Sponsor a Whale
You can make a difference
You can make a difference today for whales and their essential ecosystems with the sponsorship of a humpback whale! 100% of your contribution will support the critical research necessary for the protection of whales. This is a fabulous opportunity to support whale conservation or as a gift to the whale lover in your life.
With a Donation of $150 or more you will receive the following package:
A personal sponsorship certificate with your whales name, photo, and biography
Access to digital recordings featuring the famous humpback whale song and northern resident orca dialects
How to Sponsor a Whale
To sponsor a whale please follow these steps:
Select a whale to sponsor. Please see the list of available whales below
Fill out & submit the whale sponsorship form below. Please include all requested information to be able to receive the sponsorship certificate
Make your donation of $150 or more through the “Sponsor a Whale” button below the sponsorship form
Once the form has been submitted and the donation has been made you will be sent the sponsorship package!
WHALE SPONSORSHIP FORM
Whales available for sponsorship
Adidas - BCY0430
Adidas has been seen every year since 2004; a true resident to this area. Adidas is a social whale, seldom seen alone unless resting. In 2011, Adidas, with a few other juvenile humpback whales, formed their own bubble net feeding group. This was the first evidence of cultural transmission of this specialized feeding strategy in these rich and diverse waters. Adidas is also very well known for playing with young sea lions and is seen through the entire season, from spring to late fall before migrating to the tropical breeding grounds of Hawaii.
Amy - BCX0711
Amy is an incredibly social whale that is almost always seen as part of a large bubble net feeding group or with long-term companion “Hook” – who is also available for adoption. Amy is one of the most commonly observed whales in Gitga’at Territory though we do not yet know where this social whale migrates. Amy was named after a very dear young girl who has been passionate about protecting this coast for years.
Hook - BCX0083
Hook is often seen as part of large feeding groups at the beginning of each season. In early fall, Hook and another resident whale, Amy, are always seen together. We are not sure what the relationship is between these 2 whales, except that it is a very strong bond. In 2011, neither whale was sighted in our study area. This was the first year we had not seen them return from their winter migration and we were all quite concerned. In 2012, they were once again sighted within the large feeding group; to say we were relieved would be an understatement. We ourselves have become quite attached to this pair! Whatever the reason for their absence, we were thrilled and relieved to observe them together once again, in Caamano Sound and have seen them every year since.
Bullet - BCX0720
Bullet is a resident bubbler net feeder and is a key player in large bubble net feeding groups. Bullet was given this name due to the large hole in the left fluke. We do hope that this was not actually caused by a bullet! Bullet is a whale that we generally sight in the spring feeding season and well into the fall -- when posturing groups form. We do not know yet if this whale is male or female or the migration route this whale takes.
Caamano - BCX0121
Caamano is a longstanding member of large bubble net feeding groups and is often seen traveling with Smiley, another female. Caamano arrived with her first calf in 2008, and again in 2011 and 2014. Upon arrival with her first calf, Caamano spent her first week feeding with the bubble net group. For the remainder of the season, she only was seen with her extremely active calf by her side. We believe she initially fed with the large group to quickly re-store her depleted fat cells from a long winter of little food and daily nursing of her calf in Hawaii. She was named Caamano because our first sighting of her was in Caamano Sound.
Cheetah - BCX0427
It was a surprise to us when Cheetah arrived back from Hawaii with her first calf in 2010 as a large percentage of females in our research area spend the majority of their time alone. Cheetah does not fit this profile; she is often sighted in the company of other humpbacks seeking out social companionship or cooperating in bubble net feeding groups. Even when she is with a calf she is often in close proximity to other whales – if not directly part of the group. Her first calf was one with a very playful nature, entertaining many with a series of breaches and tail slaps.
Cloudy - BCY0108
Cloudy is a seasonal resident humpback whale and has played a vital role in the large bubble net feeding group in our research area for over 20 years. Cloudy has a unique and powerful dive pattern, always raising his tail high in the air, holding for a second before going below the surface. We are quite certain that Cloudy is one of the more vocal whales in our research area. We are presuming Cloudy is male as he is often seen in large groups of known males late in the fall months. This is also when the famous humpback song begins along coastal BC and we are certain Cloudy is one of those singers!
