Triton humpback whaleNorth Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalog

Allied Whale was instrumental in the development of photographic identification (photo-ID) techniques for humpback whales and in 1977 published the first North Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalog. That first catalog contained 120 individual humpback whales.

Currently, the North Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalog (NAHWC) includes sighting information for over 10,000 individual whales from all the known feeding and breeding/calving grounds in the North Atlantic Ocean. The NAHWC is only possible through the collaboration of researchers, managers, whale watches, and citizen sciences from across the North Atlantic ocean-basin.

Anyone can submit a humpback whale photo! We accept fluke photos from any area within the North Atlantic Ocean and require the following sighting information at minimum: location, date, and reference number or name of whale. Once we identify the whale to individual, we can email you information on re-sightings found and you can contribute to ongoing research projects for humpback conservation. 

Interested in submitting your humpback whale photos to our catalog?

Submit a single humpback sighting using this form:

For researchers or individuals who would like to submit multiple photos to the NAHWC, please email us at nahwc@coa.edu. Contact us with any further questions or to request information.

Fin whale 2014Fin whale 2014North Atlantic Fin Whale Catalog

In 1981, biologists from Allied Whale began a project to identify individual finback whales photographically—a very asymmetrical challenge. The North Atlantic Finback Whale Catalogue is now housed in our laboratory in Bar Harbor and contains photographs of over 800 individuals.

Antarctic Humpback Whale Catalog

Submit a single humpback sighting from the Southern Ocean using this form: AHWC public submission

An international project started in the 1980s to investigate the movements of humpback whales between the Southern Ocean and lower latitude waters.

Collaboration with the Bar Harbor Whale Watch

During the spring to fall field season, when baleen whales are in the Gulf of Maine and our nearby waters, we work closely with the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company (BHWW) to collect sightings data and observe whales. Allied Whale hosts an internship program with the BHWW, which are entry-level research positions designed to offer experience for individuals seeking to develop their professional careers in marine mammal research. Our interns aboard the BHWW receive training in a wide range of marine mammal research activities while working as a crew/scientist aboard the whale watch. We hire for these positions in January-March, email us (alliedwhale.internship(at)gmail.com) if you’d like to apply. 

Field work at Mount Desert Rock

https://www.coa.edu/islands/mount-desert-rock/index.php

Years of the North Atlantic Humpback (YoNAH)

An international, collaborative project conceived to address large-scale issues on humpback whales: such as the size and structure of the population, vital rates, migratory movement and the structure of the mating system.

Visit our Publications page for more information on all of our research projects.