Taking Photo ID pictures
It is also important to use a telephoto lens for photo identification. By law, you cannot approach within 100 yards of a humpback whale (SEE REGULATIONS). So, it is necessary to have a camera and lens that will allow you to capture a photograph of sufficient quality from a distance.
When taking a fluke photo for purposes of photo ID, the photographer needs to be positioned directly behind the animal, so when the whale dives, the underside of the flukes are facing the camera. Perhaps the most challenging aspect is timing. Remember that the trailing edge is an important part of the identification, so the timing of the photograph needs to be such that the flukes are perpendicular the surface of the water, this is the moment where the trailing edge is most defined.
As you can probably guess, fluke photos alone are rarely useful. They must be collected along with some associated data. At a minimum, time, date and location (preferably latitude and longitude) should be recorded at the time that the photo is taken. Other important information that can be collected include; associations (which whales were grouped up with which whales), mother and calf identification and behavior (such as breaching and bubble net feeding).
When taking a fluke photo for purposes of photo ID, the photographer needs to be positioned directly behind the animal, so when the whale dives, the underside of the flukes are facing the camera. Perhaps the most challenging aspect is timing. Remember that the trailing edge is an important part of the identification, so the timing of the photograph needs to be such that the flukes are perpendicular the surface of the water, this is the moment where the trailing edge is most defined.
As you can probably guess, fluke photos alone are rarely useful. They must be collected along with some associated data. At a minimum, time, date and location (preferably latitude and longitude) should be recorded at the time that the photo is taken. Other important information that can be collected include; associations (which whales were grouped up with which whales), mother and calf identification and behavior (such as breaching and bubble net feeding).