Southern right whales have bumpy ‘fingerprints’ on their heads

How do you tell the difference between two individual southern right whales (Eubalaena australis)? Just like humans have unique fingerprints, these large baleen whales have identifying arrangements of callosities on their heads. These bumpy, raised patches of thick skin are similar to the calluses on our feet, and are also likely caused by friction. These head bumps feature plays an important role within a Southern Right Whale Research Program project in which researchers take aerial photog