Perfect identification photo

Humpback Whales fluke

“Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate between high latitude summer feeding grounds and low latitude winter breeding grounds. In the North Pacific, winter breeding grounds are known in waters off Japan, Hawaii and Mexico; summer feeding grounds are found in coastal waters of Alaska, British Columbia and the western mainland United States. Researchers use photographs of the ventral surface of the tail flukes to identify and track movements of individual whales and to estimate abundance. Patterns of pigmentation, scarring and shape of the flukes are unique to each individual.” From Fisheries and Oceans Canada website.

Over the past five years more and more humpback whales are spending the summer in the area near Grizzly Bear Lodge in Knight Inlet so that it is common to see more than a dozen whales on a days whale watching safari.