The ocean held a lively sparkle the morning Adalyn first left her mark—a playful humpback weaving her way through the cool blue off Witless Bay. There's an unmistakable magic about the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador in July, with capelin flashing in silver waves and the air scented with salt and wildflowers.
Adalyn's tale is one carried on the buoyant tides—she favoured Witless Bay, dropping by almost every summer from 2008 onwards, as if checking in on a beloved corner of the world. More than once, word travelled along shore: "She's back!" From Trinity Bay to Elliston, Adalyn made her presence known, rolling her grand flukes amidst puffins’ squawks and gannets’ graceful dives.
Her ventures weren't limited to these homey haunts. In March 2019, she surfaced down in Samaná Bay, Dominican Republic, reminding everyone how far a humpback's heart can roam. Yet each July, the familiar coast drew her home again—Witless Bay, Bay Bulls, and the small isles nestled just offshore.
A truly bright moment arrived in July 2022, when a naturalist spotted Adalyn with a calf at her side—a scene stirring enough to lift anyone’s spirits, echoing a quiet triumph for ocean wanderers everywhere. Lately, she's wandered off Great Island and south of Green Island, her patterns as free as the breeze over the bay.
From one splash to the next, Adalyn’s story keeps growing—twists and turns carried by tides, weather, and the curiosity of those who watch the waves.
Have you seen Adalyn? If you catch a glimpse or snap a photo, your sighting can help fill the chapters of her journey. Every submission helps us learn more about migration, calf rearing, and the wonders waiting along the Newfoundland and Labrador coast.
Humpback whales migrate thousands of kilometres each year—from the cold feeding waters off Newfoundland and Labrador all the way down to the warm Caribbean seas.
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 27, 2008
Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 27, 2008
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 24, 2009
Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
July 21, 2010
This is Happywhale's real data for this whale. The story above was generated based on these details, and a few creative assumptions.
Now that you've met Adalyn, 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.
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By submitting to Happywhale, your sighting can become part of Adalyn'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.
