It was a glorious summer morning when Lilly surfaced, her sleek form cutting a gentle arc through sun-speckled waters. There’s something about the bays of Newfoundland—a patchwork of deep blue and rolling fog—that makes each whale’s arrival feel like an old friend’s greeting, and Lilly’s visits have been just that: a splash of joy amid the salt-scented air.
Lilly first made herself known during the bustling July days of 2017 in Witless Bay, where she darted among puffins and seabirds, trailing sea spray in her wake. She seemed to favour Witless Bay, returning there again and again before taking a short jaunt up to Bay Bulls, then popping back just days later. By early August, she had shown herself to be a bit of a bay-hopper, never staying long, but making each stop memorable for those lucky enough to watch her rise and dive.
Time wove onward, and a few quiet years later in 2020, Lilly was spotted near Renews Rocks—a place where the ocean likes to show its mood, churning and lively. Just when it seemed she might’ve found a favourite haunt, Lilly surprised everyone by wandering all the way up into Trinity Bay’s Salvage Cove, swirling through cool July waters in both 2022 and 2024. And if there’s one thing Lilly’s sightings tell us, it’s that she’s a true explorer: she was glimpsed far up the coast by Bonavista in 2023, and this past summer, made a double appearance in Trinity before making her way to the rugged charm of Tickle Cove for 2025.
Lilly’s path, painted by these sightings, reminds us that while the ocean holds many secrets, it occasionally drops a breadcrumb—or a fluke—in our laps, inviting us to join in the wonder.
Have you seen Lilly? If you have a photo or a story, we’d love for you to share it. Your sightings help weave together Lilly’s journey and reveal new pieces of the migration puzzle. Every submission fills in the story, letting us all peer just a bit further into the world beneath the waves.
Fun Fact
Bonavista, one of Lilly’s favourite spots, is famed for hosting some of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most epic whale and iceberg sightings each summer.
Lilly’s Sightings
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 24, 2017
Bay Bulls, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 25, 2017
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 26, 2017
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 29, 2017
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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