As a first step in this project, Naked Whale Research is seeking donor support for the purchase and installation of a WaveGlider type hydrophone off the coast of Point Arena in Northern California. Donors have an opportunity to be part of the legacy of marine research and public access to the sounds of the sea in Mendocino!

 

Benefits of a regional hydrophone include immediate access to wild animal calls from below the surface of the ocean, enhancing the experiences of students, fans of the ocean, and other researchers anywhere in the world.  Data collected as part of this technology is reported to science agencies and the public as part of the scientific study of coastal California habitats, thereby fulfilling the goal of NaWhaRe to fill in the data gaps in killer whale research between Monterey Bay, CA and the Puget Sound.

 

Additional benefits to the public include the ability to identify whales as they pass through the area during the various migration seasons such as those of the gray whales between December and March, and the blue and fin whales from May through June.

 

NaWhaRe is eager to partner with local agencies in funding the project.  Among the benefits of this partnership are inclusion in advertisement of the project and the transmission of hydrophone recordings which will enhance the experience of visitors at local points of interest all along the Mendocino coast.