Main aim of launching the drone was to gather information on how the whales are reproducing, how much size they have increased from past one year and how much of salmon they have consumed. Researchers can readily identify individual killer whales from the distinctive shape of their dorsal fin and saddle patch from the air or water, allowing them to track the condition of individual whales over time.
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Thanks to these drones, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released a stunning photograph – the most detailed yet – of a killer whale nursing her calf in the wild, according to a Discovery News report. Scientists from the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center’s Marine Mammal, Turtle Division and the Vancouver Aquarium have conducted the research.
The scientists said, for example, that this cycle may have been a good one in terms of the abundance of Chinook but they were anxious that warm temperatures and low river flows are bad news for spawning salmon and, therefore, the whales’ food supply.
A drone flying over San Juan Island has taken rich images of all 81 members of the small orcas i.e endangered southern killer whales.
These images sent by drone are being used to measure and track health and growth of individual orcas over time. This was because of a baby boom among them recently & for such a population, 5 new whales truly is a big deal.
Several appeared to be pregnant, but Durban said they won’t know how many until they do more analysis. They have used drones to count penguins and seals in Antarctica, stellar sea lions in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and to take breath samples of humpback whales off New England. The technology, also known as a hexacopter, is targeted to reach whales, birds, and wildlife in areas that are hard to reach and where small devices can create minimal disturbance. NOAA officials say feeding a young whale takes a great toll on the resources of the mother. In one case, the scientists captured images of a pregnant whale and then later of that same whale with a newborn orca. Guidelines for operating a drone near marine mammals. The drone had a weight of about four and a half pounds and was geared with a specialized cameras and many other gadgets.
Note: The researchers kept the UAV at least 90 feet above the whales at all times to avoid disturbing them. The southern resident killer whales primarily eat Chinook salmon.
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Lance Barrett-Lennard, a senior marine mammal scientist at the Vancouver Aquarium said that what they are interested in is change over time that they can attribute to environmental conditions.
