We’re putting cameras on blue whales

Introduction

Blue whales are threatened with extinction. We’re helping the biggest animals on Earth by collecting data with the help of drones.

The Mission

Blue whales are the largest animals to ever exist on Earth. In the last two centuries, massive whaling has brought them to the brink of extinction. Despite a global ban on commercial whaling in 1982, their numbers are still not recovering. No one’s sure exactly why.

That’s why Ocean Alliance is gathering data with the help of drones. With their unique new technique, they’re able to find out where whales go to give birth, what dictates their annual movement, and how climate change is impacting their health and feeding behavior. All this data is extremely important to protect blue whales and help their whole population recover.

Mission Video

Debrief

Our Partner

Andy & Chris

Ocean Alliance

Chris Zadra and Andy Rogan are part of the next generation at Ocean Alliance, continuing the legacy of legendary marine researcher and Ocean Alliance founder Roger Payne. Chris is the team’s drones program manager, where he combines his engineering degree with his love of whales and the ocean. His skills in rapid prototyping, software development and entrepreneurship help Ocean Alliance develop new, noninvasive tools for marine mammal research and conservation. Andy has worked in marine mammal science/conservation for over ten years and as the team’s Science Manager, is on top of the most up-to-date information and most pressing needs for specific populations of whales. He is responsible for determining what data to prioritize collecting and outlining Ocean Alliances research objectives. Together they have spent countless hours on the ocean to collect whale data, and even more pouring over the results and advancing the technology further.

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