Drones are revolutionizing how scientists track humpback whale mother-calf pairs in Hawaii and Alaska, enhancing our understanding of their health.
HONOLULU: If you’ve seen a drone buzzing over the Pacific, it might be keeping an eye on humpback whale mothers and their calves. Pretty cool, right?
Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa are using these drones to gather images that help them compare how whale calves grow and how their moms are doing in Hawaii versus Alaska.
So, why all the drone action in Hawaii? Well, the footage helps scientists figure out how these mother-calf pairs use their energy while migrating. They’ve collected a ton of data—over 2,400 measurements from nearly 1,700 whales!
One interesting find? Bigger female humpbacks tend to have bigger, faster-growing calves. But it’s not all good news. The moms in Hawaii lost about 20% of their body volume during 60 days of nursing, while those in Alaska gained weight more slowly.
Researchers are also worried about declining mother-calf encounters and birth rates in Hawaii. Some studies even showed total reproductive failure in Alaska. This is all linked to a long-lasting marine heatwave that messed with food availability in the North Pacific.
According to Lars Bejder, the director of the Marine Mammal Research Program, this research is just the beginning. It’ll help predict how resilient these whales are against threats like climate change and vessel collisions.
