OPERATION OCEANICA NEWS

17th July 2008

Well we are back in the UK now and just getting back on our feet. There are a number of projects that have been put on hold for the past few months whilst volunteering. Now we have some time they are being developed and we hope that they can be put online within a few weeks once they have been tested to ensure they work and are secure. The main project will be a global whale sighting database a resource that can be added to or downloaded by anyone. There will also be a database of organisations where you have a good chance of seeing cetaceans. This will not just be whale watching operators, but sports fishing companies, or hotels that have particularly good chance of seeing dolphins from your room.

11th June 2008

More and more species are being seen now. Lauren has seen fin whales, yesterday a pod of sperm whales was seen, last week some false orcas were seen and we still have a disproportionate amount of striped and atlantic spotted dolphins. Too bad that our time at the Atlantic Whale Foundation is coming to a close as I am sure there will be a hell of a lot more amazing sightings this season.

19th May 2008

We have been busy at the AWF, building and developing on the systems required to try and interpret communication between intraspecific communication in cetaceans. The house now has a beautiful "dojo" built by Remy, Koen and with a little help from Rob. This will be used for workshops which should in turn help raise funds for the grassroots projects being supported by the AWF.

Our new volunteers have enjoyed some beautiful interactions with fin whales and their calves. On the freebird they have also seen a Blue whale which would ordinarily be a beautiful experience. Besides an interaction with a Blue whale being the most sought after whale watching experience this was made a sad one because the animals tail fluke was very horribly damaged lowering this animals chance of surviving it's mammoth migration.

2nd April 2008

Well here at the Atlantic Whale Foundation we have had a few really good interactions with Fin Whales, Sperm Whales, and many hundreds of migrating dolphins. Below are a couple of pictures that Lauren took last week of common dolphins that were travelling through the Canary Islands.

Besides that plans are in place to make this site a home for a global network of cetacean fluke and fin photographs. This will enable a network of experts and enthusiasts to add photographs they have taken, download and analyse them, and even track individuals around the world.

8th February 2008

We are pleased to announce two new contributors to Operation Oceanica bringing with them their own knowledge and expertise. There is Abe Cambridge, a postgraduate student at the University of East Anglia, who's specialisations include climate change science and impacts, environmental management and renewable energy technologies. Joining him is Fabrice Leveque, another postgraduate student from the University of Sussex, and studying the science and technology of sustainability.

Abe Cambridge

At the end of a very busy and hectic week at the Atlantic Whale Foundation it looks like we are very close to having a world class research centre. We are currently getting quotations on a new selection of high tech equipment including top of the range hydrophones, solar panels, new computers and underwater cameras.

23rd January 2008

We have been back at the Atlantic Whale Foundation (AWF) for a few weeks now and all is working out fine. We have some new volunteers which are working well and getting to grips with things. The house also looks like it is going to be sorted for good very soon. It's electric out here in the Canaries at the moment with many migrating species passing through these waters, including some mysticetes with even a possible blue whale sighting, (although this is yet to be confirmed) and many delphinids such as atlantic spotted, short beaked common and striped dolphins. Our resident bottlenose dolphins and short-finned pilot whales also seem to be doing well, with some key individuals being sighted.

In the time Lauren and I have been back we have had numerous meetings with Ed, the boss of the AWF, and a guy, called Peter Stone, who has a serious interest in the acoustic communication of cetaceans, specifically of that between Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). These are extremely exciting times and this has the potential to become a PhD for myself.

Rob

 

2nd December 2007

We´re online now, and the site is still very much under construction!! So come back soon when there will be more features and information uploaded!

Lauren and Rob