Marine Living

Prior to the 1970s, knowledge about whales was gained primarily through the study of animals that were tagged or taken by whalers. Scientists eventually figured out that we can tell whales apart by their natural markings, meaning that whales don't need to be tagged or killed to study them - a simple series of photographs will do the trick.

A classic example of a whale that can be studied using its natural markings is the humpback whale?- humpbacks have a distinct black-and-white pattern on the underside of their tail (shown above), and this pattern can often be seen when the whale takes a deeper dive, enabling these whales to be easily photographed and cataloged.

Once a sighting record is established for an individual whale, researchers are able to study whale movements, migration, feeding patterns and life history (including age of maturity, calving interval and life span). Population estimates may also be obtained by tallying known individuals. Preferred feeding grounds can be noted as well, making it possible to identify locations as prime feeding areas and areas that may need protection.

Some species that can be studied using photo-identification, and how we can tell them apart:

Blue whales, which are identified using their mottled coloration pattern and dorsal fin shape Fin whales, which are identified using their dorsal fin shape, chevron pattern, and scarring Right whales, which are identified using the pattern of callosities on their headOrcas, which are identified using their dorsal fin and "saddle patch" behind the dorsal fin.

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Image: Three humpback whale flukes, showing the variation in tail patterns, ? Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation

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