Tagging Whales Tells ‘The Story Of The Whole Ocean’

Photo: An estimated 10,000 to 12,000 humpback whales migrate to Hawaii to breed each year. (Marina Riker/Civil Beat/2023/NOAA Permit No. 19655)

In the waters off Maui, scientists are gathering data on whales to learn how each piece fits in a delicate marine ecosystem.

From the bow, Marc Lammers stared down into the deep blue water, eyes fixed on the dark mass rising toward the surface.

With each passing second, the humpback whale grew larger, until it was almost the size of the little research boat he was standing on as it hummed along Maui’s western coastline. Lammers, a research coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, could make out the arch of the dorsal fin, the outline of the massive fluke.

The crew had spent all morning looking for a humpback like this — one that was curious or distracted enough to allow the boat to creep within a few feet so Lammers could lean over the railing with a long pole to attach a tagging device to the whale’s skin.

Some of the most important whale research in Hawaii occurs in the waters between Maui, Lanai and Kahoolawe. (Marina Riker/Civil Beat/2023/NOAA Permit No. 19655) The tag, roughly the shape of a flattened football with suction cups on one side, acts like a smartwatch, Lammers said. It lets researchers recreate what the whale did underwater through motion sensors, audio recorders and a video camera. It’s the closest humans can come to experiencing a whale’s world.

Scientists like him want to better understand the marine giants so they can learn how to better protect them — and the ocean as a whole. Humpbacks play a key role in keeping the ocean healthy, nurturing each piece of the delicate marine ecosystem and even helping to supply fresh oxygen in the air we breathe.

On this clear January morning, Lammers had already had a half-dozen unsuccessful tagging attempts. But this whale was closer than any of the ones before — and he was ready. Yet just as he thought the whale was about to […]

Full article: Tagging Whales Tells Researchers ‘The Story Of The Whole Ocean’