Every humpback's journey is as unique as their tail.
And one photo of that tail is enough to reveal their real life story. Upload one below to meet the whale you spotted.
Where else would a whale tell you their life story?
Every year, Newfoundland and Labrador hosts the world's largest population of humpbacks. So we've gotten to know them pretty well. How's that? A humpback's tail (or "fluke") markings are as unique as our fingerprints. Which means all it takes is a photo to know exactly who they are — and everywhere else they've been identified.
Upload your fluke photos to take a deeper dive into the world of humpbacks. Learn their name, their story — and even contribute to citizen science.
The fluke markings on the underside of a humpback's tail can be a mix of dark and light shapes that are speckled, splotchy, or otherwise unique. Those markings, combined with the tail's shape, are what make every humpback uniquely identifiable.
Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the best places in the world for whale watching. Especially humpbacks, who visit every year from May-September. Read up on the best parts of the province to spot them. Or, start planning your trip now and come see for yourself!
Yes! One of the most exciting things about Hello Humpback's collaboration with our partner, Happywhale, is that no humpback's story is ever complete. Once you read a whale's story, submit your photo. It will become part of their sighting data and add another chapter. You can even follow a whale for updates when your sighting gets added — as well as those from anyone else who spots that same whale in the future!
Top Whale Tales
Say hello to some of the most interesting visitors to our coasts.
Esker
Last spotted September 16, 2022
There's a certain kind of magic in the way winter sunlight catches the edge of a drifting iceberg, and maybe no one knows that feeling better than Esker, who seems quite at home in the ever-changing borderlands between warmth and cold.
Micheal
Last spotted July 27, 2022
A gentler breeze and a ripple in Labrador’s chilly waters once brought a young traveller named Micheal to the surface, just as July’s sun glinted off the bay, lending a silvery shine to his back.
Eunice
Last spotted June 19, 2013
A patch of silver mist lingered over Witless Bay as Eunice, a grand lady of the sea, swept gracefully through the kelp-draped waters, her presence as familiar to the returning capelin as the seabirds overhead.
Ryan
Last spotted July 26, 2024
On bright summer mornings, when the capelin roll and seabirds wheel, one whale has a knack for stirring a sense of wonder along the Newfoundland coast—Ryan, a grand traveller with the North Atlantic in her heart.
Courtney
Last spotted August 14, 2020
With a playful slosh and a flash of white, Courtney, the ever-bold matron of the bay, spent her summers turning Witless Bay’s calm into a lively stage. There's a thrill that comes with spotting her, like stumbling upon a secret cove or a hidden trail only whispered about between old friends.
Boyd
Last spotted July 21, 2023
On a crisp August morning, just before the sun shook itself fully awake, the salty air was already bustling with anticipation. Out in the cool blue waters near Trinity Harbour, a hefty fellow named Boyd stirred up the sea, his presence unmistakable against the hush of the bay.
Lilly
Last spotted July 24, 2024
On a fine summer day when the capelin rolled in like silver confetti and the air was full of seabird chatter, Lilly made her entrance—a graceful traveller painting her stories upon the blue canvas of the North Atlantic.
Joe
Last spotted July 22, 2024
With the fog lifting off the coast and capelin swirling just beneath the surface, the waters around Trinity Bay sometimes offer up a special kind of morning. That’s when Joe, the barrel-chested wanderer of Newfoundland’s bays, sweeps into view.
Marnie
Last spotted August 2, 2024
Sometimes the sea delivers surprises as bright as capelin shining in summer sun. On just such a morning, as shoreline mist danced away from Holyrood’s South Arm, a remarkable character edged close—Marnie, the grand dame of the cove.
Cannon
Last spotted June 1, 2017
Some mornings, the North Atlantic dons its best suit—a mirror to the sky, sun gleaming off cold water like bits of scattered treasure. That’s when Cannon, a true wanderer by heart, made his entrance near Twillingate.
Turning travellers into citizen scientists.
Hello Humpback is a collaboration between Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism and Happywhale, an organization collecting and organizing sighting data to help the world's ocean be better understood, appreciated, and protected through accessible science. Together, we're using creative technology to connect researchers and whale enthusiasts.
Each whale's story is based entirely on real sighting dates and locations. Some details are added by our AI story generator, like assigning pronouns to whales logged without a specified gender, or if the sea was calm or rollicking on a given day. Because around here, we never pass up the chance to comment on the weather.
