pilot whale catalogue
TRANSCRIPT
Long-‐finned Pilot Whales of Northwest Cape Breton
Elizabeth Zwamborn and Sarah Dier-‐McComb
Whitehead Lab, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia © Cape Breton Pilot Whale Project 2015
2
Preface: This catalogue has been made available to help aid in the photo identification of long-‐finned pilot whales by researchers, whale-‐watch operators, stranding networks, and others who may have an interest of this species in northwestern Atlantic waters. All images and data are copyrighted and may not be reproduced or cited without permission.
This is by no means a comprehensive catalogue, but only shows a few dozen of the
thousands of whales present in this area. The goal was to take those that were distinct and most likely identifiable to make a guide that would be easy for everyone to use while on the water.
This catalogue is available in PDF from: [email protected] Photos Wanted: Your observations are helpful for tracking the movements of these whales! If you end
up encountering any of the following individuals, or any others that have very distinct markings or injuries, please send the photos, date taken, and location to [email protected]
Mark Types:
Notches: These are the most common markings used for identifying individual long-‐finned
pilot whales in this region. Approximately 30-‐35% of this population has distinct enough notches to be recognized! In this way, the pattern of nicks in a whale’s fin acts much like fingerprints, and allows the tracking of individuals over many years of research in the same area.
Protrusions: Often the result of an injury, there may be distinct protrusions that stick out from the
regular outline of a whale’s fin. These are fairly noticeable when observing whales out on the water.
White Scars: A less common type of marking is the presence of distinct white scars on different
areas of the body. Like notches, these are also permanent. They often are very noticeable as they are relatively rare and stand out against the dark pigmentation of the whale’s skin.
Saddle Patches: Some whales have light patches on their backs just behind the dorsal fin that may be
distinct or faded. These are unique to each whale and don’t change over the years, but may be different on each side of the individual.
Pilot Whale Dorsal Fin (Moon – 323)
Trailing Edge
Distinct Nicks and Notches
Leading Edge
3
Pilot Whales: Long-‐finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) are a common sight in the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Thought to be mainly an offshore species, they regularly are found in coastal areas around Nova Scotia and Newfoundland during the summer and fall months. Pilot whales are often seen in groups of around 15 individuals and may be seen in aggregations of several hundred. Listed at “Data Deficient” by the IUCN due to lack of distribution and abundance information, these medium-‐sized tooth whales delight those who happen to encounter them at sea with their charismatic nature.
CBPWP: The Cape Breton Pilot Whale Project (CBPWP) is a research program started in 1998
by the Whitehead Lab of Dalhousie University. It focuses on conducting comprehensive long-‐term studies of pilot whales found off Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, as well as raising public awareness of marine conservation and best whale-‐watching practices.
With over fifteen years of comprehensive behavioural, environmental, photographic,
and acoustic data, this project is one of the only long-‐finned pilot whale focused studies in the world. Fieldwork is conducted off a whale-‐watching vessel from the community of Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. Researchers are involved in marine education and interact with those who come on board to experience the marine mammals and coastal ecosystems found in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence.
Catalogue: This catalogue was set up as an easy-‐to-‐use identification guide of the most distinct
and noticeable whales from the CBPWP’s years in the field. Some individuals are seen year after year, while others may have many seasons between re-‐sightings. We currently have a very limited understanding of the movement of known individuals as we may encounter them only for a day or two during the summer months. Perhaps others watching whales throughout the northwestern Atlantic have also encountered these whales year after year and would be willing to help solve this mystery.
For each whale, we have provided information such as its nickname, number, and a
bit of a story on how got its name (normally resulting from the notches, scars, or other injuries that can be seen in the photos). If we know the sex or social unit, we have included that information as well. All photos in this catalogue are from the left sides of the whales, with the exception of a few whales with distinctive white scarring on their right sides. In this case, the change is noted in the comments beside the photo.
Disturbance: Please remember that whales can be disturbed by the presence and noise created by
boats. Government guidelines suggest that vessels underway remain at least 100 meters from whales and dolphins in order to minimize this impact. Be Whale Wise!
Example:
Hole Punch -‐ 1406 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2013 Name: Hole Punch was named for a unique hole located near the tip of the dorsal fin. This whale also has a nice notch out of the base of the fin and distinct saddle patch.
4
Catalogue: Distinctive Long-‐finned Pilot Whales of Northwest Cape Breton
Combo -‐ 202 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: H Last Seen: 2014 Name: Combo was named for the unique combination of different dorsal fin nicks and notches!
Toucan -‐ 205 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: I Last Seen: 2008 Name: This whale’s distinctive hooked fin resembles a toucan’s bill. Notice also the distinctive white scar in the deep notch on the fin’s trailing edge.
Dot -‐ 263 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2011 Name: This whale has a nice white scar on the edge of its fin, giving it the name Dot.
Puzzle -‐ 265 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: M Last Seen: 2011 Name: The trailing edge of Puzzle’s fin resembles the connectable pieces of this well-‐known activity.
Origami -‐ 270 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: N Last Seen: 2005 Name: Origami has a bent fin tip that resembles the Japanese art of folding paper into figures and shapes.
Crest -‐ 324 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2008 Name: This whale gets its name from the crest-‐like nature of the dorsal fin, as well as the unique notches on the tip of it that make it appear to be breaking.
5
Dent -‐ 338 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2009 Name: Dent has a recognizable injury on the leading edge of the dorsal fin, resembling those one might see in a minor fender-‐bender.
Ubu -‐ 348 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2011 Name: Can you see the shape of a hound in the outline of Ubu’s fin?
