Recording Whale Watching Boat and Humpback Whale Collisions
Laura Barragan
Abstract
The purpose of this research protocol is to record collisions caused by whale watching boat tours. We make use of remotely operated water vehicles to collect video footage of whale watching tours and analyze the footage simultaneously. This data will be taken over a five year period at multiple whale watching sites along the coast of Mo'orea, French Polynesia.
Before start
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Verify all permits have been obtained
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Attempt to speak with whale watching agencies about project
Steps
Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle Set Up and Deployment
Drive ship to 300 feet distance from whale watching tour site
Equip the ROV with four video cameras and lights
Connect the ROV to ship with a tether
Deploy ROV to site carefully, make sure to stop at 10 feet deep
Follow general direction of where whale watching tours go from 5am to 7pm
5am to 7pm as this is within the business hours of whale watching tour agencies
Observation Methods
For 14 hours that ROV is underwater, monitor video footage carefully
Make sure that are multiple observers on shift observing footage from different cameras/angles
If you observe a whale watching tour, record it on field notebook
Include the following data: Date, Time, Agency
If you observe a collision, record it on field notebook
Include the following data: Date, Time, Agency, Approximate Speed, Injuries (if visible), Deaths (visible through whale fall)
ROV Retrieval and Closing Steps
Retrieve tether and ROV from under water carefully
Be sure to transfer data from field notebook onto Google Spreadsheet
