Humpback whale photos on social media are research tools for Trinity company

This summer, there has been a seemingly high number of photos of humpback whales posted to various social media sites.

While the practice can serve as free promotion for whale watching companies, a company in Trinity has been using those photos as a valuable research tool.

Shawna Prince, co-owner of Sea of Whales Adventures, told CBC Radio's Central Morning Show when the company posts pictures online, people often share detailed information about the mammals.

"Whales have very long lives. With their migration, our humpbacks go to the Dominican Republic to calve and to breed, and if we have people who are seeing them back and forth on that migration, it tells us all sorts of things," she said.

"For example, if they were seen with a new calf, we know it's a female. If they were last seen in 1960, and now we photograph them again, that gives us an idea of how old that animal might be. It's just interesting to be able to complete the loop on these animals."

Prince said humpback identification is easily done, because a photo of a whale's tail is a huge help in telling its story. 

"Each humpback tail is unique. Markings on the underside are like your fingerprints — so no two are alike," she said.

"On top of that, if you're able to have a look at dorsal fin shape, and any kind of scarring that may have happened because of killer whale attacks or entanglements, we're able to make a match."

Prince said when people take a three-hour whale watching tour, having detailed information on the whales being observed helps to enhance the whole experience.

"We're able to share the stories of some of these animals," she said.

"In our group here, we have a whale named Catherine, we've been seeing her for the past five years. We know that it's a female, because she's been seen with a calf. These kinds of things really enrich the experience that they have out on the boat."

Prince said utilizing digital images has made it easier for research and documentation of photographs. She added they have amassed a large collection.  

"In the 70s, there was a big push to photograph as many humpback whales as they could. There was a lot of work focused in this area actually," she said.

"Quite a number of whales were sighted in and around Newfoundland waters around that time. They tell us where they've seen these animals before, or what they know about these animals, when they see them online."