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Content:
Bill Lang
Pagemasters:
OEMM Web Team
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SWSS Chronicles
Special Reports from the SWSS Scientists |
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Chronicle
6 - June 17, 2005
Prepared by
Dr. Lars Bejder
Research Associate and SWSS Visual Team Coordinator
Biology Department
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia |
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The ability to see sperm
whales at the sea surface, even at great distances from the ship,
provides information which enables the tagging team to get into
position. Housed on the flying bridge at the top of the R/V Gyre,
the visual team keeps watch for sperm whales from sunrise to sunset
(Figure 1). The visual team works in two different ways:
searching and tracking. When searching, the visual observers scan
the seas around the Gyre for sperm whales. When whales are found,
the acoustic and visual teams work together to track the animals and
provide information on their location to the tag boats. |
| Sperm whales have a very
distinctive blow which angles forward at 45 degrees making
identification relatively easy. Using big-eye binoculars (Figure
2), a visual observer can spot a sperm whale blow at 12
kilometers distance on a clear, calm day. Once a whale is sighted,
the distance to the whale is measured and location information is
entered into a database. When the tagging boats are out, these data
are radioed to them and they begin their approach to the animals for
tagging. |
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In addition to sperm
whales, the visual team identifies and records other marine life
(e.g. sea turtles, dolphins, etc.) (Figure 3). These
observations provide important documentation of animal distribution
in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Working in hot, humid conditions the
visual team plays an important role in the continued success of the
Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS). |
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