Satellite-Tagged Whale Tracks! (Written on Jan 22, 2014)
Satellite tag tracks of the five humpbacks whales tagged with LIMPET dive profiler tags. The eastern two whales may have been from the Eastern Australian population while the western three whales may have been from the Western Australian populations – genetic samples will tell us once we get back.
(Image courtesy of Russ Andrews)
Somehow the half-moon and the clear night with stars made the big waves bearable. This was a relief as I skidded around from side to side trying to sleep between 9 and midnight. In reality, looking at the waves was much better than feeling them. A bird, of unknown flavour even flew right close to the wheelhouse on the portside. The moon, stars and bird were quite comforting really. Nice night-watch buddies.
While working hard and focusing for long days observing, satellite-tagging and undertaking biopsy activities in this type of cetacean research, in the flurry of interesting madness, the random sentences and scenes soak in. ‘Are you ready guys?’ – snippets of the conversations on the bow between the sat-tagger Russ and the photographer – yours truly. This is truly cool – intertwined, my thoughts happening simultaneously…
Icebergs all around.
‘Wow, look at the blowholes of that humpback!’
Whales are all around the vessel.
‘ This is the whale we are after, it’s Barnacle Bill!’
See a whale dorsal fin up close.
I’ll take the glove Russ?
Whales are coming in near the bow.
‘Here’s the glove, Ok – are you ready Mich, whales’ here?’
Taking in all the sights and sounds, there is still a little ‘processing’ time, as it were.
‘Here we go! RIGHT here!’
Are we REALLY in the Antarctic?
That’s a beautiful iceberg.
‘Ok, coming close, this is a new whale! –it has white on the top of the dorsal’
Am I really here?
‘Ahhhhhhh!’
The squeal of relief and delight – the first tag has been deployed! This isn’t a dream!
‘Take the time – get more photos – what’s the whales’ reaction?’
This is REAL!
‘Watch the dart, get the bag!’
I can feel a poem brewing…
‘Good shot, the tag is on the left dorsal!’
The tagged whale’s tracks in relation to Casey Station at approximately 110E.
(Image courtesy of Russ Andrews)
This is the order of events – first the experience, the fractured words, in-between thoughts and then the prose comes. Next, embarrassingly for Tas, the poems arrive… I hereby apologise in advance!
Large tabular bergs loom on the left, blows appeared in the foreground. We followed the whales through the day and the “bay of bergs” with at least 40 icebergs and 12 humpback whales travelling nearby. The pods travelled dynamically, switching pairs, Barnacle Bill with Nick and Flat Top with Pointer – next Tiny Lander affiliated with Hi Point and then they all got together on the bow! Some of the whales seemed to be interested in our attention, travelling close to us – then they would follow another whale and then they’d flow right back to the bow again, quickly. You could see by their behaviour “Hey, what is this all about? I’d like some bling too!’ Simply incredible!
Icy Joy
h
Deep, deep within
I have this joyous grin!
It’s coming from my soul
Back near the Pole!
h
Tears of joy
I can’t be coy –
They well from my toes
Through all the clothes!
h
Surface at the sight
Of whales and bergs at night!
Crazy – craazzyyy, ain’t it
Look at that bergie bit!
h
Grins and tears all mixed up
I’ve got to toughen up-
20 years of desire
To return with my squire
T’is done and dusted
We were as keen as mustard!
h
Whale Song so fine
Kept our lives off the line
Warm and toasted
With meat that’s roasted
h
Firmly at the jetty in Freo
We shall celebrate this trio
Third time around Oz
This one at the ice because…
h
There’s whales and tags to deploy
New technology to employ
Bergs and whales
Now there’s some tales!
h
So thrilled to return south
Yahoos from my mouth
And tears stream-
Celebrating with the team!
h
(Written by Micheline Jenner)
Noon Observations Jan 22, 2014
Lat/Long: 500 17.3 S 120031.9 E
Dry Bulb Temp: 9.50C
Wet Bulb Temp: 7.80C
SST (Sea Surface Temp): 8.90C
COG (Course Over the Ground): 0020
SOG (Speed Over the Ground): 6.7 knots
Barometer: 1004 Hp
Beaufort SS (Sea State): 6-7
WS (Wind Speed): 23-27 knots
WD (Wind Direction): WNW
Swell: NW 2.5-3 m
Wildlife: Broad-billed Prions, one Wandering Albatross, White-headed petrels
WT: PKHCS – 6.5
Antarctic Fact: At the Russian Novolazarevskaya Station in 1961, the station surgeon performed immediate surgery for appendicitis, on himself. Conducting a self-appendectomy last lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes he anaesthetised his abdomen, excised the diseased appendix using a mirror held by an assistant and administered antibiotics. Successfully, one week later the wound had totally healed.
Antarctic Slang: crud – flu-like illness that strikes the over-wintering crew of an Antarctic station when a new group arrives, caused by the weakening of the winterers’ immune systems, which have not been stimulated by germs for many months.
Tracks of Round (Cyan) and Wobbles (Green) over the past two weeks. The red dots indicate their latest positions (yesterday).
(Images courtesy of Russ Andrews)
The data from the satellite tagged whales is flowing in… All of the 5 tags are still operating! The tagged animals, in order of tagging are as follows: Round, Wobbles, Captain Hook, Scar Face and Ken. They are all still whirring away in the Antarctic. The circles and tight zigzags are indicative of feeding, having found a nice krill patch they swim back and forth through it! Longer straight lines are when they are searching for another patch. The ratio of these two swim path types will provide an understanding of the feeding strategies of humpback whales an indication of the abundance of their food supply. As each whale was tagged we began a several hour “follow-mode” with our Biosonics echosounder, recording he densities of the krill swarms where they chose to swim.. The dive profiles of the tagged whales together with the real-time BioSonics biomass data will indicate how humpback whales exploit the krill swarms. From first appearances it seems, they find a patch and move around the outside edges, perhaps so that they don’t scatter the swarm…. a smart move! Do they actively seek prey of a particular density? Do they only remain in a patch of a specific density? The BioSonics data, once teased will illuminate and help to answer such questions.
Tracks of Captain Hook (Magenta), Scar Face (White) and Ken (Orange) over the past week. The red dots indicate their latest positions (yesterday).
(Images courtesy of Russ Andrews)
Our meals to day were delicious as usual. Lunch from Restys’ galley was butternut pumpkin soup with a sausage/cheese roll and coleslaw, just yummy! In the afternoon some hours of observations were from inside the wheelhouse but towards the end of the day, we were able to go outside on the fly-bridge, due to the calming seas and swell. On the top deck, while scanning incessantly for blows and bodies, the aromas of the evening meal surrounded us. Dinner was delicious, roast pork with roast parsnips, carrots, sweet potato, rice and salad. We still have fresh coz lettuce, truly an ad for their fantastic-ness!
Curt has shovelled the snow and shaved his beard… we have passed northwards beyond the Antarctic Convergence and still steaming north for safety above 40 S. Feeling grateful for the weather knowledge and safety beyond “The Beast’s” grip,
Mich
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