While encountering whales in the Salish Sea is a magical experience in and of itself, there is something extra special about knowing just who it is that you’re spending time with, and what their personal story is. It’s also crucial to the study of these animals that we’re able to identify individuals, so that we can track their movements, relationships, and families across the world. As such, we always do our very best to identify which whale, or whales, we’re with when we’re out on the water, and our naturalists are experts at doing so. Here’s a few of their tips and tricks to help you get your head around the art of whale ID!
Humpback whales
Humpback whales are the easier species to identify of the two that we see the most in these waters. Their large size and the amount of their body that surfaces when they breathe means that we’re often able to pick up on distinguishing markings along their back, while their diving behaviour sees them bring their tails clear of the water when they go down for food, leaving us with a clear shot of their patterns. This is particularly important because the patterns on the underside of humpback tails (also known as flukes) are unique to each individual, and are the most commonly used method of identifying just who we’re looking at.
Look at the pictures below. Do you see the differences between these dorsal fins? They can be subtle, but they are there, and at times can be used to tell whales apart. The shape of the dorsal fin is likely genetic, similar to the noses on our faces, but can be impacted by life events like entanglement, ship strike, fighting with another whale, or otherwise being injured.
Now look at these pictures of humpback whale flukes. Their differences are much clearer: the colour patterns are different, and some have scars or notches from previous injuries. These markings might be caused by attacks from other whales (like Scuttle, right, who was attacked by orca as a calf), or by the normal process of barnacles attaching and detaching from the skin (as on the left, where round scars can be seen), or any number of other incidents. The base colouration is not believed to be genetic, with black-tailed mothers capable of producing white-tailed calves and vice versa, and is likely more akin to a birthmark than a skin tone.
Killer whales
Killer whales are slightly trickier to identify, because their tails are less variable and their behaviour makes them harder to get an identifying photograph of. For them, we rely heavily on the shapes, marks, and scars on their dorsal fins, though the shapes of their saddle patches and eye patches also come into play. We’re also fortunate that the orca tend to travel with the same family members, so often we can get a good idea of who we’re looking at just by counting the numbers of males, females, and juveniles we see, or by working on the cumulation of identifying features between whales in the same group.
The dorsal fins below show some identifying features that we have used to distinguish between whales in the past. Even the smallest of nicks or scratches can prove useful, and we can look at the exact shapes and positions of them to help. As orcas grow, so do their dorsal fins (especially in males, whose fins can shoot up to six feet tall between the ages of around 12 and 18), so it’s vital that we’re able to get up-to-date images when possible to keep track of any changes.
From the below pictures of eye patches and saddle patches, you can start to get an idea of how their differences can be used to our advantage as well. Exact angles, shapes, scars, and colourings are unique to individuals, so clear photos can be used to tell them apart – assuming the whales come far enough out of the water to see these patches, of course! Some whales are also known to have overbites, underbites, and particular twists or folds in their dorsal fins, which are particularly helpful as they help make those whales well-known. The more well-known a whale is, the more likely we are to be able to pick them out, and the more excited we are to see them – like whale celebrities!
How can you contribute?
Now that you know what you’re looking for, the next step is to go forth into the world and get spotting! The more identifiable whale encounters we have, the better our understanding of these animals becomes, and the more we can do to help protect them. If you’re on board our boat Marauder IV, you can also check out our humpback and killer whale catalogues on board, complete with picture comparisons for all the known whales in the area. Meanwhile, if you manage to get any good, clear pictures of identifying features, be sure to upload them to the website www.happywhale.com, the global database for whale tracking. Experts here will be able to analyse, identify, and utilise your images for the data they hold and the research they can support, and you’ll get to learn more about the whale you saw along the way!