Blog
March 29, 2021
Environmental Society of Oman Workshop | November 29, 2022
Check out this Facebook post from the Environmental Society of Oman
Upcoming Fieldwork | November 11, 2022
Starting November 11, Pacific Whale Foundation researchers are partnering with Marine Mammal Research Program, University of Hawai'i to conduct a dedicated field effort off the island of Lana'i. Using our research vessel, Ocean Protector, the team will survey the waters off of and behind Lana'i for 10 days, searching for whales and dolphins. Our priority for this project is locating false killer whales and deploying suction-cup tags on them to learn how they use the waters of Maui Nui, but we will also collect photo-ID, acoustic recordings and more. Please join us in sending them good luck and calm seas.
Watch PWF in the latest PBS Changing Seas episode!
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Do you want to learn how the body size and overall health of humpback whales change across their migratory cycle? 
Tune in for the latest CHANGING SEAS episode where Pacific Whale Foundation and other collaborative researchers work to study these humpback health patterns! Learn more at today’s livestream beginning at 8:30pm EST. Click here to attend the event and chat with researchers!
.jpg)
Making Waves: Ship Strikes Part 3
Monday, December 20, 2021
In the Making Waves article series, we covered the five major threats facing the ocean's cetaceans today: ocean pollution, tourism pressure, fisheries interactions, climate change, and vessel traffic. We conclude the series by highlighting PWF's work in mitigating the stressor caused by ship strikes. Read the full series here: #Making Waves
PWF CONSERVATION TRIP TO KAHOʻOLAWE
Friday, December 10, 2021
Recently, PWF’s Conservation team was invited to join Kapa Sungear in their service trip to Kaho’olawe with the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC). The island is currently being held in trust by the KIRC for a future Native Hawaiian sovereign entity, and the group performs a variety of conservation and restoration projects to restore the lands and subsequent marine ecosystem. Click here to read the full blog. #Conservation Trip to Kaho'olawe
Did You Know?
Friday, December 3, 2021
#didyouknow that spotted dolphins gain more spots as they age? Calves are born without spots, and as they grow up, develop dark spots on their lighter colored bellies, and lighter spots on their darker colored backs. Learn more about the dolphins we research in Maui here.
Mahalo for All Donations to our Australian Humpback Whale Catalog 2021!
Thursday, November 25, 2021
We want to give a big shout out to everyone who donated photos to our Australian humpback whale photo catalogue in 2021. By donating your photos, you’re directly contributing to research that aims to help understand and conserve our wonderful Hervey Bay whales. Check out our website for more information about how your donation helps and for some handy tips for taking the best shots while on the water https://www.pacificwhale.org/research/community-science/photo-donations/
We really appreciate the effort you made this year and as a thank you, have made a word cloud below with all the names of people who donated and a short reel of the photos. The more fluke photos you donated, the larger your name is!
What is Photo-ID and How Do We Use It?
Thursday, November 25, 2021
If you are a regular reader of our posts, you will know that we take lots of photographs of whales and dolphins to identify individuals. This is generally referred to as ‘photo-ID’ and is a huge part of our work. But what exactly is photo-ID and what can it tell us about the animals?
Photo-ID is a method of using natural markings on an animal to identify individuals. In the case of the humpback whales, this is most easily done by photographing the tail flukes of the animal and using natural markings and scars to tell one individual from another. With many dolphin species, we use the scars and marks on their dorsal fins to do the same. These photos can then be used to track the movements of individuals and estimate the size of a specific population using a process called mark-recapture analysis. Research activities conducted under NMFS research permit #21321.
.JPG)
.JPG)
Mahalo Nui Loa from Us to You!
Thursday, November 25, 2021
Rethink Balloons! Impacts of Plastics at Sea
Thursday, November 25, 2021
During our research surveys we make every effort to pick up any floating plastic we come across while at sea. It’s usually the bigger items that catch our eye and we regularly pick up plastic bottles, bags and food containers. While these are functional items, importantly they have reusable alternatives which we encourage people to use. However, there’s one item that we regularly find floating at sea that really should become a thing of the past – balloons!
