Whales are truly fascinating creatures. In the words of Tom Mustill, author of How to Speak Whale, ‘Animal behavior is a total mystery to us. We don’t know why humpbacks breach, or why some killer whales wear salmon on their heads. Why do they fancy attacking the rudders of sailing ships and why do they sing? I wish more people knew quite how baffled we are by all these behaviors we have witnessed…it is just the tip of the iceberg!’

Intrigued by how whale ecologists study the nascent behaviors, we approached Dr. Els Vermeulen, research manager of the Whale Unit at the University of Pretoria, to walk us through her scientific routine. On most days, her team of researchers set out on boats to study these giant mammals in the wild seas. Their study includes capturing overhead images with drones, collecting biopsy samples of skin or blubber (a thick tissue under the skin of most cetaceans), and recording the environmental conditions that correlate with the presence or absence of whales.

MRI Whale Unit team taking aerial photos (source: Els Vermeulen)

The aerial imaging is useful to measure body conditions and colossal patterns for southern right whales. It involves monitoring aspects like size, body fat, and the presence of visible signs of illness or injury, which provide insights into the overall health of the species. Moreover, photo identification assists in examining the unique features like callosity patterns on the whale’s head. For instance, the distinct ridges and pigmentation patterns in the tail flukes of humpback whales serve as a natural ‘fingerprinting’ for each individual and allow scientists to track and monitor them over time.

While overhead imaging is non-invasive, there are occasions when more invasive approaches, such as satellite tagging and biopsy collection, are needed to address urgent questions on conservation, such as foraging patterns or adaptation to new environments. Els explains, “We deploy tags on 10-12 adult southern right whales each year. These get expelled from the bodies in two years and we perform follow-up studies on how the wounds heal”. Logically, these involve extensive government permits and ethical clearances considering their potential impact on the animals.

Mother and calf of Southern right whale (Source: Els Vermeulen)

Els continues, “We have a list of conditions where tagging is not permitted. We don’t tag moms with newborn babies, calves, or unhealthy animals. For the biopsy collection, we even aim to reduce the impact by using crossbows, which, for these huge animals, feels like nothing more than a bee sting. It is remarkable how many questions we can tackle using the small skin and blabber samples. We can conduct genetic studies, hormone profiling, study dietary patterns, and more. In most cases, the knowledge gained outweighs the impact of invasive procedures.”

While sailing off the Hermanus coast with Southern Right Charters, we encountered six southern right whales swimming around us, blowing air on our faces from their blowholes and occasionally showcasing their massive tail flukes above the water’s surface. This incredible experience naturally led us to ponder the extent of their understanding of humans. Do these majestic creatures recognize us or perhaps communicate with each other about our presence? Els explains that this isn’t typically the case with baleen whales.

“Southern right whales and humpback whales are essentially the grazers of the sea, relying on their baleen plates to sieve planktonic creatures from the water. Their level of intelligence is comparable to that of cows or horses, and it falls below the cognitive abilities of their predatory-toothed whale counterparts, such as Sperm whales or dolphins. In the case of baleen whales, the mother and calf are separated within a year and tend to lead solitary lives. While humpback whales have vocalization patterns, they don’t exhibit the individual signature whistles observed in dolphins.

Toothed whales, like Sperm whales or dolphins, on the other hand, have more complex social structures and communication patterns. Their higher intelligence allows them to coordinate their behavior, particularly when hunting smaller fish and octopus”, shares Els and adds an interesting dolphin-human partnership story that has assisted Brazilian fishermen in Laguna in catching more silvery mullets. Marine ecologists have observed that dolphins actively signal fishermen and lead them to locations abundant with mullets. In response, the fishermen cast their nets in these productive areas, and in a mutually beneficial arrangement, they assist the dolphins in accessing the captured mullets. This learned behavior, observed for approximately 140 years, is centered on obtaining more food through cooperation with humans and is most likely taught to their offspring.

“Unlike dolphins, baleen whales lack any significant awareness of humans. Their reaction to human encroachments is like the grazers fleeing from predators, and the memory is often short-lived. Nevertheless, humans have undoubtedly left their mark on the ecology of these magnificent creatures. Whale hunting, for instance, has drastically reduced the population of southern right whales to a mere 250 individuals. There has been a massive loss of ecological diversity, disruption of traditional foraging grounds, and a disturbance in established ecological patterns,” emphasizes Els.

When we asked Els about the most challenging aspect of whale research, her immediate response was the uphill battle of raising funds. While there is substantial discussion and emphasis on conservation and outreach, the shortage of funds makes it difficult to hire science communicators or managers. This often leads to a situation where researchers, like Els, are compelled to divert their time away from scientific research to seek funding and engage with various stakeholders. “Finding a job as a marine ecologist is nearly impossible and requires one to travel often,” Els points out. As a Belgian national, Els completed her PhD in Argentina and then moved to Pretoria, South Africa to pursue her postdoctoral research.

Today, marine ecologists face yet another conflict: translating research findings into tangible conservation outcomes. “Of course, fundraising comes first. But what comes after is an assessment of how our research findings help the animals. Ultimately, our passion lies in the conservation and preservation of wildlife. Our roles as scientists extend beyond the mere publication of our research findings. Although academics often emphasize this point, there is a common tendency to swiftly move on to the next project or publication. However, it is equally important to convey our findings effectively, directing the attention of policymakers toward implementing new laws and instigating systemic changes. Unfortunately, we often fall short in this aspect of science outreach due to time and resource constraints, “states Els.

The South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) and various government initiatives have made commendable efforts to unite activities and researchers in addressing the challenges faced by whales in the region. Although valuable, these initiatives are not always sufficient to fully address the issues at hand. Academics should not only be encouraged but also, to a certain extent, incentivized to actively engage with local communities and make this an integral part of their academic job profiles.

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