Winter Whales
...of new scars from the bites of Cookiecutter Sharks. See them in the photo of Black Pearl below? Humpback and Minke Whales often have these white, circular scars when they...
Search Results for: scar studies
23 results found
Ocular and Slash – Ambassadors of the realities of risk
...time we saw her in 2008, she had extreme scarring from a large boat propellor. Ocular’s entanglement scarring was first documented last week. Ocular and Slash – ambassadors of the...
MERS Humpback Whale Entanglement Research
...without being seen and reported, how can we get an accurate estimate of how often humpback whale entanglement occurs? Researchers from the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies have noted that...
Working with the BBC on Planet Earth III
...study the scars of survivors. By documenting how many whales have scars from entanglement and/or collision, we can help prove how necessary it is to reduce the threats. Other ambassador...
It’s a Girl! “Lucky” the Humpback Whale
...us give you some of her backstory. Lucky? One thing that clearly makes her so easy to identify is the scarring on her tail. In this case, her misshapen tail...
Two Months and Two Humpbacks Entangled at the Same Location – What Can We Learn?
...whales die from entanglement on BC’s coast? Preliminary research conducted by the Marine Education and Research Society and DFO supports that 47% of Humpbacks have scarring on their tailstocks that...
What Whales Do for You – Whale Pump, Whale Poo
...are carried into the ocean through dust storms, river sediments, and upwelling from wind and waves, nitrogen and phosphorus remain scarce and limit the amount of phytoplankton that can bloom...
Are Humpback Whales Threatened in BC?
...of humpbacks off BC have scars indicating that they have been entangled at some point in their lives. Humpback whale “Cutter”, entangled in fishing gear off northern Vancouver Island (Photo by...
The Minke Whale Named Volcano
...strong currents. The waters surrounding Cormorant and Haddington Islands between Vancouver and Malcolm Islands have these unique characteristics and therefore provide excellent habitat for minke whales. Photo-identification studies I have...
Transient Killer Whales – not so transient anymore
...lions and harbour porpoises were low in the 1970s. This meant that Transients had to be relatively anti-social in order to not scare away what little prey they could find....
Rescuing “Cutter” the Humpback Whale
...a significant number of the whales we have documented show scars from previous entanglements. If you see an entangled whale, call DFO’s Marine Mammal Incident Reporting Hotline immediately at 1-800-465-4336. If...
Humpback and Minke Whales in BC. Then and Now.
Twenty Years Ago As a result of nearly a century of exploitation from the commercial whaling industry, humpback whales were scarce in British Columbia. One could consider themselves lucky to...
How to Save a Whale
...whale AND boater safety). Our preliminary results, conducted in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), show that ~ 50% of Humpbacks in British Columbia have scarring that shows they...
Yes, he’s an Orca.
...of collagen fibers. There is no bone inside. This type of tissue is vulnerable to injury and many killer whales, both male and female, bear permanent scars to their dorsal...
Wherever you are, you have the power to protect whales
...Wallace with scarring from entanglement and boat propeller ©Ocean Wise, MML-18 The positive news is, no matter where you are in the world, you are connected to the whales. Your...
Whale Mystery Solved – Cirque
...has not been documented anywhere since mid-August 2022. Cirque (BCY1059) is a survivor of vessel strike. Scars from a boat propeller were first noted in 2019. Cirque had her first...
Meet Megaptera
...look at marine mammal abundance and distribution over time Collision and entanglement scar research to understand the severity of of these threats eDNA (environmental DNA) collection to investigate this non-invasive...
Reflecting on 15 years of MERS
...Organizing a collaborative, multi-stakeholder workshop to investigate the source and solution to neck entanglements in sea lions. Finishing our multi-year scar analysis that looks to quantify the number of Humpback...
Our Last Look at I46
...up dead. The area in which we at MERS carry out the majority of our studies off northeastern Vancouver Island is known as “critical habitat” for the northern resident killer...
Terrestrial Predators Feeding on Marine Mammals?
...video of fighting between brown bears. Studies on the interactions of wolves and bears when feeding on a dead whale include the work of Tania M. Lewis and Diana J.R....
To Kill Seals and Sea Lions?
...salmon? Some seals and sea lions in some areas eat a lot of salmon (and herring). However, caution is very much needed in extrapolating these localized and seasonal studies to...
Protection Should Not Be Reduced for Fin Whales
...– Marine Education and Research Society Background: The Marine Education and Research Society (MERS) studies threats to cetaceans and educates to reduce these threats, with a focus on entanglement and vessel...