Balloons serve no real purpose other than our own entertainment. At sea, they can be ingested by animals such as turtles or entangle birds if they have string or ribbons attached. If left floating, they will gradually break down into microplastics which can be ingested by zooplankton and make their way into the food web. Studies have found microplastics in more than 25% of fish and shellfish tested in US, European and Asian fish markets destined for our plates. It’s definitely time to rethink using balloons for celebrations!
Two Dolphin Species You Can See Year-Round in Hervey Bay!
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Although Hervey Bay is most famous for its humpback whales, there are lots of other cetacean species that are regularly encountered. Here, we introduce two dolphin species that can be found in Hervey Bay year-round.
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins are found throughout Hervey Bay and most people who have spent time on the water will likely have encountered them at some point. They are often quite active at the surface and will sometime approach boats. Australian humpback dolphins are also found in Hervey Bay but are often less likely to approach a boat and many people don’t even realize that they are found in the bay. We collect photographs of both species to identify individuals and this year we started to collect drone images of the bottlenose dolphins to assess their body condition.
While it is always a joy to encounter dolphins on the water, it is important to remember that they can be negatively impacted by our activity. In Queensland, you are not permitted to approach dolphins closer than 50m and between 50-150m of a dolphin is considered a ‘caution zone’ where you must keep your speed and gear changes to a minimum.
Research activities conducted under permits from the Queensland government and the UAS pilot holds a remote pilot license.
Friendly Reminder: Go Slow When You See a Blow
Thursday, November 4, 2021
As sightings of humpback whales increase in Hawaii, we want to give all ocean users a friendly reminder to go slow when you see a blow. Our previous research found that federal guidelines alone are not sufficient to reduce potential impacts to whale behavior. Let's work together to keep humpbacks safe in Hawaii this season!
Check Out our UH Collaborators and Their Take on the 2021 Whale Season!
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
You're Invited to the Virtual 2021 Sanctuary Research Symposium!
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
The Hawaiian Islands Humpback National Marine Sanctuary (HIHWNMS) invites you to participate in the 2021 Sanctuary Research Symposium. Register at the link below to attend! This symposium aims to introduce the public to some of the cutting-edge humpback whale science and conservation work being conducted in sanctuary waters by NOAA staff and by partners in academia and the non-profit research community. This year’s participants are recipients of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s research mini-grants and include: The Hawai'i Marine Mammal Consortium, the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, the University of Hawai'i at Hilo and Whale Trust. Please join us to learn more about some of the exciting research being conducted in HIHWNMS! Current agenda can be found in the details on the registration page.
Pacific Whale Foundation is a partner on two of the projects being presented:
Thursday Nov 4, 9:50 - 10:20 am HST – Martin Van Aswegen (UH Marine Mammal Research Program) – "Using Aerial photogrammetry to quantify humpback whale body condition across their Hawaiian breeding and Southeast Alaskan feeding grounds"
Friday Nov 5, 9:50 - 10:20 am HST – Dr. Adam Pack (UH Hilo) – “Are the pressures of humpback whale motherhood in Hawaiian waters reflected in stress-related steroid hormone concentrations?”
Fraser's Dolphins, a New Species Sighted in Maui Nui!
Friday, October 29, 2021
It’s a rare and exciting opportunity when the research team sights a new species in the field! Until now, we have maintained photo-ID catalogs for 8 different dolphin species observed throughout Maui Nui since the 1990s. But, in our most recent field effort with collaborators from the Marine Mammal Research Program at the University of Hawaii and the Goldbogen Lab at Hopkins Marine Station at Stanford University, we encountered Fraser’s dolphins for the first time in PWF's history. Although there is a resident Hawaii population, Fraser’s dolphins live in deep waters and have rarely been documented around the main Hawaiian Islands. This makes our encounter with them even more valuable toward advancing our knowledge and understanding of this elusive marine mammal.