Comet - BCX0303
Comet is only seen a few times a year, and each time, appears traveling alone. She arrived in 2009 with her first calf and was seen again, in late 2011, with a second calf, and a third in 2014. Her markings remind us of the night sky - hence the name Comet. She is an extremely shy whale and quite cautious of boats. For this reason, we do not spend much time with her and respect her need for privacy.
Coste - BCZ0254
Coste is one of the few whales we have observed bubble net feeding solo and vocalizing at the same time. For us, this is a rare opportunity to derive an acoustic fingerprint on an individual whale. With this type of data, we are hopeful that it will one day be possible to identify humpbacks by sound alone through our network of hydrophones. When not solo bubble net feeding, Coste is often seen in late fall feeding with other whales. We have never seen Coste in a posturing group and are still unsure if this whale is male or female.
Cross - BCY0189
Cross is a female who arrived with her calf in 2008. The calf had either been injured by a boat or had scoliosis; sadly we are still not sure if the calf survived. She was one of the last females we saw in the winter of 2011, indicating she may arrive with a new calf in 2012. To our delight in late spring of 2012 she was sighted with yet another very healthy calf that she brought right the side of our research vessel.
HABIT - BCX1225
Habit is a known humpback mother and one of the whales we have seen every year since 2006. She had her first calf in 2010, and her last calf in 2014. It was in 2015 when she arrived in Gitga’at Territory that we knew something was terribly wrong. We had gone out on the boat and slowly approached her taking as many pictures as possible with a long lens as not to get too close. The wound that we saw was devastating and we knew she had been struck by a very large vessel – it was a miracle she was even alive. We were surprised she had survived that entire season, and even more so when she returned the following year and the wound had healed substantially. Though her wound has healed, she has never again been seen with another calf. Habit herself may never have another calf of her own, but she is now often see escorting younger mothers with their calves. Every time we see her we are reminded that in the presence of whales we must slow down when driving a boat.
Ivory - BCZ0071
Our first encounter with Ivory will always be a cherished memory. He had come right to the boat and just floated beside us. Though we could not see his face, we felt as though he was looking through the water directly at us. The contact was truly mesmerizing. He was given his name for the brilliant color of his outstanding tail. Since this encounter we have recognized Ivory as a seasonal resident to Gitga’at waters and have documented his presence for more than 10 years.
Flower - BCY0037
It is the small flower seen in the left fluke that gave this whale her name. Flower is a seasonal resident and she is often seen as the whale of interest to posturing groups that form in the fall. She was first seen in the early winter of 2009 from the deck of our land-based research station. Sure enough, she arrived back in 2010 with her first calf, perhaps the most playful calf we have encountered so far. She was only seen a few times in 2011, each time on her own. We did not see her for a few years, until 2015 to our delight she was seen once again with a robust calf by her side. In the years since she has remained a resident whale to this area and is often seen along the shores of Verney Pass.
Jupiter - BCY0092
We are quite certain that Jupiter plays a dominant role in the large feeding group and is often one of the first whales we see at the start of each season. On occasion we have seen this whale during the fall months but never in a posturing group. Jupiter is extremely social and we sometimes wonder if Jupiter is an older female past her reproductive years. She was given this name due to the design in her fluke that looks just like the planet Jupiter. In 2020 we grew concerned as the season passed and we had not seen Jupiter well into October. On our very last survey of the year relief took over as we finally saw Jupiter among whales in Whale Channel. We have continued to see this whale every year since.
Loner - BCX0375
You can imagine how this whale was given her name; yes, she is often seen alone! Loner is also one of the few whales we have seen that bubble net feeds on her own as well as occasionally teaming up with larger feeding groups. In 2008, we were delighted when she arrived with her first calf. It was wonderful to watch, as this little one never left her side. Since then we have noticed that she has become more social with the younger community of juvenile humpback whales. In the early winter of 2011, she was seen with other humpback whales lunge feeding in nearby Verney Pass. This late departure indicated she may be pregnant, and was thus foraging for as long as possible before facing the long migration back to the calving grounds in the tropics. Yes, she arrived in 2012 with a new calf, then again in 2015!
