The Spotter’s Job
by Lionel Davoust
Observing marine mammals in the wild begins by being able to find them, and there is no real shortcut for that: it requires, above all, long hours of patience and concentration, using, first and foremost, a pair of trained eyes.
There is almost a meditative quality to watching the ocean thus. Whether under the radiant sun, or the snow, or the rain amidst cold winds, being a spotter requires keen eyes, a high tolerance for weather and constant attention. Often the thoughts start wandering, the eyes see the waves, but stop looking at them; that is when the mind brings them back gently to the present moment, which is exactly what meditation is about.
As we are scanning the horizon, we are looking for the tell-tale signs of whales: above all, the blow, mistaken for ages for water, is a mixture of water vapor, condensation in the air and mucus. In the sometimes rough seas of Iceland, where white caps abound, it can be very difficult to spot. Splashes of whales breaching and dolphins jumping are much easier to see, but rarer; and of course, there are the big, pointed dorsal fins of orcas (which earned them in older history the nickname of “orca gladiators” or, in French, épée de mer, meaning “sea sword”). Observing and spotting whales requires such knowledge that marine mammal observers (MMOs) are actually trained and recognized professionals and consultants who participate in conservation surveys or make sure wildlife guidelines and codes of conduct near whales are respected on many commercial vessels.
The blow of an orca is one of the most tell-tale signs of their presence; it can be seen at several hundred meters by a keen spotter.
For orcas especially, the big black fin of males is quite easy to spot. It can reach a height of 1,80 meters.
Of course, when you’re lucky, playful cetaceans can also produce all manners of splashes that can be seen from afar!
Human beings only really travel at the surface of the seas. Most oceanic life happens under the water, and only a few meters of depths already constitutes a mystery to us. This is the first great challenge of marine biology – to infer accurate and broad conclusions from sparse data, of which every item is thus precious. Statistical and computer models help us reveal hidden patterns and trends in numbers gathered in the field just like oceanic depths revealed from the surface; but above all, regular and consistent data collection is invaluable for this subject – and Orca Guardians is very fortunate to be associated with Láki Tours, which enables the researchers to go out on the water and collect data every day that the weather allows, surveys which would be otherwise costly and fragmented.
The other great challenge is the challenge of science itself, which presents itself even more acutely in life sciences, and that is to observe without changing the phenomenon which is observed – that is, to observe without disturbance. It is fortunate that marine biology is shifting more and more towards non-invasive research, which provides a wealth of data. Beyond the obvious ethics of endeavoring to not hurt those magnificent animals, any behavioral change caused by a scientific study ruins the whole point of the data collection – it is irremediably flawed and, worse than ignorance, may lead to biased and ruinous conclusions. Passive acoustic monitoring, photo-identification surveys and behavior observation are all techniques that enable researchers to observe whales and dolphins directly and indirectly and to crack the secrets of the depths.
But it all starts, and cannot do without, those long hours of gazing at the sea.
Sperm whales have a very characteristic blow, low and slanted.
