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.
Courtney’s story reads like a well-thumbed map dotted with favourite haunts. Back in early July 2008, she was seen cruising the blue quilt of Witless Bay, no doubt stirring memories and barnacles alike. Four years later, she made a double appearance in July 2012, splashing in the very same waters, as if revisiting an old summer cottage, each visit drawing curious glances from whale watchers and eager seabirds overhead.
July to August became regular months for Courtney’s appearances. In 2016, a short voyage took her from the familiar embrace of Witless Bay to the sweeping stretch between Renews and Cape Race by August’s turn. Perhaps the capelin were plentiful, or maybe she simply fancied the sprawling horizon where sea and land banter in distant echoes.
One August day in 2017, Courtney was spotted twice: leaping off Witless Bay’s rocky edges and then meandering up by Seal Cove. Those two sightings on a single day felt almost like a wink from the sea—a reminder she wasn’t far, just ducking behind the headlands. In 2018, she was back yet again, keeping her rendezvous. By 2020, Courtney wandered farther east, her tail flicking over to Trinity Bay and Bonavista Bay, leaving laughter and questions in her wake.
Courtney’s legend grew even more when she found herself in the midst of an intense encounter among killer whales, a reminder that even the mightiest wanderers must dance with the unexpected.
Have you seen Courtney? Whether tracing her summer trails or catching her in a splash of sunlight, your sightings and photos help fill in her story and unlock mysteries of migration and hidden journeys. Share your encounter and help write the next chapter in Courtney’s saga.
Fun Fact
Killer whales and humpbacks sometimes have dramatic encounters—humpbacks are known to protect not just their own calves, but occasionally even seals from hungry orcas!
Courtney’s Sightings
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 8, 2008
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 22, 2012
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 29, 2012
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 16, 2016
This is Happywhale's real data for this whale. The story above was generated based on these details, and a few creative assumptions.
Share Courtney's Story
Now that you've met Courtney, introduce them to your friends! Share this page directly below or to post as a social media story. Use #HelloHumpbackNL in your post to stay connected to all the other whale stories from Newfoundland and Labrador's coasts.
Get a printable version of this story.
Add your chapter to Courtney's story.
Submit your photo to help advance ocean science.
By submitting to Happywhale, your sighting can become part of Courtney's data. Not only will it make their story richer for the next time they're spotted, but you'll become part of a global citizen science effort to better understand our oceans and the humpback whales that call them home.