We crossed whale watch off our “list of things that must be done even if we live here” this summer. I’m going through my photos and auto-awesome has strung some together and I post it in my Apple Sheeple forum and ten mintues later Phos has straightened out the horizon. Thanks Phos.
Looking at the animation I can see the white on the flukes of the tail that are the best way to identify humpbacks. People who study the humpbacks know them all by name and have seen the same ones over decades. I wrote the names down of the seven that we saw but lost my notes. But if you go to Coastal Studies page and under the photos click “download the latest version here” you will get a 72 page document with photos of a lot of whale tales.
Can you figure out the name of this whale? If you work with these whales you are saying, “of course that’s Suzie Cream Cheese”. But I made up that name.
They are ordered from very white to very black. It seems easy but I couldn’t do it. My daughter figured it out in five minutes. Can you? First three who name it correctly get a Pirate Rubber Duck autographed by RD herself. Clicking on the photo enlarges the animation. If it isn’t animated get a real computer or phone, Macintosh or iPhone 🙂
Good Morning Gloucester 
I have no idea what his or her name is and I already have a pirate rubber duck, but what is that blue thing in the water by where she is blowing?
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I had to look up a photo of a humpback to be sure. That white thing is her flipper on her left side. To nail identification the white on those long flippers as well as the shape of the dorsal fin on their back is used but the whale tail is the calling card.
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Whale Tail- – I have heard that expression a few times–by a couple of gentlemen in their “cups” describing my Ass. -and never knew its origin . Hmmmm, Now I know—
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I would take it s a tremendous complement. People travel from miles around to pay money to take a boat trip out to see these amazing whale tails. And you are allowing these gentlemen in their cups to observe yours? I would at least hope you get offered a free cocktail.
Now I am wondering where the name “cocktail” comes from.
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Butterfly?
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I see a Firefly 10 Calf which is close but no cigar but no Butterfly. It’s a huge pdf so I might be missing part of it. Which page is Butterfly on?
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Columbia 10 Calf
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Very close but not a match. The white has a very good match on the left top but the right side white is a little too big on Columbia.
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Killer whale? Dave
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Derp. Only friendly whales allowed in Cape Ann waters and none are named Dave 🙂
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I thought it may be one – going after the whales they have been known to attack but usually more than one 🙂 Dave
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