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Whales entangled in debris in Hawaii get help from team of drones

  

By Nina Wu

  

May 31, 2018

  

Updated May 31, 2018 8:59am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=70b4UCyPDoA

  

Federal rescue teams in Hawaii are now using small DJI drones to help free humpback whales caught in tangles of debris.

  

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary has partnered with Oceans Unmanned of California to use drone technology to assist with whale entanglement response efforts off of Maui.

  

Oceans Unmanned, a nonprofit founded by former NOAA sanctuary manager Matt Pickett in California, released a video Wednesday offering more details on the program.

  

Aerial imagery from the drones provide details on the entangled whales that improves responders’ situational awareness as they proceed.

  

Specialists from NOAA have worked for decades with local volunteers, using knives on long poles to cut whales free.

  

Cutting loose a 45-foot, 40-ton, free-swimming animal is no easy task and can be dangerous, according to Ed Lyman, NOAA large whale entanglement response coordinator.

  

Approaching within less than 100 yards from a whale may only be attempted by persons authorized under permit by the NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, he added.

  

“When you get close to a whale that size, you are moving into a danger zone,” said Lyman, who has been disentangling whales for 25 years, in the video. “So what we are doing is, the drone gives us the assessment, tells us what we need, and then when we do make an approach, we’re making it to cut the animal free — very efficient and a very good tool to have in a toolbox.”

  

He said having it makes the procedure safer.

  

With its recently launched freeFLY program, Oceans Unmanned is providing equipment — Phantom 4 Pro systems and accessories donated by DJI — and management oversight, plus training a network of Maui-based volunteer drone operators to support whale disentanglement efforts while meeting NOAA permit requirements. The volunteers learn to operate on a small boat, which is more challenging than operating drones from land.

  

Three Maui volunteer operators were certified in a recent training class. Additional training is scheduled in the fall.

  

“In the past, we had to get close to the whales at least three times,” said Pickett. “Once to figure out where the animal was entangled, once to cut them free and once to make sure the job was done right and nothing was left behind.”

  

With drones, the team can cut the process down to one step. Using small, remote-­controlled quadcopters with powerful cameras, the team can do an initial assessment and final check.

  

“It makes the entire process much safer for both the humans and the whales,” said Pickett.

  

DJI is donating Phantom 4 Pros to the program, while DARTdrones is providing online “Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate” test preparation classes for candidates to become compliant with Federal Aviation Administration requirements.

  

Each year, numerous whales and other marine animals are entangled in fishing gear, according to NOAA. The debris can hurt or kill whales and other animals that lack opposable thumbs to free themselves, resulting in starvation, strangulation and drowning.

  

Over 30 years, Lyman said an estimated 1,300 humpback whales have been disentangled through NOAA’s efforts.

  

Aloha and Drone On!  

Aloha,

     Here is the Whale Rescue video link opened.



Aloha and Drone On!

Great info!  Thanks for posting,  Cetacean.

Very cool what new ideas they come up for drone usage.

Thanks for sharing this Cetacean.

Cetacean Posted at 2018-6-2 01:10
Aloha,

     Here is the Whale Rescue video link opened.

Great stuff my friend.

VERY important information to show. Great work!

Good work

That's a great story, Cetacean!

Now the next step is how to use drones to calm down the vulcano!
I guess that'll still take a while ;-)

Do you live on Big Island?

Rodger8 Posted at 2018-6-2 10:58
Great stuff my friend.

Aloha Rodger,

     The whales think so!  Did you see the video of the Humpback Whale researcher swimming with one of her focal animals when the focal animal starts trying to corral her back to her research vessel?  This giant Humpback Whale is trying to corral her back to her boat!  She is obviously disturbed by it all and trying to figure it out as she is observed to be getting in "distress".  Finally an assist boat pulls her out of the water on the way toward the research vessel.  As she is getting out of the water, she turns back to look at the whale and sees a ten plus foot Great White shark on the other side of the whale!

     The whales do get to return the favor sometimes.  Have fun flying!

Aloha and Drone On!

Eric13 Posted at 2018-6-2 11:25
That's a great story, Cetacean!

Now the next step is how to use drones to calm down the vulcano!

Aloha Eric,

     Oahu is where I live and it is 200 miles (or so) West Northwest of the Big Island.  We do get the VOG though.

     Drones are on the front line over there.  We see reports of their use regularly.  One USGS (United States Geological Survey) drone was doing survey of the lava from one of the new fissures using a thermal camera when a call came over the radio about a stranded resident trying to get out.  The resident was using his phone as a flashlight and for rescue assistance so the drone was sent to assist.  The guy was told to follow the drone to get out and over two hours (how many batteries was that?) the drone eventually got him out.

     Also, so far at least one babooze was busted by the cops flying in the volcano danger area, despite the ban of unauthorized drones.  His case was also turned over to the FAA.

     Enjoy the summer flying season!  Looking forward to lots of nice videos and photos!

Aloha and Drone On!

Cetacean Posted at 2018-6-2 12:52
Aloha Rodger,

     The whales think so!  Did you see the video of the Humpback Whale researcher swimming with one of her focal animals when the focal animal starts trying to corral her back to her research vessel?  This giant Humpback Whale is trying to corral her back to her boat!  She is obviously disturbed by it all and trying to figure it out as she is observed to be getting in "distress".  Finally an assist boat pulls her out of the water on the way toward the research vessel.  As she is getting out of the water, she turns back to look at the whale and sees a ten plus foot Great White shark on the other side of the whale!

