Printable Catalog - Juneau Humpback Whale Flukes

 University of Alaska Fairbanks, Version 5, Last Updated: April, 2015 Juneau Humpback Whale Catalog
www.JuneauFlukes.org
This catalog…
is organized by Suzie Teerlink, a PhD
student through University of Alaska
Fairbanks (UAF), Juneau Campus.
My research is concentrated on Juneauarea humpback whales and the whalewatching industry that focuses on them. As
part of this research, I monitor summertime
humpback whale activity and document
individual whales using the area. This is
done with photo-identification – the process
of photographing natural markings on the
underside of their flukes, or tails.
This catalog is a compilation of humpback whale sightings in the Juneau area
since 2006 from National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) surveys, my own
(UAF) surveys, and photos contributed from other researchers, whale-watching
operators and tourists and community members. If you get fluke photos, either
new or re-sightings, please consider contributing them to www.JuneauFlukes.org
to help with our monitoring efforts!
Email: Juneau.Flukes@alaska.edu
Parts of the Flukes
Tips Trailin
g Edge
Le8 Fluke Notch Right Fluke Matching your own fluke photos
When possible, use the trailing edge to confirm a fluke match. This tends to remain
fairly stable through the whale’s life, and thus, is a reliable tool in identification.
You can lighten a photo by changing the exposure of a photo. This will often help to
“bring out” the details and markings on a fluke that may otherwise be difficult to see.
It often helps to rotate the photo so the flukes are horizontal in the frame and crop
the photo (maintain a 2x3 ratio). Always keep a copy of the original!
Both the pigment and the SHAPE of the flukes can vary.
When Matching
Flukes
Scars can be acquired and can fade over time, but are still
important in matching. White pigmentation scars black and
black pigmentation scars white.
Lighting can change what is visible and not visible.
Below are 2 photos of the same whale in different lighting.
Photo ID allows us track humpback whales
individuals non-invasively
Photo ID can tell us about:
•  Migration and Movements
•  Site Fidelity (or tendency to return to
and stay in the same areas)
•  Relationships with other whales
•  Age and Longevity
•  Reproductive Success
•  Life History
•  Behavior (i.e. which ones participate
in bubble net feeding groups)
•  Population Estimates
•  And much more…
How to Use This Catalog
Don't see your whale here?
Go to www.JuneauFlukes.org and upload your
fluke photo to have it added to the catalog. If you
discover a whale “new” to the Juneau-area, you
can name it!
There are 179 individual humpback whale flukes in
this catalog taken between 2006-2014, arranged
whitest to darkest.
The whales seen in the Juneau area are part of a
larger, Southeast Alaska population and move in
and out of this feeding area. For a more
comprehensive catalog of southeast Alaska
humpback whales – visit
www.alaskahumpbacks.org
Many of the photos on this site were taken under
scientific research permit and/or with telephoto
lenses. Non-permitted individuals need to adhere to
all whale watching regulations and cannot
approach a whale closer than 100 yards.
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Table of Contents
Whale ID
154
177
181
193
200
204
217
219
221
229
252
266
Page #
19
2
29
25
6
25
21
28
3
28
20
11
Whale ID
875
883
924
933
954
996
1019
1044
1061
1073
1075
1082
Page #
4
21
17
8
8
9
6
27
14
9
28
12
Whale ID
1445
1447
1465
1475
1476
1478
1480
1504
1507
1514
1533
1538
Page #
15
27
13
26
16
19
1
13
8
18
29
2
Whale ID
1908
1919
1967
1968
1973
2006
2010
2029
2066
2070
2093
2111
Page #
24
5
24
21
16
11
3
1
28
19
23
20
271
276
397
441
453
455
481
513
516
518
536
545
547
549
556
572
580
4
4
14
30
10
4
17
6
5
8
15
16
17
18
27
20
18
1124
1160
1167
1215
1234
1247
1297
1306
1336
1373
1391
1410
1429
1434
1435
1441
1443
11
8
12
2
13
19
2
26
26
13
23
1
28
5
5
9
2
1605
1612
1628
1631
1640
1645
1703
1707
1753
1758
1770
1783
1812
1817
1820
1821
1879
25
10
27
22
1
29
26
9
30
6
17
16
23
18
15
8
6
2131
2144
2146
2147
2148
2171
2173
2174
2175
2220
2250
2256
2258
2259
2260
2264
2267
24
12
17
14
30
13
7
29
3
1
29
16
13
24
15
25
23
Table of Contents
Whale ID
2276
2297
2321
2348
2353
2354
2355
2470
2534
1075_calf_2009
1447_calf_2013
1538_Calf_2013
1879_calf_2011
2070_calf_2009
GGC-20110727-154
GGC-20110803-062
GGC-20110804-023
GGC-20110806-302
GGC-20120604-257
GGC-20120718-2698
GGC-20120727-3496
GGC-20140512-019
GGC-20140529-6852
GGC-20140716-8986
GGC-20140910-1845
GGC-20140911-016
GGC-20140916-033
GGC-20140922-2058
JRM-20091103-165
Page #
21
7
2
22
3
16
30
19
14
15
30
7
15
7
28
11
12
12
7
1
29
3
20
20
10
20
14
10
27
Whale ID
LS20090726-6189
NMFS_171_Temp
Opp-20100501-001
Opp-20100801-001
Opp-20110528-001
Opp-20110708-001
Opp-20130818-001
Opp-20130906-005
Opp-20130909-001
Opp-20130910-008
Opp-20140426-03
Opp-20140511-001
Opp-20140516-001
Opp-20140529-002
Opp-20140531-001
Opp-20140702-001
UAF-20130704-245
UAF-20130716-532
UAF-20130924-482
Page #
27
18
10
6
16
26
24
9
5
5
10
11
21
7
4
11
25
25
21
18
UAF-20130924-482_calf_2013
UAF-20130924-497
3
UAF-20130924-519
24
UAF-20140606-454
17
UAF-20140616-1167
26
UAF-20140821-110
9
UAF-20140910-365
22
UAF-20140910-468
22
UAF-20140912-179
4
UAF-20140913-136
22
Whale ID
UAF-20140929-497
UAF-20140929-565
UAF-20141007-029
UAF-20141007-060
UASE_7825_Temp
Page #
22
14
23
23
12