Dal Scientists Track Elusive Right Whale: Mission to Save a Giant

In a delicate dance of precision and patience, researchers from Dalhousie University have embarked on a critical mission to track North Atlantic right whales, one of the ocean’s most endangered species. The scientists set sail earlier this week to the Shediac Valley, a known foraging ground for these massive creatures in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Their goal? To deploy tags on the whales, capturing data on their sounds, movements, and locations. Using drones that drop tags with suction cups onto the whales’ backs, the team works with careful coordination to attach the devices as the whales surface in the vast ocean.

Dr. Sarah Fortune, an assistant professor at Dalhousie, leads the two-week mission alongside Dr. Kimberley Davies from the University of New Brunswick. The team includes spotters, a drone pilot, and crew members responsible for releasing and catching the drone. Through Bluetooth headsets and constant communication, they work as a well-oiled machine to ensure precise tag attachment.

This is the team’s second year using drones to tag whales, and their expertise is now showcased in a full episode of The Wild Ones, a documentary series on Apple TV+ focusing on endangered animals. Previously, the team used lengthy carbon fiber poles to apply tags—a process that pales in comparison to the efficient and challenging drone method.

With only around 372 North Atlantic right whales remaining, the researchers’ work is crucial for understanding their behavior and ensuring their protection. By collecting detailed data on feeding habits, prey sources, and underwater movements, the team hopes to inform management decisions to reduce risks to these magnificent creatures. Through their efforts, they aim to save these giants from the brink of extinction caused by human activities like ship strikes and entanglements in fishing gear.