Fluke Matching Game

This humpback whale was photographed by CCS scientists working on Stellwagen Bank. Try to identify the whale by comparing its fluke to images of four previously cataloged humpback whales.

You are correct!

This is Iota, first cataloged by CCS in 1988.

If you look at the photograph again, you will notice that Iota acquired new scrapes along her trailing edge since her most recent catalog photograph. Small changes like these can accumulate over time, making it more difficult to identify individuals. The more frequently the catalog is updated, the more efficient is the matching process.