Want to follow a specific humpback whale’s journey? This quick guide shows you how to use PWF IDs on Happywhale.com to find and follow individual whale profiles. Happywhale brings together data from PWF and other research groups to show where each whale has been spotted over time. New sightings are added regularly-check back for the latest updates!
How to Search for Humpback Whale Tracking on Happywhale
1. Access the Happywhale website by visiting: https://happywhale.com
2. Click on the magnifying glass icon at the top of the homepage.
3. Enter the PWF Whale ID into the search bar.
- For North Pacific (NP) whales: Use the format PWF-NP_####(4 digit ID#)
- For South Pacific (SP) whales: Use the format PWF-SP_####(4 digit ID#)
Example: To search for the whale “Anona” with PWF ID #0002, type: PWF-NP_0002
If a whale doesn’t appear in the search, check for correct formatting―underscores and capital letters matter.
4. Once you enter the ID, you’ll be taken to that whale’s profile page.
- On the right side, a map of all known sightings and encounters for the whale will appear. You can click each encounter dot to view more details.
- On the left panel, you’ll see:
- Happywhale ID (assigned by the system)
- Also Known As section: Includes any alternate names or IDs submitted by other research groups.
- Sighting Information: Dates, locations, and observers.
- Photographs from various encounters.
5. New sightings may be added over time-revisit the profile to stay up to date!
