Annual list of right whale names has been released

A North Atlantic right whale named “Scorpion”. Photo credit: Canadian Whale Institute, taken under DFO Canada SARA permit

BOSTON – Scientists at the New England Aquarium have unveiled a new list of names for North Atlantic right whales.

The annual tradition helps researchers in the field identify the critically endangered animals in real time.

A total of 18 whales got named this year thanks to submissions from the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium and various research organizations.

They include Lasagna, Scorpion, and Dandelion, all named for marks on their bodies that resemble those things.

Other names from this year’s right whale class include a 16-year-old female, Taffy, who is named for part of her callosity that looks like it’s being stretched across her head like taffy. Spectre has a scar on her back that resembles a ghostly apparition. Athena is a 2-year-old female named for the Greek Goddess of War due to her entanglement scars and her mother being named War.

“Whale naming is a fun and lighthearted way to bring the community together,” said Amy Warren, Scientific Program Officer in the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, who coordinates the naming efforts. “It also allows us to connect with the whales at an individual level, including their habits and relatives.”

To access the full North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog, click here.

The Consortium’s estimated number of the critically-endangered whales is currently 384.