Two techniques, photo-identification and genetics, are used to . In the context of the Humpback Whale Identification Challenge, such a model can then be used to crop images around the region of interest. Whale researchers, including Dan Salden of Hawaii Whale Research Foundation with whom I worked from some years, maintain growing catalogs of humpback whale fluke ID photographs, allowing them to gain an understanding of where individual whales have been over time and, by extension, develop insight into the population as a whole. What Kind of Adaptions Does a Dolphin Have? The Migration Route of the Bottlenose Dolphin, How to Tell the Difference Between Shark & Dolphin Fins. Flukes are the two lobes of the whale tail. Some of our first Bermuda matches were to whales first sighted thirty years ago that hadn't been seen (or at least photographed and identified) since! 2. It will be fascinating to see if we can find more matches and even better if we can find a pattern to their sojourn in Bermuda. Unlike fish, which have vertical tails, the whale's tail is on a horizontal plane when his body's upright. Calves breath So much diversity exists among whale species that some have only the most basic traits in common with others. Fluking does not always occur; Fin and minke whales rarely expose their tail flukes upon diving. Before this time, whales paddled around using two feet at the base of their spine. What Temperature of Water Do Dolphins Live In? The names usually refer to marks on the fluke, but occasionally may refer to marks on another part of the body or relate to the mother’s name. Within this catalog the whale fluke photographs are grouped by color pattern beginning with the most white and ending with all black flukes. While each whale has flukes, flukes themselves differ from species to species. Humpback whale showing flukes. Allied Whale, the marine mammal research group at College of the Atlantic (COA), is one of the oldest marine mammal research associations in the United States. If positioned correctly, you can snap a photo of the ventral side (underside) of their flukes as they are diving. There has to be at least three points of matching identification. It is still down to the human eye to make the judgement call. She holds a Bachelor of Science in medical technology from the University of North Carolina. We have taken photographs and identified the flukes of over 200 individual North Atlantic humpback whales since this project began in January 2007. The first whales to have flukes lived about 38 million years ago. The jagged edges along the back of the fluke, along with scars and other markings help identify a specific whale. Each whale can be identified by the unique black and white pattern on the underside of the flukes. VICTORIAN HUMPBACK WHALE FLUKE IDENTIFICATION CATALOGUE This document is the first and only identification catalogue for humpback whales in Victorian Waters and fills and important gap in the understanding of this species in the region. If it is matched, two Allied Whale staff have to confirm the match. While each whale has flukes, flukes themselves differ from species to species. Gray Whale and Orca Whale: The gray and orca whale have smaller tail flukes that take the shape of a paddle. Dr Peter Stevick at Allied Whale has come up with some sub-types that can make the process of identification easier. Its sleek … … Some whales, notably fin whales and minke whales, don't fluke. Whales with no white on their flukes comprise nearly half of the catalog; therefore this color pattern is subdivided by the width (narrow or wide) of the notch between each fluke. Humpback Whale Flukes. A photograph of these markings provides a permanent identification (ID) record of an individual whale. Long muscles that run above and below the backbone move the flukes up and down. Matching Fluke Photographs Fortunately, as humpbacks descend on deeper, foraging dives, they arch their back steeply and often raise their flukes or tail into the air. Her home-and-garden and nature articles have appeared in "Birds & Blooms" and "Alamance Today." There is no computer software programme that can reliably identify whale flukes. Can you identify a whale by the picture of its fluke? Comparison and Contrast of Whales and Dolphins. Humpback Whale Photo Identification Database. To take a new fluke id photgraph through the entire catalogue of 7,000 individual whale ids would take days. Humpback whale, blue whale, killer whale, grey whale, Pacific white-sided dolphin. The local nicknames, found at the top right of each identification shot, were given by Janie, Hermann, students of Hartley Bay, research assistants and those that have sponsored a whale. Every fluke sighted is given an identification number. The best time to see the fluke is when the whale surfaces. Each year, researchers and naturalists work together to name new adult whales and 2nd-year calves. Each whale’s fluke (or tail) has unique, identifying markings and patterns, allowing it to serve as a type of fingerprint that is unique to that whale. Called fluking, this diving posture gives researchers a good look at the tail markings, which can be distinct enough to identify individual whales. Empower Her. The Whale Kit Manual is divided into 7 units that briefly In some whale species, flukes are so distinctive that researchers use them like fingerprints to identify individuals. The arching gives the whale a humpbacked appearance. That’s pretty impressive. The humpback whale photo-identification (or photo-ID) project involves photographing and cataloging flukes, which are the underside of a humpback whale’s tail. Our Bermuda Fluke Shots gallery is made up of humpback whale fluke shots taken here in Bermuda from 2007 to 2010. Here are the five basic types and the various sub-types. They are made up of dense, fibrous connective tissue surrounded by a network of arteries and veins. Researchers can use the pictures of flukes to identify individual whales because each whale has unique flukes (similar to how people can be identified by their unique faces and fingerprints). Fin Whale: Balaenoptera Physalus. When a whale takes a deep dive, it often arches its body to dive at a steeper angle, often exposing its tail flukes. Jackie Carroll has been a freelance writer since 1995. Humpback whale flukes, for instance, have white spots or undersides and ridges on the ends. We are still adding records from our archives and from new surveys. What Kind of Dolphins Live in the Atlantic? While accidental entanglement in fishing gear poses the greatest threat to most other species of whale and dolphin, blue whales, with their great size and strength may be able to break free of gear more easily than other species. As he swims, he moves the fluke up and down like a paddle, pushing himself forward with each stroke. How Often Do Dolphins Come Up to Breathe? Each humpback whale can be identified by the unique black and white pattern on the underside of the flukes. Why Can Seals Only Get Oxygen From the Air? Within this catalog the whales are grouped by color pattern. The development of flukes was the last step in the whale's evolution from land animal to water animal. 