The Whale Adoption Project features fifty whales from the Gulf of Maine Humpback whale feeding stock. Since the 1970’s, over 1,500 Humpback whales have been identified and included in the catalogue of the Gulf of Maine feeding stock. The whales are individually identified by the distinctive pattern on the underside (ventral surface) of their flukes, or by their dorsal fin shape and markings.

A Humpback whale’s fluke is unique to each whale. Like fingerprints, no two flukes are alike. Researchers use the distinctive fluke patterns to identify Humpback whales over 2 years old, since the patterns of calves usually are not set until that time.

The basic Humpback whale fluke is broad with a distinct notch in the middle, and curved and jagged trailing edges. The fluke is usually all black on top. The underside is usually black and white with various scars and markings. The pigmentation patterns on the fluke range from almost completely white, to all black, with variations in between. Whales with almost all white flukes are given a rating of 1, whales with all black flukes are given a rating of 5, and those in between are given a rating between 2 and 4 based on the percentage of white on their fluke. This allows researchers to set up Catalogues based on the gradation of the pigmentation patterns, and this in turn makes matching photographs of unknown Humpback whales much easier.

Since individual identification is critical to studying these animals, researchers came up with the idea of an annual Whale Naming event to be held each spring. Here, all of the scientists and naturalists could get together and “name” the unnamed whales from the previous year’s sightings. That way, everyone would refer to the same individual whale with the same name. However, with more than 1,500 Humpback whales now identified in the catalogue of the Gulf of Maine feeding stock, coming up with a new and different name for each whale poses a creative challenge.

In an effort to be more inventive and imaginative with new whale names, researchers established a few “naming” guidelines. First, names cannot be gender specific. Second, names should be a reference to a marking on the underside of the fluke or a distinctive mark elsewhere on the whale’s body. Third, names should be short and understandable. And finally, the name must not have been used previously.While scientists and naturalists take whale naming very seriously, they still try to have some fun. The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary feels that humpback whale naming is so important that for the last several years, they have sponsored the Annaul Humpback Whale Naming Workshop.