WHALE CONSERVATION

Dr. Iain Kerr and his Ocean Alliance team are using drones equipped with specialized cameras and tools to monitor the health of whales more closely than ever before. You may have heard of his team’s “SnotBot,” a drone that samples “exhaled breath condensate” from whale blows as they surface to breathe. These samples are a powerful tool to determine whale health, and the whales do not even seem to be aware of the drones. Dr. Kerr says, “Clearly the drones are getting better and better as are the variety of sensors. Much of the technology we are using is the same, but we now better understand the capacity, limitations, and best use. It’s an exciting time to be in the field of wildlife conservation; these drones are opening doors that we could not have imaged just five years ago.

“We are constantly updating gear and protocols, are now 3D printing more of the adaptors we need to attach new sensors. We are also now doing some fixed wing drone work.”

For more information, visit whale.org.