Killer Whales and Their Prey in Iceland

I have yet to go on an Earthwatch expedition which I did not enjoy, but I have to admit that this expedition stands out in my mind because of the overall feeling of satisfaction that it gave me. This feeling of satisfaction comes from the integration of team work between land and sea teams, data collection and rudimentary analysis, and the physicality of the location. It gave me a feeling more akin to immersion in the research process, as opposed to just allowing me to do the fun part, which we all know from science class is collecting the data. It is important to remember that the research area is in the North Atlantic where weather is highly changeable. I think it is good to be realistic about the amount of time one may be able to go out in the boat to make observations. When the seas are high due to wind and/or swell, it makes it impractical to make sea observations and sometimes, as I discovered, can also prevent land observations. This is because of the relative heights of the waves and orca fins, and the angle from which observations are being made, as well as the distances which can separate observers and whales. Out of 10 days observing, my team only had weather/sea windows good enough for 3 days of sea observations. And although the sea observations may seem to be the most “exciting” I need to stress that observations made from the land station and identifications made in the office data work, were equally thrilling and satisfying from my perspective. The land and boat teams worked highly effectively together to spot pods of killer whales. The height of the headland used for land observations made the land team extremely valuable in locating, as well as following, pod movements. This team work enabled the boat to quickly and efficiently move to the orcas’ positions to maximize data collection. As an extra bonus,from their vantage point, the land team was able to spot blow from much larger whales further out than could be seen from the boat. In my team’s case, they were able to direct us to the location of not one, but three, blue whales- a wonderful, unexpected, rare treat to see whether from on land or sea. I really enjoyed the opportunity to work with the photographic data collected. Being able to help go through the images of the orcas and work on identifying them was wonderful. One of the most exciting events for me during the expedition was when my team was on the boat and one of the orcas that surfaced near us was one I recognized from two days of working with the photographs. My reaction? “I know that one!!!!” Going back to the office and then making the positive ID is an experience I will NEVER forget. The only word for it is “thrilling” . Without the opportunity to work with the images, it would have never happened and my experience and understanding of the research would have been the poorer for it. Things to take note of: Bringing sailing boots or shoes for the boat work is not needed as the boat is dry. Having good, non-slip soles on waterproof or resistant hiking/walking shoes is sufficient and is what is worn by the research team. Waterproof jackets and pants are not needed, as all volunteers are provided with survival suits for the duration of the expedition and these are worn both at the land station on on the boat. And they are wonderfully warm. Multiple layers for warmth is the best strategy and a warm hat is key. Think good hiking gear. Bring your own binoculars. If you already own a set or just are looking for a good excuse to buy one this is it. If the boat cannot go out and teams are limited to land observations there are not enough for extra people to use; each actual working team- land station, office, boat—is composed of two people plus the researchers and there is only one high powered, tripod mounted set and one high powered hand herd set.