Some species of whales can be individually identified by differences in the natural markings found on their bodies.Thanks, to the access provided by the Dolphin Fleet scientists from the Center for Coastal Studies have been able to follow many of these whales throughout their lives.We know that many of these individuals return here every year to feed and raise their Young, how often they bear calves, how long they take to reach sexual maturity - Information essential to protecting them.
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) spends its spring, summer and fall months in northern waters, where it feeds on the small schooling fish which occur here. Late in the year. humpbacks migrate to the waters of' the West Indies where they mate and bear their calves.Humpbacks are easy to tell apart, using the black and white pattern on their tail flukes. The tail pictured here belongs to a famous female humpback named IBIS.
The names we give to these humpback..; are based on natural field marks on their bodies; in the case of IBIS, a long graceful mark on her left tail fluke, resembling the neck and head of an ibis (see illustration), brought about her name.There are about 450 hump back whales in the Gulf of Maine, many of which frequent Cape Cod waters.The hump back is a large whale, often reaching lenghts of 40-50 feet.It is distinguished by its long white flippers and the fact that it often raises it's tail high into the air when it dives.
The fin whale, or finback, (Balaenoptera physalus) is somewhat larger than the humpback, reaching lengths of 50-75 feet, It is also a more streamlined animal, moving quickly through the water.Fin whales can be individually identified by using a combination of body characteristics,. dorsal fin shape, sears, and - the best characteristic but the most difficult to photograph - the subtle shadings and swirls on the right side of the whale called the blaze and chevron.Fin whales are unique in that they are asymmetrically colored; the whale's lower right jaw is white and it's lower left jaw is dark gray or black.
The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is the most endangered of all the world's great whales.Once found in Care Cod Bay in huge numbers, there are fewer than 300 North Atlantic right whales remaining in the world today.The right whale's long baleen plates, covered with a thick mat of fine hairs, help this 45-50 foot animal to strain tiny plankton from the water for food. Right whales can be identified by in "callocity" patterns their heads and lips; these callocities are actually bumps covered with tiny whale "lice." Right whales are found in the Massachusetts area in the late. winter and early spring months.They use these waters as a feeding ground and nursery for mothers with young calves.
The Dolphin Fleet is the only Cape Cod whalewatching operation conducting scientific research on board every trip.Your naturalist is a qualified professional from the Center for Coastal Studies who can answer your questions about the whales found in these waters.
Copyright @ 1988 Dolphin Fleet. Text by the Center for Coastal Studies, Whale drawings by Hariett Cott. Map by Laurie Goldman
Rauno Lauhakangas