Like People, Whales Are Individuals

You may think that all gray whales look the same when you see them gliding along the surface of the ocean heading north to their summer feeding grounds, but just like people, no two are exactly alike, and no one knows this better than the researchers who study them every summer on the Oregon Coast.

By using drones and taking pictures of each whale’s unique markings, researchers can identify and track individual whales movements through days, months and even years of their travels. IndividuWhale is the compilation of this research, tracking the whales who feed along the Oregon Coast in efforts to understand their behavior, health and environment.

Whales With Names

Presently 13 whales are featured on the IndividuWhale site, with names like Zorro, Scarlett, Roller Skate and Orange Knuckles.

Often their names indicate certain markings that help to identify them. For example, Orange Knuckles, a mature gray whale, is so named because at first sighting, researchers noticed orange coloration from what is known as whale lice in between his knuckles, which are small bumps behind the dorsal hump on a whale’s back.

Other markings that help to identify whales are pigmentation or scars. Scarlett, a female gray whale, is said to be famous because of her easily recognizable scar that starts on the right side of her back, then spreads to her left side. She has been observed since 1996, but no one truly knows how she got those markings. Scarlett has also had three calves, yielding important information to researchers about how female whale bodies change through the stages of pregnancy to resting before they may reproduce again.

Take time to get to know all the IndividuWhales! There are plenty of photos and videos posted, too.

Adopt A Whale

Those interested in adopting one of the gray whales profiled on IndivuWhale may do so by filling out an application and donating $50. Funds help to support ongoing research, gray whale photo-ID matching, outreach and communication. You’ll receive an adoption certificate and will be posted as one of the whale’s friends on their profile page.

The next time you glimpse gray whales offshore at The Fireside Motel, think of each one as an individual with its own story to tell.