NEWS AND NOTES
Blue Water Sailing
MARCH 12, 2009
Put Your Boat to Good Use Surveying Humpbacks in the So. Pac
Whale study group needs volunteer yacht for 3 weeks in the southern Pacific.
Those of you who are wanting to do something to give back to the planet might find this project worthy of your consideration.
OceansWatch works with the world’s sailors to undertake marine conservation projects and offer humanitarian aid to coastal communities in developing countries.
The SPWRC has been approached by Olive Andrews from the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium (SPWRC) which has been conducting long term whale & dolphin research projects in many Islands - Tonga, New Caledonia, Cook Islands and French Polynesia. SPWRC now need to conduct research in Niue, Fiji, Samoa, Tuvalu, Tokelau and Kiribati. In 2008 the first project was undertaken in Niue, in collaboration with the Niue Government and a local NGO Oma Tafua.
The results of this survey were very encouraging with over 50 humpbacks sighted and recorded over a ten day period. They did have many problems however due to the fact that the only boats available in Niue were small and did not allow for a stable platform from which to take tail fluke photos (used to ID individual Whales). SPWRC have been in communication with OceansWatch scientist Irene Llabres-Pohl about this project and have asked for both members and supporters who might like the opportunity to help on this interesting project.
The project will be in August/September for about 3 weeks. APWRC can cover food costs and all extra costs such as fuel but there can be no profit involved for the yacht owner as this would then become a charter, with Insurance and other ramifications.
If you think you may be able to help, email chris@oceanswatch.org and tell him that Blue Water Sailing magazine sent you!
For more information about OceansWatch visit their website, (http://www.oceanswatch.org/main/) and for information about theSouth Pacific Whale Research Consortium click here.
Photo courtesy of www.oceanswatch.org
