Drones Give Scientists New Insights into Gray Whales

Research, led by Oregon State University scientists have revealed newly documented behaviours resulting from the use of small “unmanned aerial systems,” or drones, that allow researchers to observe the whales from above with minimal disturbance.

Marine Mammal InstituteHatfield Marine Science Institute

The researchers compiled and tabulated all the different behaviours they observed from the drone video. A highlight video of the five “coolest gray whale behaviors” can also be viewed at: https://bit.ly/2wNPXFt.

Torres said the drones improve researchers’ ability to observe whale behavior significantly over boat-based observations because of the vertical angle looking through the water column and their ability to track them for longer periods of time – especially in clear water. In their study, they studied gray whale behavior at 53 sightings over a six-month period from both a boat and a drone, and the drones provided three times as much “observational capacity.”

Torres

Now, about those findings. The drone footage also suggests to researchers that gray whales are more social on their feeding grounds than they previously believed.

“As the whales moved around their feeding grounds they would coordinate behaviors, including feeding efforts, and intentionally touch one another and bump up against other whales. They even appeared to practice copulation.”

The Torres-led research team is in its third year of studying whales using drones, and with every research expedition, they learn more and more about these hard-to-study marine mammals.

“We’ve been focusing primarily on gray and blue whales, but you could apply the technology to almost any marine megafauna, including sharks, turtles, dolphins and other whales,” Torres said. “Most large marine animals move quickly and they are unpredictable. But with a drone, you can see down into the water column if it is clear enough and really get an insight into how they live their lives.”

Source: KTVZ