Intern Whale Diary: Canaries, Azores and Madeira 2008

I´m currently doing a PhD in habitat use and foraging behavior of beaked whales in the Canaries. The use of passive acoustic detection methods to find beaked whales is a powerful tool to determine their presence in an area. My time on board SOTW was spent learning how to use new techniques to study this species and to obtain offshore data that could be applied to study their distribution. The experience was both cultural and scientific. Also I sighted species that I haven´t seen before and the acoustic software was new and interesting to learn about.  Patricia Arranz Alonso, University of La Laguna

The SOTW intern scheme provides excellent opportunities for researchers to take part in ‘in situ’ activities and allows people to meet and exchange knowledge. I enjoyed every part of it, from sightings to visual effort, taking photographs and video, as well as increasing my knowledge about acoustics and the ecology of beaked whales. The internship on SOTW really helped me since it allowed me to participate and observe other methodologies and different approaches and perspectives in whale research.  Filipe Marco Andrade Alves, Madeira Whale Museum.

I am currently doing a PhD on identifying the link between the use of naval sonar and the mass beaching of beaked whales. The internship was really useful because I got a real appreciation of how difficult it is to study these animals in the wild, and also got to meet lots of other students who work in the field, so it was great for making contacts.  I found it really useful to work alongside the other scientists on board to see how these types of survey are conducted, the equipment that is used and the rationale behind the methodology.  It was also interesting to see what kind of things typically go wrong, and how people find solutions to them.  All of this kind of experience will come in very handy when designing future fieldwork that I plan to conduct as part of my PhD. The best bit? I can’t choose one!  I loved having the opportunity to see whales and dolphins in the wild and to collect data that I know will ultimately be used to try and ensure their future survival.  Meeting, working and socializing with everyone in the team was also great fun.  The worst?  Hmm -  possibly the sea sickness, but ashamedly I did miss my daily intake of meat too!  Katie Saunders, University of Southampton

I am doing a PhD about gas embolism in stranded cetaceans. To date, this has only been described in beaked whales and dolphins drowned in gill nets. The internship on Song of the Whale helped me to learn better how whales behave in their natural environment, to learn better how to identify them and give me more experience. Best part? I cannot choose any, everything was great with the people and the work. The worst part was of course was when I got sea sick.  Yara Bernaldo de Quirós Miranda, University of Las Palmas