If you’ve ever gazed over the edge of a Newfoundland and Labrador cliff on a sun-bright July day, you might’ve spotted a flash of white rising between the hummocks of blue—a sure sign that Darlene is passing through. With an easygoing grace, she threads the northern waters and glides south before winter even thinks to knock. There’s an art to her travels, like a wanderer who never takes the same trail home twice.
Back in February of 2016, Darlene was first glimpsed basking in the warmth of the Silver Bank, offshore from the Dominican Republic. The sea was dappled with sunlight, filled with the slap and spray you only get where winter can’t reach. Come July, nearly a decade later, she delighted onlookers near Burnt Island and off Twillingate’s famous lighthouse. The salt air was tinged with excitement—two glimpses in one day, as if Darlene had her mind set on seeing it all.
February finds her south again, this time floating into Samana Bay in the Dominican Republic, right in the heart of winter. One might imagine the rolling green hills greeting her return each season. But it’s that northbound journey, come July, that wraps her story in northern colour: cruising past Goose Cove East and then, hardly a day later, enjoying the brisk breezes of St. Anthony’s coast.
Darlene’s rhythm is fixed to the heartbeat of the Atlantic: warm Caribbean winters and the summer bloom of capelin and krill back home in Newfoundland and Labrador. Her travel notes are stitched across the sea itself—perfectly timed, yet never predictable.
Have you seen Darlene? If you’ve caught sight of her, your photo or story can help shine a light on her remarkable journey. Each report fills in the gaps and helps us unravel the mysteries behind her wanderings, migration routes, and where she’ll turn up next.
Humpback whales can travel over 8,000 kilometres each year between their tropical breeding grounds and northern feeding waters—a marathon swim by any standard!
Silver Bank, Dominican Republic
February 17, 2016
Burnt Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 21, 2025
Off of Twillingate near the lighthouse, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 21, 2025
Samana Bay, Hato Mayor Province, Dominican Republic
February 14, 2026
This is Happywhale's real data for this whale. The story above was generated based on these details, and a few creative assumptions.
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