Reconciled photo identification of all blue whales identified during the New Zealand Australia Antarctic Ecosystems Voyage 2015

Published: 2018-04-30

A spreadsheet detailing the filenames of the best left and/or right photos of blue whales photographed and individually identified during the New Zealand Australia Antarctic Ecosystems Voyage 2015. Photo-identification images of whales are collected using digital SLR cameras. Individual blue whales are identifiable from unique patterns of mottled pigment on both sides of the body, and also from variations in dorsal fin shape and any permanent scars that may be present. Blue whales will be photographed at an angle perpendicular to the whale, capturing the pigmentation in the area of the dorsal fin. Individual humpback whales are identifiable from photographs of the ventral flukes or the dorsal fin (perpendicular angle) if the whale does not fluke up. See http://www.marinemammals.gov.au/sorp/antarctic-blue-whale-project for further detail regarding the Antarctic blue whale voyage.