181

Juneau humpback 181 goes nameless. First cataloged in 2009, that’s when I first encountered this whale on June 27 in Saginaw Channel on the west side of Shelter Island. In Juneau Flukes this whale has the “privilege” of being the last whale in the organization of mostly white to mostly black. This is indeed a very black tail. Identification characters are limited to the pattern of the serrations on the trailing edges, particularly comparing the relatively smooth left fluke with the more prominently serrated right fluke.

The large shot is the final in this diving sequence. Note the rather strongly scalloped peduncle that really gives this whale a “Nessie” look as the hump forms for diving.

The only other time I’ve seen this whale was on July 19, 2012 in North Pass.