Scarlet

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Scarlet, known mostly from the Santa Barbara Channel, is not the same "scarlet" from Newport Beach that died a few years ago.

Scarlet was first seen on board the Condor Express in July, 2013, and continues to be a regular, annual visitor to the Channel. She is extremely friendly and often "mugs" the boat.

Scarlet is known by her 2 calves to be a female.

She is called Scarlet due to her large, deep and very unique propeller scars which have at least 2 nearly bowling ball-sized "tumors" or spherical masses of tissue, associated with the prop scars. These are on her dorsal surface posterior to the blowholes and splashguard.

I'll continue to update this gallery as I take more photos.

Scarlet is Happy Whale CRC-12451, first identified by Cascadia Research Collective in 2010...in the Santa Barbara Channel.

Image 2 of 2 in a row: Scarlet the humpback whale heads directly for the camera. The propeller scar behind her blowholes is clearly visible.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet 2014 Channel 009
From 2014 12-26 SB Channel
"Scarlet," the humpback whale with a prominent propeller scar on her back
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet prop scar 2014 Channel 005
From 2014 09-30 SB Channel
Diagnostic feature of "Scarlet," a propeller scar with globular lobes of tissue.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet prop scar close 2014 Channel 006
From 2014 10-17 SB Channel
Humpback mother & calf. Mom is Scarlet (foreground) and Shorty is the calf (back).
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet Shorty 2014 Channel 014
From 2014 10-17 SB Channel
Image 1 of 2 in a row: Scarlet the humpback whale heads directly for the camera. The propeller scar behind her blowholes is clearly visible.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet 2014 Channel 007
From 2014 12-26 SB Channel
Humpback whale tail flukes.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet tail fluke 2014 Channel 028
From 2014 12-26 SB Channel
Various seabirds (gulls and black vented shearwaters) circle around the mighty spout blast of a humpback whale.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet 2014 Channel 023
From 2014 12-26 SB Channel
Surface lunge feeding with baleen showing...a humpback whale.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet surface lunge feed baleen 2014 Channel 040
From 2014 12-26 SB Channel
Image 1 of 2 in a row: Gulls and shearwaters encircle a humpback whale blast.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet spout Larus 2014 Channel 047
From 2014 12-26 SB Channel
Image 2 of 2 in a row: Gulls and shearwaters encircle a humpback whale blast.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet spout Larus 2014 Channel 048
From 2014 12-26 SB Channel
Posterior view of Scarlet and her scar....with shearwaters.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet scars across back 2014 Channel 079
From 2014 12-26 SB Channel
Lateral view of Scarlet's scar.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet SCAR 2014 Channel 090
From 2014 12-26 SB Channel
Cetaceans of all sizes riding an open ocean swell: Long-beaked common dolphins and a humpback whale.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet Delphinus 2014 Channel 096
From 2014 12-26 SB Channel
Smoke on the ocean: A humpback whale spout is captured with back lighting.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet 2014 Channel 139
From 2014 12-26 SB Channel
"Scarlet," the humpback whale.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet close 2014 Channel 024
From 2014 12-29 SB Channel
The humpback whale we nicknamed "Scarlet" Her propeller scar is seen just behind her blowholes. Black-vented shearwaters share the photograph.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2014 Channel 022
From 2014 12-29 SB Channel
Seabirds including a brown pelican, lots of black-vented shearwaters and some gulls all share a "hot spot" of anchovies with a humpback whale.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2014 Channel 038
From 2014 12-29 SB Channel
The Santa Ynez mountains and city of Santa Barbara are seen in the background behind Scarlet the humpback whale.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet Coast back 2014 Channel 008
From 2014 12-29 SB Channel
Humpback tail flukes.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2014 Channel 037
From 2014 12-29 SB Channel
Wisps of smoke: sunlight catches the spout of a humpback whale.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2014 Channel 003
