Whales: Tagging and Tracking
In Whales: Tagging and Tracking, ecologist Ari Friedlander discusses how he tags whales to study their behavior. He aims to protect whales by making people care more about them. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Natural World: Humpback Whales — A Detective Story, a documentary about our relationship with whales and their future alongside us.
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Q: What are some unique things scientists can observe once a tag is attached to a whale?
A: Once the tag is attached to a whale, scientists can track the whale's movement direction, speed, and depth. They can also capture videos from different angles, providing a detailed view of the whale's behavior and environment.
Q: What can people learn by watching the video from a whale tag?
A: By watching the video, people can observe the whale’s movements up close, including its swimming patterns, interactions with schools of fish, and encounters with other marine animals in the ocean.
Q: What tools do scientists use in the whale tagging process to gather more information about the whales?
A: Scientists use several tools, such as drones to track and measure the whales' movements, biopsy darts to collect DNA samples, and noise recorders to study the sounds the whales make, helping to understand their behavior and environment.
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In The Sophisticated Feeding Technique of Humpback Whales, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Southern Ocean and the humpback whales that feed there. When Antarctica broke off from South America, it created swirling currents that sweep up nutrients from the bottom of the ocean, making it one of the richest waters on earth. In the summer, humpback whales come there to feast on shoals of krill, blowing curtains of bubbles and spiraling inwards to capture the swarm. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
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