3. July 3, 2016 by Whale Trust Maui Humpback whales are easily identified based on the markings of the underside of the tail fluke. Can you identify a whale by the picture of its fluke? The collection of humpback whale individuals presented here is the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute's collection of known humpback whale since 1980 through our dedicated surveys and private partner contributions. Sometimes one has to look through three types, especially if not 100% of the fluke can be seen. Fluking. Blow or Spout: The … Another difference between flukes and fish tails is that flukes don't contain bones. A whale uses his flukes to propel himself forward in the water and the flippers at his sides to steer and brake. 5. Since they began the project in 1979, they have compiled a photographic record of 1,900 different whale flukes. 25% black. Fluke: Whale Watching Activity 2 Vocabulary (more information on the whale behavior chart) Blow: the spout that is a result of the whale taking a breath, on average adult humpbacks take a breath every 10-15 minutes but some can stay underwater as long as 45 minutes. Often one can eliminate three types, and look through only two types. Flukes are the two lobes of the whale tail. The flukes' arteries and veins can manipulate blood flow to conserve or release heat. Blue Whale fluking off Orange County California image by ADMIRAL BENBOW from Fotolia.com. Now when we go out and photograph a fluke we can check within our own fluke catalogue to see if it is a whale that has been here before! The last thing you see of him before he disappears into the depths is his fluke sticking straight up above the water. Humpback whales have patterns of black and white pigmentation and scars on the underside of their tails that are unique to each whale – Similar to a human’s fingerprint. With some luck, one might only have to look into one type- this would usually only occur in mostly white or black. Listen to the humpback whale Photo courtesy of Paula Olson. Flukes: Some large whales lift the fluke high into the air before a dive, others do not. Blue whale, (Balaenoptera musculus), also called sulfur-bottom whale, the most massive animal ever to have lived, a species of baleen whale that weighs approximately 150 tons and may attain a length of more than 30 metres (98 feet). WHAT TO LOOK FOR. This distinction alone can help with identification. Mostly white. Be Her Village. With his head in position, he moves downward. © 2020 WILD SKY MEDIA. Kick-feeding is similar to flick-feeding: The whale slaps its pray to move it toward his mouth. Whales also use their flukes to get food into their mouths. Shape The World. The fin whale is the second-largest animal in the world. Imagine trying to match a single fluke ID photograph with some 6,500 fluke photographs in a whale catalogue and you'll get an idea of how difficult it really is! Unlike fish, which have tails that move from side to side (vertically), the whale’s fluke moves up and down, or horizontally, in powerful strokes. the return of these digital images to Bermuda, we'll attempt to match more of the whales we have been studying over the last two years. 25% white. Humpback Whale and Blue Whale: These two whales have a beautiful lobed shaped tail fluke that is rather large compared to others. None of this makes much sense until you see the diagrams below depicting these types and sub-types. Flukes are among them. They take pictures called fluke ID's and compare them to ones taken before. Blue whale lifting its tail flukes. These researchers have discovered that individual humpbacks can be identified by the black and white patterns on the underside of their flukes, similar to fingerprints for humans. Identification trailing edge curves downwards, fluke is raised high on a deep dive the underside of the tail can have white patches Several thousands humpback individuals have been photo-identified by their fluke markings and have become part of catalogs of whales in the North Atlantic. Guidelines for taking identification photographs of humpback whales Identifications photographs are of the ventral side (underside) of the tail flukes. In some whale species, flukes are so distinctive that researchers use them like fingerprints to identify individuals. By clicking on the fr logo above left you can access all our fluke IDs! Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), tail, Humpback Whale NMS, Maui,Hawaii. Can you identify a whale by the picture of its fluke? Our oceans are home to 41 species of whale ( ITIS ), with sizes ranging from the Dwarf sperm whale at 2.5m (8') to the 33m (110') Blue whale, which is the largest animal species to … Sometimes they are dark, sometimes incomplete, often at an angle and not from directly behind, and sometimes the angle of the fluke is not vertical. Half white, half black. Juneau Flukes: Home About Humpbacks Why Photo ID Juneau Catalog Whale Watching Naturalist Symposium Juneau Flukes is a research and education non-profit focused on Juneau-area humpback whales. What Are the Important Body Features of Pink Dolphins? Humpback whales have patterns of black and white pigmentation and scars on the underside of their tails that are unique to each whale, just as fingerprints are to humans. These include- 'typical'; 'eyes white surrounded by black'; 'wide black trailing edge'; 'wide black leading edge'; 'fireworks'; 'white on trailing edge'; 'straightsided'; 'rounded not to notch'. Allied Whale at College of the Atlantic has a catalogue of some 7,000 individual North Atlantic humpback whale fluke identification photographs. Additional points are added to help determine the fluke bounding box following an affine transformation on the image. This could corroborate my theory that the same whales are returning to Bermuda to aggregate, and may confirm the integrity of family or social units during the second half of their northward migratory crossing.