Our Research Priorities
From Blue Whale Study’s inception to current day, the primary research interest has been the ecology of Endangered blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) in the Sea of Cortes Upwelling and surrounding waters of Peninsula de Baja California.
Dr. Diane focused on the dynamic linkages between weather, oceanography, prey and blue whales in this region. Using aerial and boat surveys, satellite remote sensing and deployed oceanographic instruments he demonstrated that these waters are an important seasonal feeding aggregation area for blue whales.
Aerial surveys continue to be a core research priority, allowing us to investigate the distribution of blue and other whales over large areas, providing important insights into their behaviour and ecology. Our aerial surveys have covered a vast stretch of Gulf of California.
This work later progressed into description and modelling of blue whale and other cetaceans’ feeding habitat in this region. Collaboration with the Universities and the Non profit Organizations (ONG's), also enabled Diane to study movements of blue whales by satellite tagging using shallow implanted tags. This collaboration sought to address the dual aims of discovering patterns of movement within the summer feeding area, and where the whales migrate to during the winter breeding season. While the latter aim was not realised, this tagging gave detailed movement data of blue whales within the Sea of Cortes, and showed that they move between the Gulf of California Upwelling and the cost of the mexican pacific, a vast alternate feeding area south the Peninsula.
Since our research began, one of our core research priorities has been photo-identification (photo-ID), which involves photographing unique natural markings on individual blue whales, such as pigment patterns and dorsal fin shape. Photo-ID enables us to:
- understand important aspects of whales’ lives including movements between areas (we exchange our images with other researchers elsewhere),
- unravel patterns of residency (how long whales remain in feeding areas, and whether they return over multiple seasons),
- understand associations between individual whales,
- estimate population size, and
- determine the health and condition of the whales.
The MEBAL will be soon member of the Southern Hemisphere Blue Whale Catalogue, an international collaboration to share photo-ID with the aim of discovering long-range resights between regions.
In recent years, MEBAL has become increasingly involved in community education programs, including mentoring of local high school students.