Above video, the research team uses drones that hover over each whale when it surfaces to measure its body condition. This footage was collected in 2019.
Humpback whales are back in waters off of Maui after their fall migration from along the Northern Pacific rim, and the Marine Mammal Laboratory at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, is continuing collaborative research on humpback whale health with scientists from Hawaiʻi and Alaska. During summers, the research team examines the same individual whales in feeding grounds off Southeast Alaska.
The laboratory was founded by
Adam Pack, who holds a joint appointment in the departments of psychology and biology. On the team are