OTTER - CSY0121
Otter is a newer addition to our seasonally resident population and was first sighted near a large bubble net feeding group in Otter Channel in 2020. Though maintaining close proximity, Otter was not accepted into this feeding group. At the time of Otter’s first sighting we noticed that the exhale of breath had a strong propane like smell, indicating to us that this whale may have still been burning fat late into the season. We were concerned for the health of this whale and did not expect it to survive the imminent migration to the tropics. To our absolute surprise and delight, Otter arrived again in 2021 proving to be a true survivor. Since then Otter has also been accepted into bubble net feeding groups and has been seen alive and well again in 2022.
Ox - CSX0006
Ox was given this name, not only because the tips of his tail reminded us all of an ox, but due to his robust and curious behaviour. We received reports from a number of different boaters that a whale was constantly swimming beside their vessel, lying on his side, rolling, and just hanging around for great lengths of time. We were sent a video, in fact, which allowed us to identify the whale. It was not a surprise to see that it was Ox. We had our own memorable experience with this whale when he ‘spy hopped’ (meaning the head comes right out of the water) right beside our boat and engaged in direct eye contact with our dog, Neekas. After his dog encounter, Ox did a number of triumphant tail slaps.
Salmon - BCX1228
We first saw Salmon as a young whale that was often seen playing with groups of sea lions and humpback whale calves. We are not certain but speculate that such curiosity towards younger whales indicates that Salmon is female. Time will tell all. The name Salmon was given because the large nick on the right trailing edge of the fluke at first glance resembled a Tsimshian First Nations drawing of a salmon. As the years have gone on we have watched Salmon grow and have now documented her presence for over 15 years in Northern BC.
selma - csz0001
Selma is a humpback whale that has shown great spirit and enthusiasm. She has made many attempts to forage with a large, well known, bubble net feeding group and we are quite certain that this group of adults actually gave her a lesson when she was young. Soon after associating with this feeding group, Selma left and tried the bubble netting technique on her own. In 2018 we came to the realization that she is a second-generation seasonally resident humpback whale to Gitga’at Territory and is Triangle’s daughter born in 2005. In recent years Selma has been accepted into many bubble net feeding groups including large groups with some of the whales that we believe taught her this feeding strategy.
Sling - BCX1224
Sling is often seen in the company of young juveniles or with mother and calf pairs. The most common behaviour this whale displays is playfulness; either rolling in kelp or producing a wide variety of tail slaps in the presence of sea lions. Before Sling arrived to our research area with her first calf in 2015 and her sex was still unknown, we had our suspicions that she was female due to her curiosity and attentiveness to young calves. Sling is easy to identify due to the large divot in the right fluke, which was most likely caused by becoming entangled in ropes or fishing gear. Sling is a true resident, often seen throughout the entire season from spring until late fall. Recently, she has been spending more and more time feeding along the central coast of BC near Klemtu.
Triangle - BCZ0053
Triangle is a longstanding resident humpback whale to Gitga’at Territory and is also one of the most commonly seen mothers in this area. The three dots on her fluke form her namesake. She is also one of the easiest whales to photograph. When she flukes, her entire tail and tailstock are positioned straight up, as if reaching for the sky. It is as though she is holding it there for our cameras! Triangle was seen with a calf in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2014. All calves had a very white fluke similar to hers. In 2018 we realized that Triangles calf from 2005 is actually Selma! Confirming her as a second-generation seasonally resident whale to this area.
teeth - BCY0474
Teeth is definitely an intriguing resident whale! She is usually seen on her own or in very small groups traveling close to the shore and rolling in the abundance of kelp beds along the way. She can be easily recognized by the teeth marks that appear across her left fluke. Most likely when she was a young calf a group of transient orca tried to attack but her mother was there to protect her. These teeth marks will be with her for life but they certainly have not slowed her down. Indeed, they are a sign of her true strength to survive. She arrived in 2014 with her first calf, and has been seen as recently as 2022!