Chop -‐ 370 Sex: Female Social Unit: L Last Seen: 2013 Name: This whale looks like the tip of her fin was neatly sliced or chopped off!
Scar -‐ 372 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: L Last Seen: 2014 Name: Scar is named for the distinctive white scarring seen in the notch on the dorsal fin.
Constellation -‐ 376 Sex: Female Social Unit: R Last Seen: 2011 Name: The outline of this whale’s dorsal fin resembles connect-‐the-‐dots or a constellation drawing.
Janna -‐ 449 Sex: Female Social Unit: T Last Seen: 2011 Name: This whale has lost a fair portion of the tip of her dorsal fin and has some unique notching, making her distinct from Chop, who has also lost a similar section of fin.
6
Sabre -‐ 478 Sex: Male Social Unit: V Last Seen: 2014 Name: Sabre has a relatively clean curving fin, with a very distinctive lower notch.
Arrowhead -‐ 482 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: Q Last Seen: 2014 Name: One of the most commonly seen whales in our studies, Arrowhead’s namesake comes from the shape of the tip of the fin.
Vader -‐ 506 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: M Last Seen: 2013 Name: The notching in this whale’s fin gives it the resemblance of Darth Vader’s helmeted head!
Sensei -‐ 513 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2014 Name: Another well-‐known individual, the white scarring on Sensei’s left side almost gives the impression of Japanese characters when seen from a distance.
Mousetrap -‐ 531 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: I Last Seen: 2009 Name: This whale’s notching is mirrored in such a way that it resembles the jaws of a trap just waiting to be sprung.
Dracula -‐ 550 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: X Last Seen: 2006 Name: Dracula’s fin has two inverted fang-‐like notches, which led to being named after the notorious character from Bram Stoker’s famous novel.
7
Sharkbait -‐ 578 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2009 Name: With a little imagination, one can see the pointed snout of a shark with an open mouth in Sharkbait’s fin.
Weld -‐ 595 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: U Last Seen: 2014 Name: Likely caused by entanglement in fishing line, this whale’s fin looks as though it has been welded back in place.
Hinge -‐ 607 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2008 Name: The upper half of Hinge’s fin seems to hinge to the lower half at a very distinctive notch
Hermann -‐ 613 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2008 Name: This whale was named after Hermann Rorschach, inventor of the inkblot test, for the whitehead scar on his right side!
Wobble -‐ 632 Sex: Male Social Unit: Z Last Seen: 2009 Name: This whale’s fin is relatively straight except for a nice wobbly section down near the base.
Trout -‐ 698 Sex: Male Social Unit: P Last Seen: 2014 Name: Trout has a notch at the tip of his fin that resembles the open mouth of this kind of fish.
8
Mary -‐ 887 Sex: Female Social Unit: Q Last Seen: 2011 Name: Can you see the striking outline of the Virgin Mary bent over in this whale’s fin?
Gru -‐ 1066 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2013 Name: The hooked end of Gru’s fin is reminiscent of the nose of a certain villain-‐turned-‐hero.
Pacman -‐ 1243 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2014 Name: Pacman’s name comes from the perfectly placed notch at the fin tip!
Nessie -‐ 1276 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2011 Name: Nessie’s fin is similar to Pacman’s, but better resembles the mouth of a monster such as the one rumored to live in Loch Ness.
Atlas -‐ 1321 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2009 Name: The cracked edges of Atlas’ fin look a lot like the warn edges of a map.
Unicorn -‐ 1134 Sex: Male Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2014 Name: Notice the skinny end to this whale’s fin? That’s what gives him the name Unicorn.
9
Batman -‐ 1386 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2009 Name: This whale’s unique white scar on the right side of the dorsal fin resembles the symbol of the famous superhero.
Pilot -‐ 1413 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2008 Name: Pilot’s notching gives the tip of the dorsal fin the resemblance of a pilot whale with a bulbous forehead and open mouth.
Sharky -‐ 1435 Sex: Female Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2014 Name: Sharky’s fin is quite angular and well notched in a way that brings to mind the fin of another oceanic predator.
Quasimodo -‐ 1500 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2009 Name: This whale is named after the beloved Victor Hugo character because of the unusual hump before the dorsal fin.
Bolt -‐ 1524 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2013 Name: The jagged trailing edge of Bolt’s fin resembles lightning.
Tag -‐ 1412 Sex: Male Social Unit: R Last Seen: 2014 Name: This whale is named for the distinctive protrusion two-‐thirds of the way up his fin that resembles a skin tag.
10
Photo Credits: CBPWP field researchers and other Whitehead Lab members
Sonic -‐ 1645 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2014 Name: The tip of this whale’s fin resembles the upturned nose of a hedgehog.
Thresher -‐ 1645 Sex: Male Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2014 Name: Thresher’s fin is very similar in shape to that of the shark species that he is named after.
Mother Webb -‐ 1676 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2013 Name: Anyone who has travelled on the highway up to Cape Breton can appreciate the resemblance of this fin to the character on the Mother Webb’s sign.
Stubbs – 1750 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2014 Name: Stubbs is named after an iconic orca with similar wounds that was identified of British Columbia in the early days of cetacean photo identification. This photo is from the right side.
Harpoon – (?) Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2014 Name: Harpoon is named for the unusual wound visible on both sides of the flank behind the dorsal fin. It is a mystery as to how these scars were created.
Chainsaw – 1743 Sex: Unknown Social Unit: -‐ Last Seen: 2014 Name: The unique edge of this whale’s dorsal fin led to the local tour operators calling it Chainsaw.