2024 was a pivotal year for all of us at BC Whales. Through dedicated and diverse non-invasive research spanning the north and central coast of BC, we continued our lifelong work to better understand and advocate for whales and the habitats essential to their survival. This year centred around new innovations, critical research projects, partnerships, and grasping opportunities including presenting our research at the international marine mammal conference in Australia.

New Arrival Humpback Whales

Our work with drones allows for an entirely new perspective into the lives and behaviours of whales. Drones enable us to monitor the health and body condition of whales, to witness the social bonds between individuals, gain new insights into the relationships of mothers and calves, and better understand the intricate dance of bubble net feeding. 

A new focal follow study from the SWAG project is looking at whale behaviour from a bird’s eye view and is shedding new light on the relationship between natural behaviours and ship-strike vulnerability in Gitga’at Territory. We are observing both humpback and fin whales travelling just beneath the surface of the water within the first few metres of the ocean, making them invisible to vessels and more vulnerable to ship strikes. We will be publishing the findings in 2025, a year of vital importance and change in this region with the onset of LNG tanker traffic.  

The advancements in science have opened a whole new world in understanding whales. It is now possible to determine the sex and family connections between whales by collecting and analyzing their DNA though non-invasive methods.

By attaching petri dishes to our drones, we can fly through whale blow and collect a small sample of whale snot, which is full of DNA. This sample paired with an identification photograph allows us to determine the sex, stress levels, and genetic connections of each individual. We are actively working to sequence full genomes of humpback whales to determine the genetic connectedness of the social and feeding networks we see in our study areas.

In partnership with the Gitga’at First Nation and WWF-Canada, we have installed and actively monitor in real time a 4-hydrophone array in Squally channel. This location was chosen because it represents a region with extremely high whale populations along a proposed LNG tanker route. In 2025 LNG tankers will begin to transit these waters for the first time.

When a whale is vocal, we are not only able to listen live and record its vocalization, but if the call is picked up on at least 3 of the hydrophones we can triangulate the location of that whale. Over time we are able to track underwater whale trails with this technique. This incredibly valuable tool has been developed and tested over the past 5 years and will be vital in mitigating the risks of shipping activity in the area.

We conduct regular marine abondance surveys throughout the North and Central coast and record the number and types of whales, their behaviours, their locations, as well as all vessels encountered. 

In partnership with the Heiltsuk and Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nations, we also conduct these surveys along the Central coast of BC. Working with research partners stationed near Bella Bella, we have been surveying the Central Coast year-round since 2020. In this time, we have documented an increasing population of humpback whales returning to this region and have put together a Central Coast humpback whale catalog which now includes 183 individuals! 

The BC Hydrophone Network (BCHN) is a collaboration between Indigenous communities, dedicated individuals and NGOs seeking to understand whale habitat use and ocean noise levels. The BCHN supports and maintains a unique coast-wide hydrophone network, enabling partners to listen to and record the acoustic tradition of whales coast wide from 20 hydrophone monitoring stations. This project generates acoustic data for research, management, and stewardship purposes to better mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic noise on whales, and to understand the diverse acoustic traditions of whales and the habitats they depend on. 

The acoustic information collected from BCHN hydrophones are processed for both noise levels and whale vocalizations, with details surrounding local findings available through each partner’s dashboard. For more information, and to contact partners directly, please visit whalesound.ca