Research conducted under NMFS Research Permits #21321 and #21476.
Photo: Frasers_dolphin_20211005
Whale Tape Craft Corner
Thursday, October 28, 2021
Audio owned and credited to Bensound.com
Whale Season in Hervey Bay Comes to a Close
Friday, October 22, 2021
This week, our research team in Hervey Bay, Australia said goodbye to the humpback whales as another whale season came to an end. Most of the whales have moved south as they continue their epic migration back to Antarctic waters. There may still be some late stragglers passing through the bay over the coming weeks, but numbers will likely be low. We had a good season this year, with lots of whale encounters and collected important data. It was great to start our new research looking at the health condition of the whales using drone photogrammetry. While it’s sad to see the whales go for another year, the numbers reported this year, particularly of mother and calf pairs, means we’re eagerly looking forward to next year’s field season already!
Research activities conducted under permits from the Queensland government and the UAS pilot holds a remote pilot license.
Trichodesmium or 'Sea Dust' Bloom in Hervey Bay
Friday, October 22, 2021
Trichodesmium (sometimes called ‘sea dust’) is a cyanobacteria that blooms in tropical and subtropical waters. In Hervey Bay, Australia, it commonly occurs between September and December when temperatures start to rise. Trichodesmium plays an important role in the marine ecosystem as it fixes atmospheric nitrogen which is essential for other organisms and can otherwise be unavailable to them. The cells can group together forming huge aggregations or ‘blooms’, and these can sometimes be so large that they are visible from space. Our research team used the drone to take some photos of the extent of the bloom in Hervey Bay this week which was visible for miles around!
There is some conflicting evidence as to what effects of climate change and an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide will have on Trichodesmium. Some scientists have suggested that it will increase its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, while others have suggested a decrease is more likely. With ongoing research we will likely get a clearer picture in the future. Regardless of what the effects are, it is becoming increasingly apparent that ecosystems rarely benefit from the effects of climate change and rising carbon dioxide levels.
Research activities conducted under permits from the Queensland government. The UAS pilot holds a CASA remote pilot license.
Successful Field Efforts off Lana'i
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
.jpg)
.JPG)
Pacific Whale Foundation researchers, along with our collaborators from the Marine Mammal Research Program at University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the Goldbogen Lab at Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University just completed a successful field effort off Lana’i. In seven days on the water, the team traveled over 500 miles and encountered eight different odontocete (toothed whale and dolphin) species including; false killer whales, short-finned pilot whales, pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, melon-headed whales, pygmy killer whales, rough toothed dolphins, and Fraser's dolphins! During this field project, the researchers collected multiple streams of data including photo-ID, aerial photogrammetry, acoustics recordings, CATs tag data, underwater photo and video to better understand these species and how they use Maui Nui.
Special thanks to PacWhale Eco-Adventures for their support during this field work by offering a limited "Marine Mammal Search" tour which aided our research team by helping us find odontocetes.
Research conducted under NMFS Research Permits #21321 and #21476. The UAS (drone) pilot holds FAA Part 107 authorization.
Voices of Maui nui
Monday, October 18, 2021
Read our discussion about this system with Maui native Scott Fisher, Director of ʻAina (land) Stewardship with Hawaiʻi Land Trust (formerly Hawaiian Islands Land Trust. MOKU-AHUPUAʻA WITH SCOTT FISHER | Pacific Whale Foundation
Collecting Drone Data in Hervey Bay
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Our research team in Australia collects drone data from humpback whales in Hervey Bay. The body condition of whales can be assessed using measurements taken from videos recorded above the whales at a known height. This allows us to build a picture of the health of the whales that are stopping off in Hervey Bay.
On small research vessels, like ours, the drone needs to be launched and retrieved in the air as there isn’t enough room on deck to land. This can be a tricky operation, but the team spent lots of time practicing on land before attempting it in the field.
