IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL SPERM WHALES BY WAVELET TRANSFORM OF THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE FLUKES

Since it has been shown that some species of cetaceans could be identified individually by their markings, photoidentification of individuals has been of increasing importance, not only for life-history research, but also in markrecapture models for stock size estimation. quisition and morphometric description. Recent developments in computer technology and mathematics suggest the possibility of new approaches to photoidentification. In particular, Wavelet Transform, a powerful tool for digital image processing which, among others, has been applied to the storage and retrieval of fingerprints (Strang and Truong 1996), may prove useful as a method for the efficient storage and identification of patterns. Andenes Whale Centre in Norway sent us 56 photographs of sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) flukes, representing 8 individuals. Using commercial image processing software, we extracted the information on the trailing edge from the background of the picture.