From 2014 12-29 SB Channel
A humpback whale emits a stream of bubbles as it slowly drifts beneath the boat
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet mugs boat 2015 Channel 021
From 2015 01-03 SB Channel
A humpback whale has rolled on to its left side and exposed the barnacle scars on its chin as it pays a friendly underwater visit to the boat.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet mugs boat 2015 Channel 034
From 2015 01-03 SB Channel
Humpback whale with the Santa Barbara coastline in back.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet mugs boat 2015 Channel 053
From 2015 01-03 SB Channel
Scarlet the humpback whale hung around a few feet below the surface and under the boat in clear water. Among other body features you can see the propeller scar from whence she gets her nickname.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet under Condor Express 2015 Channel 193
From 2015 01-03 SB Channel
Scarlet, the humpback whale, hangs nearly motionless off the bow of the boat
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet mugs boat 2015 Channel 086
From 2015 01-03 SB Channel
Scarlet the humpback whale rises to the surface of the blue water to spout
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet mugs boat 2015 Channel 091
From 2015 01-03 SB Channel
"Scarlet" the humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2015 Coast 038
From 2015 03-25 SB Coast
A close look at the propeller scar on the back of Scarlet, the humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2015 Coast 066
From 2015 03-25 SB Coast
Side view of the humpback whale we call Scarlet
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2015 Coast 085
From 2015 03-25 SB Coast
A humpback tail flukes waterfall
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2015 Coast 091
From 2015 03-25 SB Coast
"Scarlet" - one of our regularly seen humpback whales.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2015 Coast 043
From 2015 03-31 SB Coast
The propeller scars and bulbous masses from whence "Scarlet" got her name
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet CLOSE 2015 Channel 141
From 2015 05-22 SB Channel
The unique propeller scars and spherical masses of tissue that characterize our humpback friend "Scarlet."
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2015 Channel 004
From 2015 06-03 SB Channel
Scarlet shows her scars. Note the globular masses and propeller scars behind her blowhole.
Megaptera novaeangliae scarlet 2016 Channel 236
From 2016 04-05 SB Channel
Scarlet
Megaptera novaeangliae TWO Scarlet 2016 Channel 006
From 2016 04-05 SB Channel
Scarlet shows her scars. Note the globular masses behind her blowhole in this head-first image.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2016 Channel 015
From 2016 04-05 SB Channel
Globular masses behind the head and blowholes of this humpback whale, caused by a propeller and ship-strike, identify her as our friend "Scarlet."
Megaptera novaeangliae TWO Scarlet 2016 Channel 016
From 2016 04-05 SB Channel
Scarlet and friend
Megaptera novaeangliae TWO Scarlet 2016 Channel 018
From 2016 04-05 SB Channel
A close look at the propeller scars and globular masses that gave Scarlet her name.
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet close 2016 Channel 006
From 2016 04-05 SB Channel
Megaptera novaeangliae Scarlet 2016 Channel 006
Megaptera novaeangliae SCARLET 2017 Coast 018
From 2017 05-03 SB Coast
Megaptera novaeangliae TWO scarlet 2017 Coast 027
From 2017 05-03 SB Coast
Scarlet and her friend (possibly her rapidly growing calf?). BTW you can see part of Scarlet's scar near the waterline.
Megaptera novaeangliae SCARLET and friend 2018 Channel 082
From 2018 11-08 SB Channel
Scarlet with back-lighting (thanks, Dave!)...her scars and nodules are visible.
Megaptera novaeangliae SCARLET 2018 Channel 096
From 2018 11-08 SB Channel
Scarlet and her companion.
Megaptera novaeangliae TWO SCARLET 2018 Channel 104
From 2018 11-08 SB Channel
Scarlet passes by the bow for great looks by her fans
Megaptera novaeangliae SCARLET passengers 2018 Channel 003
From 2018 11-08 SB Channel
Scarlet.
Megaptera novaeangliae SCARLET 2019 Channel 044
From 2019 06-20 SB Channel
Image 1 of 4: The huge spout of Scarlet, a friendly humpback whale, who was aimed directly at the boat and surfaced.
Megaptera novaeangliae SCARLET spout bow wave CLOSE 2019 Channel 056
From 2019 06-20 SB Channel

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Scarlet