How Tagging Supports Whale Research and Rescue

NOAA Fisheries, National – Whales may be some of the largest animals on earth, but they can be hard to find in a vast, ever-changing ocean. To track and learn about whales, scientists use a high-tech tool at the heart of many modern conveniences: telemetry.

Telemetry is the process of collecting and transmitting data from a distance. When you track a package, use GPS navigation, or ping your lost smartphone, you’re using telemetry. 

Scientists at NOAA Fisheries use this technology for whale research and rescue efforts. We attach electronic tags to individual whales to safely and remotely collect powerful data. Marine animal telemetry allows us to monitor the movement and behavior of a tagged whale over a period of time. It also gives us information on how whales use their ocean habitats. 

It’s not possible to tag every whale, and telemetry devices aren’t permanent. But the data we gather from even one animal helps us better understand and conserve whale populations.

Tracking a whale with telemetry starts with attaching a tag. It is challenging to tag an animal the size of a whale. The largest whale species cannot easily be captured and released. Only trained and authorized scientists may tag a whale.

For human and whale safety, experts have developed methods for attaching tags from a distance, using drones or poles. They wait for favorable weather and sea conditions to more easily locate whales and to make it more likely that the tag deployment is successful. They carefully approach the whale in a small boat or with a drone to apply the tag to the animal. 

These tags are equipped with tiny computers that record and store many types of data. Depending on the type of tag, sensors within the device can record:

• Geolocation or GPS locations of the whale
• Speed the whale is traveling
• Diving activity
• Water temperature
• Water salinity
• Audio and video

Tags for large whales are small and lightweight relative to the whale’s size. They range from the size of a cell phone to a small textbook. They are designed to be temporary, unlike microchips implanted in pets. Many tags stay on the whale for a few hours or days, though others can last for months to even a year or more. Current battery technology and tag designs prevent us from tracking whales for longer periods. Cost and resources limit the number of whales we can tag. We are also limited by logistics associated with finding and approaching whales. Some species are more difficult to tag than others. 

These devices are sophisticated, but constantly improving. Scientists are working to make tags smaller, longer lasting, and more cost-effective. New designs are also less invasive and safer to attach to the whale. Researchers thoroughly test and evaluate each new tool before NOAA Fisheries approves it for use in the field. 

We tag whales for two main reasons: to conduct critical research and to help with emergency responses. 

Tags collect data that shed light on the lives of whales and the conditions within their ocean world. These devices can help reveal the length and depth of their dives and how they are feeding. We can learn about their migratory patterns, habitat use, short-term survival, and environmental conditions. With extra sensors attached to tags, we can even see what they see, and listen to the sounds they make and hear. 

Telemetry devices collect data over vast distances and ranges. They go beyond what scientists can typically do by air, sea, or land and show us things we don’t expect. They give us a look at a whale’s underwater activity, revealing more than what we can observe above the surface. 

Air and boat surveys can be more limited by weather and typically can only observe whales during daylight hours. These surveys also focus on areas and seasons where we know whales tend to be present. This focus makes our surveys efficient, but it also means we can miss whales that vary from typical patterns. Tags help fill in these gaps.

Our scientists analyze these data to better understand a whale’s:

• Behavior
• Health
• Movement through time and space

We also use the data to detect changes in whale populations and the ways they use their habitats. What we learn from monitoring whales is key to informing management decisions based on the best available science.

Emergency response is the other main use for tags. If a whale becomes entangled, responders may decide to attach a buoy with a satellite tag to the entangling material to track the whale’s movements. The device provides location data that help teams plan a response as weather and resources allow.

Telemetry is not just for whales. Marine biologists study many other species with the help of telemetry, including: 

• Sea turtles
• Seals
• Sea lions
• Northern fur seals
• Dolphins
• Sharks
• Rays
• Fish
• Crabs

This technique is also important for monitoring wildlife on land.

Telemetry is part of NOAA Fisheries’ broader effort to use transformational technologies to conserve protected marine species. We use a range of advanced technologies to help us understand how populations respond to environmental and human-caused threats and improve our conservation and recovery strategies. 

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Wayne Creed

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