HDR-lead team encountered a group of mainly female sperm whales with calves on Mother's Day for the 2nd year in a row, and successfully deployed a tag from a drone. We believe it's the first CATS tag deployed on a sperm whale via drone.

We are thrilled to be part of the "Mystery Mesoplodon Expedition" off the west coast of Baja California searching for an elusive new species of beaked whale. Read about the initial discovery and stay tuned for updates on this exciting expedition!

In the mid-Atlantic, baleen whale sightings typically occur during the colder months, with peak activity in December and January. Sightings of humpback and right whales usually decrease by late March through April. While occasional baleen whale sightings, particularly of fin whales, happen during warmer months, large groups are uncommon as summer approaches. Pelagic surveys during this time often focus on odontocetes like sperm whales and beaked whales.

On Saturday 01 June 2024 during one of our offshore surveys 60 miles southeast of Virginia Beach, we encountered North Atlantic right whale Pico (Catalog #3270) and her calf!

On 10 February 2024, a local wildlife enthusiast, Caroline Prevost, was out on the Chesapeake Bay when she observed some harbor seals enjoying time in the water near island 4 of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

The haul-out counts and camera trap studies are continuing this winter, and have been in full swing.

Small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) or “drones” are increasingly being used to study marine mammals from a different perspective.

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