Humpback Whale Research
Several organizations in the area have been conducting research on the whales of the Gulf of Maine for 30 or more years. The basis of this research is a database catalog of identified Humpback Whales. Individual Humpback whales can be identified by taking pictures of the underside of the tail when it is raised for a dive.

Mother and Calf The only permanent association between Humpback Whales is the mother calf pair. Here the much small calf on the left swims alongside the mother. While the calf is still with the mother, a picture of the underside of the tail is obtained.

Naming Whales
Each winter researchers get together to compare photographs and assign names to the new calves. Whales are not given human names or names that imply gender because the only sure way to decide if a whale is a female is to see her with a calf. Names are usually selected to remind the researcher of the tail characteristics. For example, a whale with a long vertical mark was named Nile because the mark looked like a long river.

Some whale families have been followed from mother to daughter to granddaughter. One whale is a known great grandmother.

Whale Tail ID This is the type of photograph that can be used to identify an individual whale. Notice the tail is white and black and the pattern remains for the life of the whale. The naturalist on your boat will probably recognize the whales you see. Carole Carson writes that this whale is "Putter".

More Information
Read more about the research program and try your hand at identifying a whale see http://www.coastalstudies.org/research/techniques.htm