What species is Mister Splashy Pants, named by Reddit users?

Mister Splashy Pants is a humpback whale.

The whale, also known as Mr. Splashypants, was tracked by Greenpeace in the South Pacific as part of a campaign concerning threatened whales and Japanese whaling plans. Its species is the humpback whale, scientifically known as Megaptera novaeangliae, rather than the similarly familiar gray, orca or blue whale.

The unusual name came from a public online naming poll in 2007. Greenpeace had offered a list of possible names, but internet users—especially Reddit communities—organized around “Mister Splashy Pants.” The name rapidly became the leading choice and attracted attention far beyond the conservation campaign.

Greenpeace eventually accepted the result and used the winning name in its publicity. The campaign became an early example of internet communities influencing a mainstream organization’s public message. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian later discussed the episode in a TED Talk about social media and losing control of a message.

The whale’s nickname is playful, but the underlying animal is a real humpback being monitored in the Southern Ocean and South Pacific.