient species, the Humpback Whale was driven to extinction due to over-hunting at some point during the 21st century. Only in the late 23rd century it was discovered that the whales were not only intelligent but had made contact with at least one alien civilization before their extinction.

When a large alien probe arrived on Earth to communicate with the whales and received no answer, it threatened to destroy the planet. Fortunately, the USS Enterprise crew managed to return in time to the late 20th century in order to retrieve a couple of Humpback Whales and bring them to the future to answer the probe, also restoring the species' population and bringing them back from extinction as a result.

Appearances

 * Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)