A new type of whale watching – from the space

Why go whale watching on the high seas when you can see mammals from space?

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey have used detailed high resolution satellite images provided by DigitalGlobe from Maxar Technologies to detect and monitor different species of whales.

Their research, recently published in the journal Marine Mammal Science, suggests a cost-effective method for studying whales in inaccessible and hard-to-reach places where traditional monitoring is limited or impractical. This technique could help other marine biologists to monitor the evolution of the whale population and better understand their migratory behavior.

With the help of very high resolution satellite images (VHR), researchers have discovered and described four different species of mysticetes (great whales): fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in the Pelagos sanctuary in the Mediterranean; gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) on the coasts of Mexico; humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) near Hawaii; and southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) in Argentina.

Researchers were able to quickly identify black and gray whales (as opposed to humpback whales and southern right whales) from their unique body color, which contrasts with ocean waters.

Interestingly, the study reveals that some species of whales are much easier to identify by satellite than traditional methods.

"This is the most detailed imagery on whales captured by satellites to date," said Hannah Cubaynes, the whale ecologist at the University of Cambridge, in an interview on Thursday at the British Antarctic Survey. "It is interesting to note that the improved resolution (…) reveals characteristic features, such as fins and moats, visible in the images for the first time."

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