The Tail of a Humpback Whale

The tail of a Humpback whale is used to identify individuals in conjuction with the shape with its dorsal fin. The contour on the trailing edge of the tail combined with the colouration pattern on the underside of the tail are specific and unique to each Humpback whale, and is similar to fingerprints for humans where none are alike. You can see the underside of the tail if a whale is diving and it a whale is tail lobbing. If you happen to be in a good position, you could take a picture of the tail underside to examine at a later time to determine which Humpback whale you are viewing. Humpback whales are classified into three groups, based on the colouration pattern on the tail underside. One group is designated as BCX where most of the tail is dark in colour. The second group of whales is designated as BCY where the tail is partly dark and partly light (white). The last group of Humpbacks is designated as BCZ which has tails mostly light/white in colour.

The tails of Humpback whales (and other Cetaceans) are a delight to see. With their tails, they may be saying “Hello” or waving “Good-bye” to you as they dive. Their tails can be displayed in various behaviours such as tail lobbing and breaching. Perhaps, the sight of their tails is breath-taking because it is a section of their body seen less often. After seeing a Humpback breathe a few times at the surface, prepare your camera as the whale may dive soon and will lift its tail out of the water!

Boaters, please use caution on the water. Remember N.E.W.S. when you see a whale, meaning put your boat in NEUTRAL, ENJOY the view, WAIT till the whales are at a fair distance, and then SLOWLY leave the scene.

The Federal Government (DFO) has issued the following statement about watching whales in the wild: “To address disturbance in the presence of whales, a mandatory 400-metre vessel approach distance for all killer whales is in effect starting June 1, 2020 in all southern British Columbia coastal waters between Campbell River and just north of Ucluelet. The Marine Mammal Regulations continue to remain in effect year-round, including maintaining a minimum 200 metre approach distance from all killer whales in Canadian Pacific waters other than described above, and 100 metres for other whales, porpoises and dolphins OR 200 metres when the animal is in resting position or with a calf.”

WOWs works throught the year, so please continue to keep your eyes open, and report your sightings to us.