With a growing number of people using drones and the amazing images we see online, it is important to remember that there are strict laws surrounding the use of drones around whales and dolphins. Drones are not allowed to be operated closer than 300m from any cetacean without special permission from the relevant government. Research activities conducted under permits from the Queensland government and the UAS pilot holds a remote pilot license.
Talk Story with Conservation featuring: Moku Roots!
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Shelby Serra and Co-Owner of Moku Roots, Alexa Caskey, talk climate change on this conservation webinar!New Adoption Program!
Sunday, October 3, 2021
.png)
We are thrilled to introduce our new and improved Adoption Program to you! Adopt a false killer whale, humpback whale or bottlenose dolphin through Pacific Whale Foundation and receive a fun adoption package to learn about your animal and showcase your commitment to helping protect them.
What inspired PWF to create a new Adoption Program?
While PWF’s Adoption Program has existed for many years, the program received its first redesign on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact in Hawaii and worldwide. In an effort to connect better with supporters around the globe, PWF team members wanted to create collateral containing high quality imagery and content (available in digital and printed versions) to better illustrate the animals chosen to be featured in the new adoption program. Additionally, the new program will offer better information on and access to activities conducted by the Research team through frequent emails and exclusive online events and webinars. By revamping the program this way, PWF hopes to better communicate with our global supporters in a more efficient and effective way to spread critical information about ocean conservation.
How did you select the animals up for adoption?
Animals were carefully selected by the PWF Research team based on a number of variables. While animals with more frequent and recent sightings were often selected, there were some animals chosen based off their uniqueness and/or popularity, such as Migaloo. Selected animals who did not already have a name were placed in our first ever Name a Whale Auction in June 2021. Stay tuned for another online auction from October 29-November 8, 2021 when a false killer whale and bottlenose dolphin will be up for auction again to join the new adoption program!
How are the proceeds from my adoption used?
Your recurring annual donation of $80 from the adoption program is used to fund the vital activities of PWF’s Research, Education and Conservation teams. These projects include ongoing whale and dolphin field research and publications that influence conservation decisions around the globe, coastal marine debris monitoring to better protect the ocean and its inhabitants from dangerous human-caused debris and learning opportunities for children to inspire future environmental stewards. To learn more about what we’re doing, visit www.pacificwhale.org.
What do I receive when I adopt an animal?
When you adopt an animal at PWF, you will receive a professional quality folder containing your animal’s story, sighting background, species information and a PWF research overview. Additionally, you will receive a hand-signed certificate of adoption with a personalized sticker with your animal’s name. If you choose to help us reduce our carbon footprint and receive these items digitally, you will receive everything via email except the sticker. With recurring annual donations of $80, you will continue to receive re-sighting information for all named animals in our photo-ID catalog and access to exclusive online events and webinars. Stay tuned for more information on future swag!
Dolphins from Different Perspectives
Monday, September 27, 2021
Our research team in Hawaii recently encountered a group of bottlenose dolphins. We collect dorsal fin images for identification, headshots for assessment of fisheries interactions, and drone images to measure the body length and width to assess overall health. Looking at dolphins from these various perspectives allows us to track the health of the population and identify potential stressors to this population to inform management strategies. If you would like to support this important work, consider becoming a PWF member and gain insider access to the various research programs at Pacific Whale Foundation.
Research activities conducted under NMFS Research Permit #21321 and the UAS pilot holds FAA Part 107 authorization.
New Publication!
Monday, September 20, 2021
First Whale Sighting Contest! Sept. 15- Sept. 30
Monday, September 20, 2021
Guess to WIN! Our favorite time of the year is almost here – whale watching season! Can you guess when the first humpback whale will be sighted in the waters of Maui Nui? If so, you could win a swag bag full of items from the PacWhale Ocean Store!
In celebration of the humpback whales’ upcoming return to Maui, we invite you to predict the date and time that you think the first humpback whale of the season will be spotted from ANY private or commercial vessel or coastline vantage point. Whoever gets closest to 2021’s first official recording of a humpback whale sighting in Maui Nui waters (verified by a time-stamped photo or otherwise confirmed by local news or media outlets) will receive the swag bag containing a tee shirt, re-usable water bottle and recycled tote bag.
