EDUCATION, CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH-THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT!

Through the years, Dolphin Quest Hawaii has given back to the local and international community in many ways. One of the biggest opportunities to do that comes through research.

This year, the local community in Kona, on Hawaii’s Big Island, had a very special visit from a group of killer whales. On the first day, they were seen by Cascadia Research Collective, and several of the animals were tagged with satellite-linked data logging tags. Dolphin Quest provided financial support for several of these tags, which will allow researchers to learn even more about these rare and majestic visitors.

The Cascadia Research Collective studies the movements, habitat use and diving behavior of Hawaiian odontocetes, focusing on rarely encountered species such as melon-headed whales, false killer whales, killer whales, pygmy killer whales, sperm whales and beaked whales as well as bottlenose dolphins and pan-tropical spotted dolphins. Dolphin Quest has been supporting Cascadia Research Collective since 2011 with financial and in-kind support.

To date, Dolphin Quest has proudly contributed well over 3 million dollars in funding, resources and field support to vital marine research projects around the globe like this one.