A budding ornithologist wouldn't be caught out sans his field guide. Without an aid to the identification of different species, his diary entries would simply say, "Today I saw a yellow bird and a red one." Not so intriguing when one is trying to find as many species as possible. The same holds true for those venturing out on their first whale watching expedition. You'll be just as excited when you see your first blow or your first flukes out of the water, but wouldn't you rather be one of the people at the table who can articulately discuss which species you saw today? Use the following tips as a "starter guide" on species identification.
Let's start with the biggest animal on Earth (and perhaps the biggest animal that EVER lived on Earth), the blue whale. The first indicator is size. An adult blue can reach a length of nearly 30 meters, far longer than any other species. Next, look for the size of the spray when the whale "blows", or exhales air while surfacing. In keeping with a massive set of lungs, the blue whale's blow is huge, often extending up to 6 meters above waterline. Finally, look for the coloration. The sides and back of this whale will have a blue-gray color, which gives the proud beast its name.
If the location of your whale watching is more likely to host humpback whales, keep an eye peeled for a shorter and rounder blow, followed by the appearance of a huge black body. While they're smaller than the blue whales, humpbacks can still reach more than 15 meters in length. As the animal dives, look for a roughly butterfly-shaped tail with white undersides. The pectoral fin or "flipper" of a humpback whale is quite long, with a rough and bumpy underside. This flipper is often exposed during diving, and the tail flukes are almost always seen as the animal submerges. The namesake hump on the whale's back, with a small dorsal fin, is the last clue for this species.
Identifying an orca, or killer whale, is perhaps the easiest of all the whales. Look for a sleek black body with white patches near the eyes and a white belly. The tall, upright dorsal fin is an easy clue as well. While fluking is not a typical orca behavior, their habit of bringing most of the body out of the water while surfacing can be spectacular. Expect lengths up to about 10 meters.
All whale species have their signature characteristics, and with experience and research (and perhaps a good set of binoculars!) you'll become an authority on whale identification in no time and it won't matter where you take your next whale watching cruise, you'll be equipped wherever in the globe you are.
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