It is possible to identify individual humpback whales by the unique characteristics of their flukes. By matching photographs of flukes, the Churashima Foundation has been able to show that humpback whales migrate between Russia, Okinawa and the Philippines. Collaborative research between the Churashima Foundation and the Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere (FSC) revealed that a humpback whale was identified in both Okinawan waters and off of Hokkaido. This individual (identification number: R-529) was confirmed off of Kushiro, Hokkaido and is thought to have been migrating southwards from its feeding grounds in Russian waters to its breeding grounds in Okinawa. This discovery provides a better understanding of the migration routes of humpback whales. These findings were published in the journal Honyurui Kagaku (Mammalian Science).

Identification number：Fluke image of R-529
Top：Off of Kushiro, Hokkaido
Bottom：Off of the Kerama Islands, Okinawa

【R-529 Identifying features】
1. Pattern of the serrations on trailing edge of the tail
2. White patterns at the end of each fluke
3. White linear scar seen bottom right

The structure and patterns of a humpback whale’s flukes

Authors

Yoko Mitani, Nozomi Kobayashi, Haruna Okabe (Name in bold: Churashima Foundation staff)

Title

The North-South migration of humpback whales: Photo-identification match of an individual from the Pacific coast of eastern Hokkaido and breeding areas in Okinawa.

Journal

Mammalian Science

DOI

https://doi.org/10.11238/mammalianscience.60.170