Allow Us to Introduce 18 Newly Named Right Whales

By Marianna Hagbloom. Monica Pepe of the Whale & Dolphin Conservation team contributed to this article.

While every right whale is assigned a four-digit number in the Right Whale Catalog (according to the year they were born or first seen, and the last two digits of the mother’s number, if she is known), not all of them have names (yet!).

Once a year, a handful of unnamed whales are nominated by researchers for naming. These whales have either a unique physical feature or a compelling story in connection to a community or habitat where they were first spotted. The primary purpose of naming a whale is to help researchers identify the individual on sight. Remembering that the whale with the scar that looks exactly like a dollar sign is named “Dollar” is easier than remembering that he is Catalog #1332.

Identifying a whale quickly helps researchers determine if the team needs to photograph the individual as per normal procedure, or collect better documentation for the catalog, such as checking for remaining gear if it was previously entangled, collect a biopsy sample for genetics, or move on if it was already documented that day.

Researchers, donors, school groups, members of the public—anyone at all—can propose names for the nominated whales as long as the names meet the criteria for a good name. However, only members of the field teams can vote on proposed names, since they need names to be practical and easy to remember. For this reason, voters can also select the “no name” option if they do not approve of proposed choices. Once all votes are cast, the majority rules, and the results are presented at the Annual North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium Meeting.

This year’s meeting took place in October and the naming process proved a success: all 18 right whales nominated were named!

Meet our newly named whales!

Name: Hook
Catalog Number: 1334
Sex: Female
Age: 37+
Origin of name: I have a hook in the bonnet (a unique callosity marking) on my head.
Closest friends: My friends and I are camera shy, so it’s a secret for now!
Favorite place to hang: A mysterious location that right whale scientists don’t know about yet . . .
Favorite song: Hook by Blues Traveler

Hook: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA Research Permit #15488.

Name: Galileo
Catalog Number: 1720
Sex: Male
Age: 33+
Origin of name: The little white dots all over my head and back remind people of a starry sky.
Closest friend: Starry Night
Favorite place to hang: Cape Cod Bay
Favorite song: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

Galileo: Center for Coastal Studies, NOAA Research Permit #19315-01.

Name: Tusk
Catalog Number: 2790
Sex: Female
Age: 23+
Origin of name: The white scars on my lips look like tusks.
Closest friend: Rhino
Favorite place to hang: Bay of Fundy
Favorite song: Ebony and Ivory by Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney

Tusk: Georgia Department of Natural Resources, NOAA permit 15488.

Name: Fenway
Catalog Number: 2791
Sex: Female
Age: 23+
Origin of name: If you look carefully, the long marking on the top of my head looks like a baseball bat. The Red Sox are my favorite team and they play at Fenway Park!
Closest friends: Whoever wants to share a meal with me!
Favorite place to hang: Massachusetts Bay
Favorite song: Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond

Fenway: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA Research Permit #20556.

Name: Limulus
Catalog Number: 2912
Sex: Female
Age: 21
Origin of name: The marking on the top of my head looks like a horseshoe crab. And because my fans are science geeks, they opted for the crab’s scientific name: Limulus polyphemus (I go by Limulus for short).
Closest friend: Ravine
Favorite place to hang: I’ve recently been exploring new areas, but you might catch a glimpse of me in Southern New England.
Favorite song: Shiny by Jemaine Clement (from Moana soundtrack)

Limulus: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA Research Permit #15488.

Name: Zion
Catalog Number: 3245
Sex: Male
Age: 18
Origin of name: My markings are pretty prominent, like sandstone formations you’d see in Zion National Park. National Parks figure prominently in our family—my mom’s name is Grand Teton!
Closest friends: I’m super social and will be friends with anyone who will join me in a surface active group!
Favorite place to hang: Gulf of St. Lawrence
Favorite song: Sandstorm by Darude

Zion: New England Aquarium, SARA permit.

Name: Frida
Catalog Number: 3317
Sex: Female
Age: 17
Origin of name: I’ve got this long, straight mark near my nose that looks like the artist Frida Kahlo’s unibrow.
Closest friend: Dropcloth
Favorite place to hang: Florida (it’s like my name, just with a few extra letters!)
Favorite song: I Know There’s Something Going On by Frida

Frida: Northeast Fisheries Science Center, SARA permit.

