Quiet Ocean · Plate 28 of 45
Humpback fluke color reference
Megaptera novaeangliae
Humpback whales lift their tail, or fluke, out of the water before a deep dive. The black and white pattern on the underside of each fluke is unique, and researchers use photographs of it to recognize individual whales. Humpbacks travel thousands of miles between feeding and breeding waters.
Colors to reach for
Use black and deep slate for the fluke, white for the patches on the underside, and pale gray for barnacles along the edge.
- black
- slate
- white
- silver
- navy blue
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