Photo ID Catalogue
A better understanding of the animals we observe not only helps us protect them, but also deepens our awareness of the environment they share with other species — including ourselves, Homo sapiens, who are equally part of this ecosystem.
This philosophy, combined with growing requests for collaboration in photo-identification research, inspired the creation of our photographic databank.
The goal is not to build a new catalogue, but to offer an open, collaborative tool accessible to everyone — curious visitors, whale watchers, students, and researchers — where images can be uploaded, shared, and cross-referenced with existing identification catalogues.
The primary reference for this work remains the pioneering catalogue created in 1987 in the Azores by IFAW, Dr. Jonathan Gordon, and Dr. Lisa Steiner, whose contributions continue to guide photo-identification efforts across the Atlantic.
