Not every summer day in Newfoundland and Labrador feels remarkable, but sometimes a shimmering wave or a flash of white tips you off that something splendid is about to happen. Such was the way with Denver, a male humpback whose trail across the bays reads like a maritime postcard collection.

Denver’s journey first appeared in the rolling swells of Witless Bay in July 2007. The capelin were running thick that year, and seabirds darted through the silver fog as if following old secrets. Denver surfaced in fine form, a ripple amid the chatter of kittiwakes and the laughter drifting from tour boats.

A couple of years later, in July of 2009, Denver was spotted northward in Trinity Bay. The water here has a brisk, briny snap to it, and the cliffs keep their own watch over travellers—no two days are the same. Denver's broad back broke the water and vanished again, leaving just the memory of a spout and a flash for those lucky enough to witness it.

Nearly a decade passed before another sighting, this time back in the familiar embrace of Witless Bay in the summer of 2018. Where had Denver been all those years? Lost in the endless blue, perhaps visiting distant feeding grounds or dodging an iceberg or two. Then, in 2026, he turned up off Goose Cove East, stirring up a bit of local curiosity with his unmistakable fluke and steady determination.