On a balmy July morning, when the puffins buzzed over swelling, kelp-strewn waves, Jessica the whale slipped through Witless Bay with her trademark calm, making even the sea itself seem to pause and watch.
Jessica became a familiar shadow beneath the summer sun of Newfoundland and Labrador—her first recorded visit was in late July 2004. The locals would’ve agreed: when Jessica arrived, the air felt brighter, the salt spray sparkled, and the days grew just a touch more magical. Year after year, she kept turning up in Witless Bay, nearly always around midsummer. By 2007 and again in 2008, there she was—reliable as the call of a loon, rolling beside chattering gulls and darting capelin.
With 2010’s visit, it seemed Jessica was a resident fixture in the bay’s watery lanes. But then, just as suddenly, the records fell quiet. Ten summers drifted past, and her silvery spout vanished from local memory. That is, until August 2020, when a lucky sighting at Cape Bonavista sent a ripple through the community—Jessica was back, hale and hearty, exploring northern seas once more.
Perhaps spurred by wanderlust or the whims of the current, Jessica turned up again in 2026, this time off St. Lunaire-Griquet. It’s a far stretch from her southern haunts, but that’s what keeps her story so lively—the sheer wonder of where she’ll go next.
Have you seen Jessica? If you’ve caught even a glimpse—or a photo—of her, your sighting could help stitch together the next chapter of her story. By sharing what you see, you’re helping everyone unravel the mysteries of where these whales travel and why some places become their favourites.
Cape Bonavista, where Jessica was seen in 2020, is famous for its towering sea stacks and often hosts some of the best whale-watching vantage points in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 29, 2004
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 15, 2005
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 15, 2007
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 7, 2008
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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By submitting to Happywhale, your sighting can become part of Jessica'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.