The First Whale Sighting Contest is up on pacificwhale.org/events. Good luck!Craft Corner!
Friday, September 17, 2021
As we gear up for fall break Ocean Camp (Oct. 11-15), we can’t help but reflect on the incredible sessions we hosted just a few short weeks ago! Check out this anglerfish craft inspired by our summer break Ocean Camp theme "How Low Can You Go?”. Ocean Campers took the plunge to learn about the zones of the ocean and some of the uniquely amazing creatures we find within them. Follow along to create your own midnight zone dwelling creature!
Visit our website to learn more about future Ocean Camp opportunities! Don’t forget to create and share your own ocean inspired artwork with us using the hashtag #PWFCraftCorner. 🐳🌺
Humpback Whale Monitoring in Ecuador
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Research activities conducted under permits from Machalilla National Park
Hervey Bay Field Work
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Field work kicked off this week for our PWF Australia team in Hervey Bay. Conditions on the water were perfect and made for some great humpback whale encounters. The sheltered waters in Hervey Bay act as a resting point for moms and calfs on their migration route. This makes Hervey Bay an incredibly important area for humpback whales and our research focuses on long-term monitoring of the population. The research also aims to identify any potential threats facing the whales within the bay.
Research activities conducted under permits from the Queensland government.
Preparation for Field Season Underway
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
The research team in Hervey Bay have been busy getting ready for their field season which kicks off this week. ‘Saturn’, their research vessel, is in the water and raring to go! During the week, the team joined @PacificWhaleWatchAustralia on some whale watch cruises which certainly didn’t disappoint. Lots of mom and calf humpback whale pairs were spotted in the bay, which was great to see and bodes well for the upcoming field season.
Field Update from Ecuador!
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
_08.11.03.png)
_08.11.25.png)
The Ecuador research team encountered bottlenose dolphins in Puerto López during their humpback whale research season. During this encounter, researchers observed the animals eating prey, which were later identified as trumpet fish. In March, the team documented dolphins eating the same fish, suggesting that there may be some preference of prey type. These data are of particular importance given the concern over interactions between dolphins and the artisanal fishing industry. We are so excited that Dr. Castro and her team encountered these dolphins again and are able to further investigate this threat.
Research activities conducted under research permits from Machalilla National Park.
Spinner Dolphin Calves off the Coast of Maui
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
In a recent encounter with spinner dolphins, the Hawaii research team counted over 10 calves in a group of over 200 animals! The group was observed resting and milling in a shallow bay off the west coast of Maui. This same area was identified as an area of concern for interactions between spinner dolphin calves and vessel traffic in a recent publication led by former PWF intern, Holly Self. (Self et al. 2021). PWF's continued long-term research of dolphins in Maui Nui allows researchers to assess the impacts of threats, such as vessel traffic, to these island-associated populations in order to guide science-based mitigation measures. Read the full publication here and become inspired to help us in our mission to protect whales and dolphins around the world.
Research activities conducted under NMFS Research Permit #21321.
Drone Training Complete in Hervey Bay
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
The research team in Hervey Bay has been busy getting ready for their upcoming field season. This week our Research Associate, Barry, completed his remote pilot’s license, which is required for drone operation in Australia. The team will be using a drone to collect aerial images of humpback whales, which can be used to measure the size and body condition of whales using this unique "stop-over" on their southward migration to winter feeding grounds.
New Podcast Features!
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Listen in to our PWF Chief Biologist Stephanie Stack as she talks about a range of topics this week!
Marine Conservation Happy Hour: Swim With Whales and Dolphins on Apple Podcasts
Marine Conservation Happy Hour: Parent Scientists on Apple Podcasts
Marine Conservation Happy Hour: Do Not Fear, Take Care of Our Interns on Apple Podcasts
