The Wayfare Bracelet

"Whales are tracked to understand their movements and their diving behavior since our tags record at which depth they feed or travel. Understanding where they go is great, but we also try to investigate why they do so. What drives their movements? It can be many factors, such as food, finding mates, or avoiding predators such as orcas. In addition, individual whales do not use the same areas or migratory corridors to feed and to reproduce. Each individual is unique, and they all have traits and personalities that change from one animal to the next!"

To learn more about the work our partner is doing, visit their site directly at marineconservationecologylab.com.

"To track whales, we use satellite tags that we implant in the fat tissues. A small antenna transmits information to satellites that we can then access on our computers and even our cell phones! The tags are amazing pieces of technology. They can provide several locations each day and even record dive depths of individual whales, so we can understand what they do, how fast they travel, and how deep they dive, which are critical indications of their behavior (e.g. feeding, traveling)."

To learn more about the work our partner is doing, visit their site directly at marineconservationecologylab.com.

"Tracking does not harm the whales. The tags we deploy are specifically designed to not cause pain or discomfort. We deploy tags in the dorsal section of the body, where the blubber layer is, protecting whales from the cold and maintaining the animal’s buoyancy. The whale has limited nerves that can cause pain to the animal. Whales are our passion, and before being scientists, we love them, and we always try to minimize our impact on their lives."

To learn more about the work our partner is doing, visit their site directly at marineconservationecologylab.com.

Sperm whales are named for the oily, waxy substance in their head known as spermaceti. Historically, humans used the material for things like oil lamps and candles. Spermaceti’s actual purpose is not confidently known, though some scientists suspect it aids with buoyancy or helps to focus sound.

The largest of the toothed whales, male sperm whales can grow as long as 52 ft (15.8 m), with females reaching lengths up to 40 ft (12 m). Their weight ranges significantly between males and females, with the average male weighing up to 45 tons (40.1 metric tons) and females weighing in at up to 15 tons (13.6 metric tons).

Sperm whales are professional deep divers! They can hold their breath for up to 2 hours without surfacing, though the average dive lasts around 90 minutes.

Sperm whales span the planet’s oceans (except those with ice!) with an estimated 300,000+ individuals remaining. They were nearly hunted to extinction in the 1800s and early 1900s due to excessive commercial whaling, but the population is trending upward.