Meet the Whales

When researching animals from small populations, identifying individuals is a powerful practice that keeps a record of not only current populations but also population trends and shifts over time. It also helps scientists understand the challenges that each individual whale faces throughout its life history.

The North Pacific right whale is an endangered marine mammal species with an estimated population of under 500 individuals and fewer than 50 individuals estimated to remain in the Eastern stock in Alaskan waters.

There are 31 confirmed unique individuals in our catalog, and a few of them have names! Some are named after stories or characteristics seen in their first sightings, and some have identifying features that help them stand out. 

Meet some of the North Pacific right whales we’ve encountered on research cruises, surveys, and more below! Each whale has their own unique characteristics and stories to discover. In each story, learn more about the tools and science that we use along the way, from satellite tags and photography, to acoustic devices!

Uki — MML 110

Sex: Unknown

Sighting History: 2023

Uki is a newly identified North Pacific Right Whale, first seen in September of 2023 in the Gulf of Alaska. They were named as a result of the “Name that Whale” social media contest in early 2024! Check out the contest bracket below to see the other names that were in the running:

Uki is a name of Inuit origin meaning “Survivor”, quite fitting for the whale and its entire species considering they are on the brink of extinction but still hanging on! Uki was seen on the last day of a survey, and was found using acoustics. They popped up next to the boat twice, helpfully giving us nice photos of both sides of their head (see the image above for a great view of Uki’s curved mouth and callosities), before they disappeared. They were seen in the same vicinity as three other right whales!

Uki’s sex is currently unknown, and they are estimated to be around 56 feet in length!

Primero — MML 24

Sex: Male

Sighting History: 2004, 2009, and 2017

Primero was the first Eastern North Pacific right whale to be satellite tagged during a study that began in 2007 (hence his name, primero, meaning “first” in Spanish).

Primero holds the record for having the most extended data-transmitting tag period: 58 days! Each day of data provides scientists with important habitat use information, which in Primero’s case showed his movement patterns across the summertime.

Another observation from the field revealed that Primero is incredibly vocal! When we’re out at sea trying to find right whales, we can listen - and look - for right whale calls. Spectrograms are visual representations of sounds recorded by scientists like Jessica Crance, a marine mammal bioacoustician at NOAA’s Alaska Fields Science Center. Here is an example of right whale sounds recorded during the 2009 survey, shown in a spectrogram.

This is an example of right whale gunshot calls and upcalls. We think upcalls are used to maintain contact with other right whales. We don’t yet know the specific function of gunshot calls, but they are produced primarily by males.

Jessica found evidence of right whales “singing”, with their songs comprised almost entirely of these gunshot calls. This population is the only one currently known to sing! She speculates this could be a reproductive display, as is seen with other large baleen whales. “We have direct evidence of male right whales singing, and we think this may be exclusive to males, but we have very limited data on vocalizing female right whales.”

There are very few females in North Pacific right whale populations, which makes gathering data on their vocalizations even more difficult! Hopefully more can be discovered about them as years of data collection and listening continue.

Whale calls are helpful indicators of their presence too. Sometimes, spotting a North Pacific right whale can be difficult, but hearing them is often easier, given how much time a whale spends underwater. While at sea, scientists are able to get bearing information on a calling whale, and triangulate on a whale’s location, often leading the boat to a whale! The map seen here shows the acoustic detections and subsequent sighting locations of Uki and three other right whales in 2023!

Blips — MML 15

Sex: Unknown

Sighting History: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2017

Aerial surveys are very helpful for spotting whales - but communications with folks about what you’re seeing from way up in the sky over a noisy radio can be a bit difficult. Blips got their name from a miscommunication over the radio when observers from the plane described the whale as having “continuous callosities on its lips,” but scientists heard “velocities and blips” instead! Blips was satellite tagged in 2009 during the NOAA PRIEST survey.

Callosities are the lighter-colored tissue patches visible on the top and edges of a whale’s rostrum or head. The appearance of these patches is often caused by whale lice inhabiting the region of the skin. These spots are used for identification purposes, as each whale’s callosity pattern is unique, like a fingerprint!

Cuatro — MML 84

Sex: Female

Sighting History: 2009 and 2017

On the topic of callosities and identification, Cuatro (meaning four in Spanish) was named for the four round callosities atop her head. These four spots are easily visible from the sky during aerial surveys and offer our scientists a great namesake that’s easy to remember in the field. 

Many other North Pacific right whales on this page have names that reference their unique features, from callosities to tails and other body markings. With the right tools, identifying a variety of body coloration patterns and physical features makes comparing individuals much easier!

Notchy — MML 9

Sex: Unknown

Sighting History: 1996, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2017

A whale tail is composed of two lobes, called flukes. Notchy was named for the distinct notch on the edge of one of their flukes, a helpful identifying feature when a whale is spotted just before diving! Notchy was the first North Pacific right whale to be documented doing a long-distance migration; they were first seen in Hawaii in April of 1996, and then re-sighted just 3 months later in the Bering Sea!

Notchy is the second-most frequently sighted North Pacific right whale, just behind MML 27.

Phoenix — MML 97

Sex: Male

Sighting History: 2017

A phoenix is often associated with the idea of rebirth or hope, which is exactly what this North Pacific right whale represented to scientists during his first sighting in 2017. Phoenix was the first juvenile North Pacific right whale sighted since 2005! Juveniles, although rare, are incredibly important for the species, as it means that reproduction is still happening within the population. We look forward to spotting him again soon!

Scotty — MML 104

Sex: Unknown

Sighting History: 2021

Sometimes, strange things can happen out in the field while conducting research. When a dead fish randomly appeared on the deck of a research vessel, scientists deemed it their unofficial mascot for the rest of the cruise. “We joked that we should put it in someone's cup of coffee like a biscotti, or a ‘fish-scotti,’” said Jessica Crance, a marine mammal bioacoustician at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center. The unofficial mascot would turn into the story behind the first right whale spotted on the trip, giving Scotty their name! Scotty was sighted in the Gulf of Alaska, feeding alongside MML 103, who was first sighted by DFO Canada off Haida Gwaii in June two months earlier.

Smudgy — MML 87

Sex: Female

Sighting History: 2009

Named for the dark patch of callosities across her head, Smudgy is a female North Pacific right whale observed for the first time in 2009. During one of the multiple sightings of her during the 2009 survey, she was seen playing with a log, as seen in the picture above!

Another critical piece of information these whales can provide us is their habitat use or movements. Smudgy was tagged with a satellite tag in 2009 that sent essential location data to scientists looking to better understand the distribution of these endangered whales. In the satellite data map below, Smudgy is the blue line, seen traveling within the North Pacific right whale Critical Habitat zone.

Smudgy (blue line) is joined by four other ID’d individuals, two of which you may recognize by their names! The yellow line features the movement path of MML 24, Primero, and the darker yellow line is MML 9, Notchy!

Spot — MML 85

Sex: Male

Sighting History: 2009, 2011, and 2017

When conducting aerial surveys, a big white spot on a whale's tail, in contrast to the dark ocean background, is a huge help! Spot was named for this exact feature in 2009. A circular white scar sits just between the flukes of his tail and is easily spotted from above during calm water conditions. Yet another fantastic example of unique coloration helping scientists identify individuals! Spot was often sighted with Cuatro and Smudgy during the 2009 survey.