Song of the Whale Research Journey -- Summer 2001

During the summer of 2001 the vessel took a northerly route, passing close to Nova Scotia and Sable Island, then clipping part of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. From there, Song of the Whale took the Great Circle route to Bishop Rock Lighthouse on Scillies, off Cornwall, England, in order to take advantage of the prevailing currents and strong winds. En route, the team kept watch for cetaceans, including right whales, and conducted sperm whale surveys using an IFAW-designed automated detector.

Song of the Whale made landfall in Falmouth, Cornwall, where the steel hull for IFAW's new research vessel is now under construction. Once in the United Kingdom, the research team began using an IFAW-developed porpoise "click" detector to determine the distribution of the elusive harbor porpoise along the south coast of the UK. Thousands of harbor porpoises die each year after becoming entangled in fishing nets, and IFAW is working to prevent these unnecessary deaths.

Song of the Whale then traveled to Germany and Poland to begin work with local researchers there to search for harbor porpoises in the Baltic Sea. Once a stronghold for the harbor porpoise, they are now rare in the Baltic Sea.

Researchers aboard IFAW's Song of the Whale research vessel track whales acoustically and visually.

IFAW's research vessel Song of the Whale carries out marine research and education projects around the world.

The route of Song of the Whale passes close to Nova Scotia and Sable island then clips part of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. From there the boat will follow the great circle route to Bishop Rock Lighthouse on Scillies, off Cornwall.