(photo © Rachael Griffin)
(photo © Chantelle Tucker)
It was good to meet you Kirsti, best of luck from all of us here at Prince of Whales.
My name is Kristi Congdon, I am currently doing my
Bachelor of Science at Malaspina University-College, majoring in
biology. One of the requirements to graduate is to carry out an
undergrad project. My advisor with Malaspina will be Eric Demers,
with John Ford as an outside advisor, as well Jane Watson and Graeme Ellis will be involved to some degree. I will be doing my undergrad
project this summer and require the help of Whale Watching Operators
to acquire my data. The following is an outline of what I will be
trying to do.
Objective
To observe if there is a difference in behaviour between the
Northern and Southern Communities of Orcas.
To determine how the cultures differ between the two Communities.
Methods
I will be going out with Stubbs Island Whale Watching in
Telegraph Cove to access the Northern Orca community, and will access
the Southern Orca communty in a similar way. One week will be spent
with the Northern community and the next week willl be spent with the
Southern community. The activities of the Orcas will be divided into
four states, travelling, feeding, socializing, and resting. In each
of these four states the frequency of the following behaviours will be
recorded, breaching, tail slaps, pectoral slap, spyhopping, as well as
beach rubbing and the "greeting Ceremony." A combination of focal and
scanning observation of the Ocras will be used to record the whales
behaviours. The physical data that will be recorded include:
seastate, number of boats in the area, time of day, time spent on
individual whales, location, speed of travel (of whale and or boats)
and general weather information. In September the appropriate
statistical methods will be used to analyze the data recorded.
I plan to show how the Northern and Southern communities differ
in their culture and provide information that will help in the
maintianing of that cultural diversity, which will also provide
information to the Orca Recovery Plan.
Thank you for your time
Kristi Congdon
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