Whales & Drones
Humpback whales, Western Pacific (credit: Wayne Osborn, The Whale Diaries)
Marine mammals including orcas, dolphins, and whales are hard to follow with boats. To avoid disrupting their feeding, breaching, and other social activities, remotely controlled drones provide a good alternative for tracking and monitoring these giant creatures. A drone equipped with high-powered camera gear can observe whale behaviors without any disturbance to the animals.
When humpback pods were observed fishing by a research vessel in Prince William Sound, Alaska, drones were effective monitors of the whale's hunting strategies. The research crew utilized an aerial drone to watch the animals cooperate and build bubble nets to corral fish. Among humpbacks, this behavior appears unique to Alaska and is taught by elders in the pods to immature whales. If the mammals even noticed the drone, they probably saw it as some strange bird and continued with their fishing activities. The drone observed the feeding behavior but could not hear underwater to listen in on the group harmonies that humpbacks are so famous for creating. WHB
Humpback whales feeding in Alaska (credit: Outer Shores Expeditions)