Identification of Humpback Whales by Fluke Photographs

Abstract

Photographs of 78 humpback whales Megaptera novaengliae in the Gulf of Maine, off Bermuda, and off Newfoundland were compared and identified from photographs of naturally occurring patterns on the ventral side of the flukes. The tendency of this species to raise the flukes in the air before diving enables these markings to be photographed easily. Photographs are included to show the diversity of fluke markings and to indicate that patterns remain constant for at least 2 yr and also persist after death. One whale apparently migrated from Bermuda to Maine during spring-summer of 1976. The potential use of the comparison of fluke photographs to study migrations, population size, and population structure of this species in the western North Atlantic is discussed.