My Son is really into this stuff and has been his entire life. He works here at URI which has a huge Marine Biology curriculum. Dr. Ballard works out of URI. It is to bad what we have done to our environment. Nothing intentional, we just didn't know!

WOW!! so Awesome !!
good information and video, I love that they are using drones for stuff like this.

ManaRam Posted at 2018-6-2 21:27
WOW!! so Awesome !!
good information and video, I love that they are using drones for stuff like this.

Aloha Mana,

     True enough.  I sure wish I was 40 years younger!

Aloha and Drone On!

Greatest use of drones IMHO.  Thank you DJI!

Oracle Miata Posted at 2018-6-3 05:34
Greatest use of drones IMHO.  Thank you DJI!

Wish Imcould join. This is a great example of drones for good

Rivi Posted at 2018-6-3 13:08
Wish Imcould join. This is a great example of drones for good

Aloha Rivi,

     You may be able to help in UAE.  There are a number of opportunities.  Check out this web site;

http://www.uaedolphinproject.org/websites/

There is also;

https://www.thebdri.com/research/abudhabi.html

These guys are particularly good at their research.

Aloha and Drone On!

Cetacean Posted at 2018-6-3 18:29
Aloha Rivi,

     You may be able to help in UAE.  There are a number of opportunities.  Check out this web site;

Many thanks. Just sent them an email about joining up.

Rivi Posted at 2018-6-3 19:47
Many thanks. Just sent them an email about joining up.

Aloha Rivi,

     Good Luck!

Aloha and Drone On!

Nice to read on this, thanks for sharing the information with us.

DJI Diana Posted at 2018-6-3 23:13
Nice to read on this, thanks for sharing the information with us.

Aloha Diana,

     My pleasure.  And Mahalo! for all the work you do for us on the Forum!

Aloha and Drone On!

Cetacean Posted at 2018-6-2 01:10
Aloha,

     Here is the Whale Rescue video link opened.

Hello Ken, great news and video. This is good posting.

Excellent info  !! people also start using drones to watch the sky ...

F.KOK Posted at 2018-6-5 05:30
Hello Ken, great news and video. This is good posting.

Aloha Francois,

     Good to hear from you.  I hope thigs are going well in Namibia!

Aloha and Drone On!

Nebuchadnezzar Posted at 2018-6-5 06:23
Excellent info  !! people also start using drones to watch the sky ...

[view_image]

Aloha Neb,

     Interesting photo.  Looks like very stable upper atmospheric conditions.  With all those crossing contrails, this must be a very busy area for commercial flight like Ohara Airport but in the air!  Each layer must be separated by thousands of feet.  

     I hope you are doing well.

Aloha and Drone On!

Interesting video, thanks for sharing

awesome use of drones, thanks for sharing

Dear Cetacean,

With all do respect and applause to such noble efforts, their impact on marine life is next to none. The pollution of oceans by plastic debris (river born garbage, abandoned nets, cargo spills, tsunamis etc.) is rapidly reaching the point of saturation, where no creature will be able to survive. Animals - big and small - are not only trapped in neglected fishing rigs or six-pack rings. They're literally stuffed with shattered plastic debris, mistakenly swallowed as a food. They're dying of hunger, but with false feel of full stomach ...

Although such efforts are spectacular and pleasing millions of YT watchers, the same whale will be probably trapped again somewhere else and will die eventually. It's inevitable, period. Until - let me dream for a while - all mankind will stop using plastic fishing nets and ropes, plastic shopping bags and pop bottles, all disposable plastic in general. Such idealistic scenario will be not good enough, unfortunately. All mankind will have to remove billions tons of plastic debris already dumped into the ocean, or wait 4-5 centuries to disintegrate (?). Even greatest re-cycling efforts of developed nations will be neutralized by far greater garbage spill from slums of Asia, Philippines, India, South America and Africa. Recent issue of National Geographic Magazine is delivering alarming statistics about this problem, with very little hope for viable solution.

That's why I received the message of your post with a big dose of skepticism and sadness.   

Matthew Dobrski Posted at 2018-6-5 22:04
Dear Cetacean,

With all do respect and applause to such noble efforts, their impact on marine life is next to none. The pollution of oceans by plastic debris (river born garbage, abandoned nets, cargo spills, tsunamis etc.) is rapidly reaching the point of saturation, where no creature will be able to survive. Animals - big and small - are not only trapped in neglected fishing rigs or six-pack rings. They're literally stuffed with shattered plastic debris, mistakenly swallowed as a food. They're dying of hunger, but with false feel of full stomach ...

Aloha Matt,

     Yes, your skepticism and sadness are duly noticed.  In fact I recently read about a beached pilot whale with 17 pounds of plastic in it digestive tract.  But there are also projects that have been started to remove the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and recycle the plastic, so I am not ready to give up just yet (as if that counts).

     Good to hear from you none-the-less!

Aloha and Drone On!

Dear Cetacean I posted the same video sorry !!

Nebuchadnezzar Posted at 11-14 03:01
Dear Cetacean I posted the same video sorry !!

Aloha Neb,

     With this one, the more the merrier!  It is just sad that the poor whales get caught up in that mess in the first place.

Aloha and Drone On!