Adopt Salt the Humpback Whale - She is loving
Salt is widely regarded as the most famous and most beloved whale in the world. She is one of a few verified Great Grand Mothers.
She is the most frequently sighted because of her unmistakable white, heavily scarred dorsal fin, which can be recognized from far away. She is the most beloved because she has at least 34 known descendants, including 16 calves. From their earliest months, Salt brings these calves right up to boats—often within a few feet—allowing the curious youngsters to investigate every side and even swim underneath.
“Five of Salt’s calves—Bittern, Salsa, Tabasco, Mostaza, and Wasabi—are particularly bold explorers. These five frequently approach boats for close-up encounters, a behavior that forms one of the highlights of Salt’s official 32-minute documentary. The film offers an intimate portrait of Salt’s relationship with her calves while showcasing many of her characteristic behaviors, including feeding, breaching, flipper-slapping, and lobtailing.”
Salt's Fluke © Carole Carlson
Salt's Dorsal Fin Left Side © The Whale Video Company
Salt Breaching © The Whale Video Company
Salt's Dorsal Fin Left Side (A scene from Salt's adoption video)
Salt Breaching (A scene from Salt's adoption video)
Salt Facts
How Salt was named
In 1975, a distinctive humpback whale with a strikingly white dorsal fin was first documented in the waters off Massachusetts. The whale was named “Salt” by Captain Aaron Avellar, a pioneering whale watch captain.
The origin of the name comes from a memorable moment on one of his early whale watch trips. While observing two frequently seen humpbacks, Captain Avellar pointed out to researchers on board that he had encountered this pair many times before. One had a brilliant white dorsal fin, the other a dark one. With a grin, he dubbed them “Salt” and “Pepper”. The white-finned whale became known as Salt, and her darker companion as Pepper. Both were later learned to be females.
This simple, evocative naming marked the beginning of individual humpback whale identification in the Gulf of Maine, helping launch decades of important research. Salt went on to become one of the most famous and frequently seen humpbacks in the world, still returning to Stellwagen Bank feeding grounds over 50 years later.
Salt’s Video Documentary
Salt – The Grande Dame of Stellwagen Bank
Salt is one of the most iconic and best-documented humpback whales in the North Atlantic. Although her exact birth year remains unknown (she was already a large and sexually mature when first photographed in 1975 and has never been seen as a calf), researchers estimate she is at least 55–60 years old, making her one of the oldest known humpbacks under continuous study.
For more than five decades, Salt has shown a remarkable fidelity to Stellwagen Bank, returning almost every summer and fall to feed and, on several occasions, to bring her calves. Her extraordinary site loyalty and frequent appearances have earned her the affectionate title “The Grande Dame of Stellwagen Bank.”
A captivating 32-minute documentary chronicles Salt’s life and beautifully illustrates why the title fits her so perfectly. Throughout the film she displays the full repertoire of mature humpback behavior with effortless grace:
Deep, prolonged dives
Kick-feeding (creating bubble nets with powerful tail kicks)
Spectacular open-mouth lunge feeding at the surface
– Flipper slapping
– Lobtailing
– Curious and confident approaches to boats
– Powerful, acrobatic breaching
Through decades of sightings, multiple calves, and countless breathtaking encounters, Salt has become a living legend of the Gulf of Maine and a symbol of the resilience and beauty of her species.
Salt’s Family Tree
Salt’s birth year and mother are unknown,
Salt Calves and year born
Crystal 1980
Halos 1983
Thalassa 1985
Brine 1987
Bittern 1989
Salsa 1991
Tabasco 1998
Mostaza 2000
Wasabi 2003
Soya 2006
Sanchal 2008
Zelle 2010
Epson 2014
Sriracha 2016
Saline 2019
Miso 2022
Thalassa gave birth to 10 calves (Salt’s Grandcalves)
Mostaza gave birth to 4 calves (Salt’s Grandcalves
Sanchal gave birth to one calf (Salt’s Grandcalf)
Etch-A-Sketch gave birth to three calves (Salt’s Great-Grand calves)
Salt’s Long Term Friend
Humpback whale relationships are very short term lasting a few hours or a few days.
The longest relationship is between a mother and calf and when the calf reaches 9 or 10 months of age it is no longer nursing and the mother goes her separate way.
In the early days, Salt was frequently seen with Pepper for a few weeks at a time.
Baffling researchers in the 2003 feeding season. Salt was sighted for months feeding with another well known female named Cardhu.