1. Photo Identification of Whales Justin Clarke

2. What is Photo Identification First began in 1960’s and 70’s. – 35mm slide film or high resolution black and white. – Programs evaluated negatives to find matches. Photographs taken of dorsal fin and tail flukes – Each individual is unique – Niches, tears, coloration patterns.

3. How is it Beneficial? A safe way to study whales – Non-Invasive Catalogs can be created identifying individuals. – Helps study migration, feeding patterns, life history, and population estimates. – Names are based on unique characteristics – “Family trees” can be created.

4. Stellwagen Banks Photo-Identification Humpback Whale – Black and white pigmentation and scars on tail flukes – Rounded – Scalloping Fin Whale – Slightly concaved bottom edge – Distinctive notch – Sickle shaped dorsal fin Minke Whale – Very small dorsal fin – Curved dorsal fin – Doesn’t show dorsal fin when diving Northern Right Whale – Large Broad Flukes – Symmetrical – Distinctive Notch

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_peF4r8eKk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UTiWr_HD0o

7. ANY QUESTIONS?

8. Works Cited http://www.whaleresearch.org/projects/humpback_researchmethods.php http://www.northatlantickillerwhales.com/index.asp?pageid=100041 http://marinelife.about.com/od/watchingandphotography/a/photoid.htm http://stellwagen.noaa.gov/sister/pdfs/sbnms_fs_id_2011_1.pdf http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/nmml/pdf/NMMLDigitalPhotoProtocol.pdf http://www.whalewatchingtravelguide.com/whale-tail.html http://wildwhales.org/minke-whale/