Name: Archipelago
Catalog Number: 3370
Sex: Female
Age: 17+
Origin of name: I’ve got a whole series of small marks on my right lip that look like islands.
Closest friend: Reef
Favorite place to hang: Cape Cod Bay
Favorite song: Island Song by Zac Brown Band

Archipelago: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA Research Permit #20556-01.

Name: Snow Cone
Catalog Number: 3560
Sex: Female
Age: 15
Origin of name: I proudly carry markings that resemble this refreshing summertime treat!
Closest friend: Popcorn
Favorite place to hang: I like to travel. In fact, earlier this year, I took my calf to the Gulf of Mexico, where few right whales have been seen.
Favorite song: Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice

Snow Cone: Northeast Fisheries Science Center, SARA permit.

Name: Spoon
Catalog Number: 3730
Sex: Female
Age: 13
Origin of name: I have a long, narrow mark on the top of my head that looks like a spoon is resting up there …. maybe my name should really be spoon rest!
Closest friend: Cream
Favorite place to hang: Cape Cod Bay
Favorite song: Spoonful of Sugar by Julie Andrews

Spoon: Northeast Fisheries Science Center, MMPA Research Permit #1058-1733-01.

Name: ZigZag
Catalog Number: 3821
Sex: Male
Age: 12
Origin of name: My callosity markings zig and you guessed it . . . then they zag.
Closest friend: Swerve
Favorite place to hang: Cape Cod Bay
Favorite song: Zig Zag Dance by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones & Count von Count

ZigZag: Center for Coastal Studies, NOAA Research Permit #19315 and #18786.

Name: Babushka
Catalog Number: 3890
Sex: Female
Age: 12
Origin of name: Have you ever played with Russian nesting dolls? The marks on my head resemble a few of these unstacked dolls.
Closest friend: Infinity
Favorite place to hang: It’s a toss-up between Cape Cod Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence
Favorite song: My Russian Lady by The Classics

Babushka: Center for Coastal Studies, NOAA Research Permit #19315-01.

Name: Domino
Catalog Number: 3951
Sex: Male
Age: 11
Origin of name: The scar on my right lip looks like a series of dominos. I also have some dots on the top of my head that look like the dots on domino game tiles.
Closest friend: 2 Dot
Favorite place to hang: New England waters
Favorite song: Domino by Van Morrison

Domino: Photo taken by New England Aquarium aerial survey team on a survey of offshore wind energy areas sponsored by MassCEC and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. NOAA Research Permit #19674.

Name: Curlew
Catalog Number: 4190
Sex: Female
Age: 9
Origin of name: The white arched scar on my back looks like the long beak of the curlew (a species of sandpiper shorebird).
Closest friend: Gannet
Favorite place to hang: Cape Cod Bay
Favorite song: The Sandpiper by Johnny Mandel

Curlew: Center for Coastal Studies, NOAA Research Permit #14603-01.

Name: Freckles
Catalog Number: 4308
Sex: Female
Age: 7
Origin of name: My lower lips are freckled!
Closest friend: Marble
Favorite place to hang: Cape Cod Bay
Favorite song: Freckles by Natasha Bedingfield

Freckles: New England Aquarium, NMFS Research Permit #14233.

Name: Monomoy
Catalog Number: 4313
Sex: Female
Age: 7
Origin of name: Apparently my markings shift in shape, like the sandy beaches of Monomoy Island on Cape Cod.
Closest friends: Sagamore and Nauset
Favorite place to hang: Cape Cod Bay
Favorite song: Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa by Vampire Weekend

Monomoy: Center for Coastal Studies, NOAA Research Permit #19315.

Name: Pilgrim
Catalog Number: 4340
Sex: Female
Age: 7
Origin of name: I’m named for the location where I was first spotted, right near the former Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Massachusetts! I don’t know what my mom was thinking bringing me there at such a young age, but I’m kind of a celebrity now!
Closest friend: Sparky
Favorite place to hang: Cape Cod Bay, of course.
Favorite song: The Power by Snap!

Pilgrim: Whale and Dolphin Conservation, image obtained under NOAA authorization.

Name: Juno
Catalog Number: 1612
Sex: Female
Age: 34+
Origin of name: I’m named after the Roman goddess Juno, because my head is shaped like a Roman nose.
Closest friend: Porcia, a fellow Roman-nosed whale named after a famous Roman.
Favorite place to hang: New England waters
Favorite song: All I Want Is You by Barry Louis Polisar

Juno: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA Research Permit #775-1875.