November 1, 2024
How Wild – photo and video contest
The Marine Education and Research Society (MERS) and the Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective (CCPC) invite photographers and videographers to share imagery…
Nippy (BCX1262) with her 2018 calf ©MERS, MML-42
Blog & Media
Publications and MERS in the News
For Media Inquiries
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We aim to be of use to the media on content related to reducing threats to the marine environment, commenting on marine conservation issues, and interpreting marine mammal science with a focus on British Columbia.
Please direct media inquiries to Jackie Hildering, Humpback Whale Researcher and Education and Communications Director.
Current News and Media Releases
Media contact has focused on Humpback Whales off the coast of British Columbia and the impacts of vessel strike and entanglement.
We filmed with the BBC for Planet Earth III for Episode 7 “Human” which will air on December 3 in Europe, December 16 on BBC America, and April 21 2024 in Canada.
Conger (BCY0728) ©Ocean Wise, MML-18
Keep up to date
October 8, 2024
Meet Megaptera
We’re thrilled to introduce the newest member of the MERS team, Megaptera! Megaptera is a new-to-us Hurricane 733 rigid hull inflatable.…
October 2, 2024
Results are in from the MERS Boater...
How do we best reach boaters to encourage safer vessel operation around marine mammals? This was the question that the MERS…
May 17, 2024
Celebrate With Us – Planet Earth III...
On April 21st, the episode of Planet Earth III in which we were involved aired in Canada. The segment showcases the…
April 17, 2024
Whale Mystery Solved – Cirque
Whale ID mystery SOLVED!Confirmed after 7 years – Cirque IS Glacier’s calf! How this unfolded: On January 11th, 2017, friend of…
December 19, 2023
2023 MERS Annual Report
As 2023 comes to a close, we want to report out about our achievements this year. Our 2023 Annual Report highlights some…
December 4, 2023
Filming Conger the Humpback Whale – Planet...
Update May 2024: Where to watch Planet Earth III. Can you imagine what our team felt when we heard Sir David…
December 1, 2023
Working with the BBC on Planet Earth...
By Jackie Hildering & Christie McMillan,Humpback Researchers, Marine Education & Research Society Update May 2024: Where to watch Planet Earth III.…
November 30, 2023
What Whales Do for You – Whale...
Update May 2024: Where to watch Planet Earth III. Also see our article featured on the BBC’s “Making Planet Earth III”…
November 7, 2023
Mola / Sunfish Research
Do you have photos of Sunfish (aka Mola) sighted off the coast of British Columbia or Alaska? If you do, you…
October 14, 2023
Wherever you are, you have the power...
One of the greatest thrills of being involved with Planet Earth III was not the filming process or even hearing Sir…
October 4, 2023
Ocean Voices
Ocean Voices – Education to decrease noise impacts to marine mammals Living in a world of soundMost animals that live in…
September 22, 2023
Friday the Harbour Seal – rescue and...
Friday the rescued Harbour Seal is back. We returned him near to where his life began. His care and transport are…
September 16, 2023
Whoo hoo! Whale Poo.
Freckles the Humpback is back, with a splash! And yes, that’s whale poo. Freckles was tail-lobbing which makes it easier to…
September 2, 2023
Planet Earth III
Reading this makes our hearts race.It’s real. It’s happening.For all of you who help us, you have helped with THIS. Here…
August 27, 2023
Yes, he’s an Orca.
We’ve received questions about B13 (Yakulta), an Orca whose fin is fully flopped over. His fin has been like this for…
August 25, 2023
Whales don’t blow water through their heads
See a Blow? Go Slow!But what’s the blow? It’s not water blown through the whale’s head! A whale expelling water though…
August 17, 2023
Another Humpback Hit By a Boat
Compelling?Harlequin the Humpback Whale was hit by a boat. See video below. This is one of the seven known hits of…
August 15, 2023
More Mola!
Yes we want your Mola sightings!Be they recent or from the past. The research continues into the TWO species of Mola…
August 5, 2023
Four Large Vessel Collisions With Whales –...
[Update: August 30, 2023: Fourth known large vessel strike of a Humpback off the coast of BC between July 20, 2023…
July 24, 2023
Boater survey. Big prizes!
Please can you help?There are big prizes and big gratitude! We are conducting a survey for recreational boaters who paddle, sail,…
July 6, 2023
Salmon Shark Interacting With a Log
What a wonderful way to get distracted from computer work . . getting a request to ID a live shark at…
November 24, 2022
Multiple Dead Humpback Whales – What you...
Update: Known dead Humpbacks between October 12 and November 30, 2022 are: With more Humpbacks along the coast, there is more…
November 3, 2022
Protection Should Not Be Reduced for Fin...
Please see below regarding the action needed for Fin Whales. This includes a listing of our concerns to help members of…
May 25, 2022
Deep Dive – Inukshuk the Humpback
Inukshuk is back. We saw him back for the first time this year in the feeding grounds near northeastern Vancouver Island…
March 7, 2022
The Minke Whale Named Volcano
What follows the timeline and details for a dead minke whale found near the Sointula breakwater. Written by MERS team member,…
January 11, 2022
The Return of Giants- Why Humpback Whales...
