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OMMAG Humpback Whale Catalog
In humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) it is the underside of the caudal fin that is used to identify an individual.
As the characteristics (spots, shape, scars, etc.) of each individual's tail are unique and permanent in adults, the identification photo will allow us to create a catalog of the whales that have come to our waters.
In the OMMAG catalog, we will find various information such as the date and location of the photo, as well as the name of the photographer. Once the catalog is compiled, we will be able to check for matches with new photos taken during the new migration season and thus recognize known individuals or identify new individuals that will complete the catalog.
This is the job of the “matchers”.
A group of volunteer "matchers" will compare the new photos with the OMMAG catalog and another group with the Norwegian catalog.
Exchanges are made between different organizations and associations.
Thanks to the information gathered, we will discover the secret life of humpback whales: their sex, their migrations, and their appearances, particularly in Guadeloupe and elsewhere.
Long live Participatory Science!
The result of a wonderful triple encounter between the Megaptera association in St Martin, a seaside observer, and OMMAG.
In March 2021 this whale was observed close to the coast at Moule in the company of another adult and a baby.
In March 2025 she was seen again near St Martin, vocalizing, alone, a male therefore.
So in 2021, it was what we call an escort, a male who accompanies a mother and child (without being the father), a fairly classic configuration.
An exceptional match, the 3rd of its kind!
This is Mn_707. In 2023 she was in our warm waters on April 10th, not shy she passed right next to the boat, within arm's length of the box
And here it is photographed under the snow on February 5, 2025, in water at 3°C, in Russia, 9,000 km from here!!
Provided that it migrates every year, which has not been proven, it will take at least 80 days for it to return to our waters, meaning an arrival towards the end of April!!
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