Our Partnership
We’re proud to announce that Waterproof Expeditions is deepening its collaboration with the non-profit organisation Happy Whale, through their Whale ID programme. By contributing photos and data, we aim to further connect our guests with the natural world. The ability to learn the story behind the whales you see on the water makes every sighting more personal—and more powerful.
Understanding animal movement is vital for conservation. For humpbacks, photo-identification has proven to be an effective, non-invasive tool. By identifying individual whales over time, scientists can track migration patterns, study habitats, monitor population health, and uncover life histories, all through the power of photography.
Supporting Happy Whale
Happy Whale is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting healthy oceans by creating high quality conservation science and education. Through citizen science collaboration, Happy Whale aims to make it easy and rewarding for the public to participate in science.
We have been contributing images from our guests and guides for multiple years, resulting in many whale identifications. Find out which whales we have encountered during our expeditions!
Our Happy Whale Encounters
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Guest Engagement
We are always happy to have guests onboard who enjoy the scenery and adventure; but we are even more happy when our expeditions can further ignite a sense of passion and duty to the natural world. With Waterproof Expeditions as a supporter of Happy Whale’s WhaleID programme, we can aim to have quicker photographic matches while still being onboard.
Curious Travellers
Many of the intriguing questions that arise while watching these majestic creatures, such as: where do they do when they aren’t in Norway, how long are the whales here for, how long does it take them to travel to the tropics, can be answered through citizen science research. These types of great questions, our knowledgable expedition team can provide insight thanks to organisations like Happy Whale. This project inspires and engages travelleres on their whale watch voyages with more accessible, meaningful and personal wildlife experiences.
As we said before, we believe travel isn’t just about ticking off destinations. It’s about making meaningful connections, sharing unforgettable experiences, and diving deeper—both literally and figuratively—into the wonders of our planet.
The Science Behind It
Using photo-identification to study marine mammals is crucial to having more effective and efficient conservation actions.
Photo-idetification helps us understand species’:
- Migration Patterns: Knowledge about where the whales are travelling to once they depart from Norway.
- Movements: What sort of paths do the whales prefer during their impressive 900 kilometer one way migration?
- Habitat Use: Do the whales prefer more shallow or deep feeding grounds? Do they prefer to be further into the fjord or spend their type at the mouth of the fjord system?
- Individual Survival: In very well studied populations, many individual whales are known by a number, a name, or both. With just a few pictures we can learn more about population growth or decline, with stronger knowledge of each individual whale.