With the summer sun glinting off the Atlantic, Cannon made his grand entrance near Twillingate, where icebergs drift like sleepy islands and puffins peer down from their cliffs. The sea air that day was ripe with excitement—a perfect backdrop for a whale known for his punctual surprises.
Cannon’s tale began on a June morning in 2017, close to Twillingate, a lively place where capelin roll onto pebble beaches and the promise of a whale’s spout turns heads fast. He cut through the cool waters, skimming past bobbing boats and sending seabirds wheeling overhead with the breeze from each breath.
Then, like a well-kept secret, Cannon vanished into the endless blue for nearly a decade. These long absences leave questions floating like seaweed: did he find hidden coves, or travel far to new feeding grounds? Only he knows the currents he’s chased and the storms he’s met along the way.
On a bright July day in 2026, Cannon reappeared at Lighthouse Cove. This spot, with its rugged headlands and the persistent calls of gulls, gave him a new stage. For the lucky souls watching, those brief moments were reminders of how whales can slip away for years before showing up right when you least expect—alive with memories of distant journeys.
Humpback whales like Cannon can cover thousands of kilometres each year, travelling from the cold northern waters of Newfoundland and Labrador to warmer tropical seas and back again.
Twillingate, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
June 1, 2017
Lighthouse Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 13, 2026