University of Hawaiʻi researchers are using drones to safely attach noninvasive tags to humpback whales, reducing disturbance while improving researcher safety. Supported by funding from Dolphin Quest, the tags collect valuable data on whale behavior to support conservation and management efforts.

More than 10% of the world’s oceans are now protected, marking a significant conservation milestone. Experts say stronger protections and faster action are still needed to reach the global goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.

The comprehensive “One Health” approach, created by the National Marine Mammal Foundation’s Operation GRACE: Global Rescue of At-Risk Cetaceans and Ecosystems, aims to balance and optimize the health of humans, animals, and plants through their mutual dependence and connection to the ecosystems they inhabit.

Dolphin Quest collaborated with the University of Hawaiʻi on a drone study using a mother dolphin and her calf to help scientists better understand pregnancy and reproduction in wild dolphins. The research provides valuable baseline data that may improve scientists’ ability to monitor pregnancy and reproductive health in wild populations, including Hawaiʻi’s spinner dolphins.

In July 2020, Dolphin Quest Bermuda welcomed two dolphin calves, Brighton’s calf and Ely’s calf, after carefully monitored pregnancies that included diagnostic ultrasound. Their births provided a unique opportunity to study early dolphin development and contribute valuable information to scientific research supporting the conservation of wild dolphin populations.

Researchers from Oklahoma State University partnered with Dolphin Quest Bermuda to study the field of vision of bottlenose dolphins, identifying potential blind spots around their heads. The findings could help improve drone-based, non-invasive hormone sampling of wild dolphins and guide safer approaches to reduce human-caused injuries from boats.