07/31/2026
Did you see baby Goose on your tour this year?? If you did, maybe you saw that she’s COVERED in barnacles! It’s one of her most defining features.
🐋
🐋
🐋
Coronula diadema, or whale barnacles, are a common hitchhiker on our local Juneau whales. While the barnacles themselves are pretty small and only about 2-6 inches wide, some whales can have up to 300 lbs of barnacle growth on them! However, this weight is fairly insignificant to our gentle giants and the barnacles don’t hurt the humpback whales. They’re simply catching a small share of the plankton-rich water flowing past as the whale feeds.
🐋
🐋
🐋
Scientists are still studying the benefits of barnacles to the whales, as right now the relationship is considered commensalism. This means that one species benefits and the other species has neutral conditions. Researchers are looking into their further, as many believe that barnacles may be a form of protection or even weaponry for the humpback whales! Barnacles may make it difficult for Orcas to attack and may give the whales free “brass knuckles” if they need to fight.
🐋
🐋
🐋
Next time you spot a humpback whale covered in these tiny travelers, remember you’re looking at THOUSANDS of little crustaceans that are hitching a ride on one of the longest migrations on earth! 🌎🐋
