We have been busy in the research department adding humpback whales from the 2016 Hervey Bay field season into our South Pacific humpback whale catalog. Along with adding some new animals, we have already made two matches, which is quite a feat considering that each new photo has to be checked against over 6000 others.
Top: Photo of #1324 taken in Byron Bay in 1996. #1324 was first seen in 1993 in Hervey Bay. Bottom: Photo of #1324 taken October 2016 in Hervey Bay. 
Top: First cataloged photo of #1368, taken in Hervey Bay in 1993. Bottom: Photo of #1368 doing a peduncle throw in Hervey Bay, October 2016.
The two matched whales were each sighted with a calf during this field season, meaning we can confidently know that they are females. Both females have a long sighting history going back to 1993. Although we don’t know their exact ages, this sighting span means that both animals are at least 23 years old. As we continue to process the 2016 field data, we’re looking forward to making additional matches like these two in order to help us learn more about the South Pacific humpback whales.