Photo ID Catalogue
HYPMO manages a publicly-available photo identification catalogue for northern bottlenose whales in the Northeast Atlantic. Here you will find the best photograph of the left and/or right side of the dorsal fin for each known individual. The online database is searchable via the keywords below – choose “All individuals” to see them all! We also keep a catalogue with photographs of the melon (forehead) of the whales, which changes in shape when males mature.
Using photo identification we can compose a database of all individuals encountered. This information can then be used for example to learn about migration and population structure, or to look for signs of human interactions such as entanglement. Photo identification is a powerful tool, but can be hard with northern bottlenose whales which often don’t have many distinctive markings; that’s why we need your help!
This photo ID catalogue was established using many photos sent to us by researchers, whale watching guide and others. It covers broadly the eastern part of the North Atlantic. If you are trying to match your own photos to the catalogue and would like to see higher resolution photos or other photos of an individual, let us know.