This article also appeared in the Canadian Power Squadron members’ magazine, The Port Hole, in December 2021. Humpback Whales were heavily…
December 31, 2020
Bird Bricks
Morbidly fascinating but . . . this is pure marine biology gold when reflecting on 2020. It’s our final gift to…
April 27, 2020
Max the Humpback – Documented 32 Years
Here’s the kind of thing that makes Humpback researchers’ hearts go pitter pat and AGAIN makes the point of how many…
October 27, 2019
A Humpback With 11 Birds in His...
A Humpback With 11 Birds in His Mouth? Humpback Whales and Their Bycatch Over the years we at MERS have documented…
September 25, 2019
A Whale Named Terry
Blog written by MERS team member – Jackie Hildering Education and Communications Director, Humpback Researcher, MERS Co-Founder Try to stop the…
May 7, 2019
Fin Whales to Receive Less Protection?
Announced yesterday, the protection of Fin Whales off Canada’s Pacific Coast is being reconsidered. The independent panel of experts tasked with…
March 26, 2019
To Kill Seals and Sea Lions?
Update Jan 2020. Original post with background begins as of blue text. Quotes/ content below from: Trites, AW and Rosen, DAS (eds).…
December 15, 2018
It’s a Girl! “Lucky” the Humpback Whale
Here’s another story of a survivor. It’s an update that will likely be of great interest as Lucky is one of…
December 12, 2018
Minke Whales Vocalize off the Coast of...
Have you ever wondered what sounds minke whales make? Given that they had never been acoustically recorded in the eastern North…
November 3, 2018
“Trap-Feeding” – a new Humpback feeding strategy
[Last update: November 2024] Our research on Humpback Whale trap-feeding has been published in Marine Mammal Science. We first documented this novel…
July 27, 2018
Whale “Mugging”?
Last update: August 6, 2023 This information is being provided: 1) As background for boaters to better understand these interactions and…
July 24, 2018
MERS Humpback Whale Catalogue (for NIMMSA members)
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
July 15, 2018
Ocular and Slash – Ambassadors of the...
Another whale has recently been documented with scarring from entanglement. We’ve identified the whale as Ocular, born in 2016 to Slash…
June 20, 2018
Three Generations of Humpbacks Documented!
Three generations of Humpback Whales have now been documented! This is such an indication of the great collaborative effort in studying…
September 27, 2017
How to Save a Whale
“How to Save a Whale” is an essential resource on the risks of collision and entanglement. It was made possible by the…
July 7, 2017
Who You Gonna Call? Helping BC’s marine...
*Call 1-800-465-4336 to report entanglement, injury or disturbance of a marine mammal in British Columbia. “Who You Gonna Call” is a…
December 1, 2016
Whale Species at Risk and the Kinder...
As a result of the November 29th announcement by Prime Minister Trudeau giving conditional approval to Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Project,…
November 22, 2016
Two Months and Two Humpbacks Entangled at...
Note, this blog was initially written to answer questions about the two Humpbacks entangled at the same site in 2016 –…
June 1, 2016
Leatherbacks in BC!
Yes, there are Leatherback Turtles off British Columbia’s coast! In fact, the cold ocean off BC is extremely important to this endangered sea turtle…
February 26, 2016
Terrestrial Predators Feeding on Marine Mammals?
By Jackie HilderingMERS Education & Communications Director. Do terrestrial predators like wolves and bears feed on marine mammals? Why yes they…
November 26, 2014
Movements of Minke Whales in the Eastern...
There are some species of cetacean that are more difficult to study than others. The minke whale, for example, is a…
April 26, 2014
Are Humpback Whales Threatened in BC?
For the past decade MERS has conducted research on humpback whales in the waters off northern Vancouver Island. With the help…
February 6, 2014
Transient Killer Whales – not so transient...
[Update: Transient Killer Whales are now more often referenced as “Bigg’s Killer Whales”. See our colleague’s blog at this link for…
October 3, 2013
Rescuing “Cutter” the Humpback Whale
As the days begin to shorten, the waters off northeastern Vancouver Island team with activity as every animal is trying to…
September 28, 2013
What about Common Murres?
Upon arrival in Weynton Pass yesterday during one of our regular marine surveys we happened upon a phenomenal amount of bird…
September 19, 2013
Our Last Look at I46
It is not often that a dead killer whale is found and even more rare when it is fresh enough to…
August 11, 2013
Humpback and Minke Whales in BC. Then...
Twenty Years Ago As a result of nearly a century of exploitation from the commercial whaling industry, humpback whales were scarce…
May 15, 2013
How Important Are Herring to Humpback Whales?
Update: Read the research paper resulting from Christie’s research at this link. : Each spring, humpback whales in the eastern North…
April 18, 2013
MERS Humpback Whale Entanglement Research
In the summer of 2012, a young humpback whale stranded near Vancouver, British Columbia. The whale was entangled in offshore longline…