New Humpback Whales of the Gulf of Maine (by Year)
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Trident's
2000 calf was named "Lighthouse" for the marking on
the left fluke. Names help scientists easily distinguish and refer
to whales in the field.
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The Stellwagen Bank
National Marine Sanctuary is supporting efforts to identify and catalog
new whales in the Western Gulf of Maine. We are particularly interested
in the familial relationship between mothers and calves and length of
stay in thefeeding grounds, including Stellwagen Bank and Jeffreys Ledge.
To that end, the
Sanctuary provides funding for the annual Humpback Whale Naming Workshop,
which allows researchers and naturalists the opportunity to select common
names for these cetaceans. These common names make it easier for the
researchers to recognize and refer to specific whales (when talking
amongst themselves or to whale watch enthusiasts). The
majority of new sightings in the Stellwagen Bank area are made via the
whale watch vessels that regularly visit the Sanctuary and offer platforms
for scientific study.
The rules of whale
naming are simple:
the name must be
short;
it should be descriptive about the whale's fluke pattern, body scars
or other identifiable feature;
it cannot be gender specific;
it cannot be a person's name;
it cannot duplicate another name on the list.
Images of the new
whales' tails are offered by year. New whales are listed in alphabetical
order. New calves are listed in order of the respective mother's name.
1999 Whales
2000 Whales
