H930

This year, humpback whale no. H930 is getting noticed in multiple parts of the world! GREMM’s Renaud Pintiaux photographed this individual in July 2020 in the St. Lawrence Estuary. By comparing its tail with that of a certain OMMAG_506 observed this past spring in Guadeloupe by the island’s local marine mammal observatory (OMMAG), a GREMM research assistant concludes that the tails are identical. After verification, it is indeed the same individual. However, the whales’ names or numbers vary depending on the catalogues in which they are listed.

This “match” is surprising: of the 462 individuals in the OMMAG catalogue, just 3 have ever been identified in Canada. Most of the humpbacks that frequent the St. Lawrence are thought to spend the winter in the Dominican Republic, where they breed and give birth. Those of Guadeloupe are believed to favour the waters of Norway or Iceland for summer foraging. What makes H930 prefer the Saint Lawrence? That’s a tough question. Either way, humpbacks seem to remain loyal to their summer feeding grounds year after year. So, there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing H930 again in the years to come!

Humpback whale data sheet