UAVs Will Help Spot Stranded Whales In Alaska | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.09.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.10.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Mon, Jan 04, 2016

UAVs Will Help Spot Stranded Whales In Alaska

NOAA Contracts With Alaska Aerial Media To Help Monitor Beluga Whales

NOAA has enlisted the help of an aerial media company to assist in gathering information about endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales that might strand themselves in shallow water this season.

The agency has contracted with Alaska Aerial Media, an exempted operator, to gather information about the size, age, and number of whales that might strand that can't be determined from a traditional horizontal view, according to a report from the Peninsula Clarion newspaper. Barbara Mahoney, a biologist with NOAA who works with the Cook Inlet beluga whales, told the paper that the aircraft is a cost-effective way of doing an aerial survey.  She said the system was tested on two belugas that were stranded on a mudflat in the Turnagain Arm in August, and the images the company provided were good.

Mahoney said that the images captured by a UAV are often better than those from a photographer on a manned aircraft, particularly when the winds are strong. Images captured from a manned aircraft can be blurry due to movement, she said.

Better photos of the stranded whales can help with identification of individuals animals that would help researchers follow up with specific whales later.

One limitation of using the UAVs is their range, she said. Whales that strand in more remote areas must be studied using a traditional airplane or boat.

FMI: www.noaa.gov

Advertisement

More News

NTSB Final Report: Aviat A1

Airplane Bounced About 3 Ft Then Touched Back Down And Then, With No Brakes Applied, The Airplane Began Veering To The Left Analysis: The pilot entered the airport traffic pattern >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.08.25)

Aero Linx: British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) The primary focus within all aviation activity is SAFETY. In all aspects of our sport SAFETY must come first, whether it b>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: Fly Corvair’s Reliable Engine Alternative

From SnF25 (YouTube Edition): William Wynne Builds Practical Aircraft Engines on the Corvair Platform Seeking an affordable alternative to the traditional aircraft engine options, >[...]

ANN FAQ: Contributing To Aero-TV

How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: CiES Fuel-Quantity and e-Throttle Systems Praised

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Bridge of CiES CiES Inc. is a Bend, Oregon-based designer and manufacturer of modular embedded aircraft systems and sensors. The company’s fuel-l>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC