Season sucess!

Dr. Gordon listening for whales.

Spermwhale fluking.

We have been very lucky with the weather and have therefore been sailing in “milky-calm” seas. There have been several whales depredating off the fishing boats and we have been able to document the behavior quite nicely. The calm weather has been good for spotting the whales from far away and it has allowed us to stay out at sea for extended periods of time. We were able to follow some whales for up to 48 hours, which will give us great insight into their behavior. The acoustic data will also enable us to measure the length of the whales.

Dr. Jonathan Gordon at the helm.

We got acoustic recordings of male sperm whales both while they were depredating from the lines and while they were feeding elsewhere. The photoidentification data has not been analysed yet, but we have seen at least five different whales with the fishing boats.

As the fishing season drew to a close we left Stø to return the research Vessel at it’s home port in Tromsø. Now we will begin analyzing the acquired data and looking for funding and collaborators for the future of this project. The blog will be updated, faithful to its nature, sporadically as we progress in the depths of scientific discovery.

Sails the Iolaire, homeward bound.

Many a thanks are owed again to the fishermen and the kind people that helped this project become a reality. Also special thanks are given to Redningsselskapet in Tromsø for equipping us with life vests for the project.Thank you.

All in all, to put it shortly, this season has been good for research.

Stay tuned for results!