As part of my project on establishing a Photo-Identification Data-Base of humpbacks in Northern Norway, I have been out at sea to try to collect as many fluke-pictures as possible. All whales have unique patterns on the underside of the flukes (see photo) and not two humpbacks look the same.
By using photos of the flukes as a fingerprint makes it possible to identify individual whales and follow their migrations over the world. In this way, it has been shown that "Norwegian" humpbacks may travel all the way to the West-Indies and the Carribean, some 8000km one-way trip!
Each fluke is unique !
To help finding out more about the biology and the migrations of humpbacks in Norway, I would be very happy to hear from you if you have seen and photographed humpback whales. Maybe it is you that have the pictures leading to a new discovery about humpbacks?
Please contact me at: norwayhumpbacks@gmail.com
WANTED: Humpback / Knølhval - Photos
For more information (in Norwegian) click the following link to an article about the Photo-ID project made after a photo-trip with my friend and colleague Espen Bergersen: Naturgalleriet
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