Experts to study humpback whales in Oman
Tim Collins and Gianna Minton on their new research boat
donated to the research team by PDO and Salalah Port Services.
The distinctive flukes of a humpback whale as it dives
down. The patterns on the underside of the tail can be
used to identify and recognise individual whales.By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — Following months of fund-raising and preparation, the Oman Whale and Dolphin Research Team is about to embark on a two-week research trip to Dhofar, where they plan to study humpback whales.
Dr Ken Findlay, an internationally renowned expert on humpback whales, will be joining the team to assist with collection of data on distribution, behaviour and genetics of the whales found in Oman's waters.
The team will also use the opportunity to collect as much information as possible on other species of whales and dolphins as they are encountered off the coast of Dhofar.
The core team of volunteer scientists is led by Robert Baldwin, a marine ecologist who has been living in Oman and studying Oman's whales and dolphins for over ten years.
Tim Collins and Gianna Minton are also based in Muscat, and have spent the past two years working as guides and consultants to dolphin-watching tours and conducting opportunistic research on Oman’s whales and dolphins.
The team’s work has been formally approved by the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Environment, and all the data collected will be shared with both this ministry and the Oman Natural History Museum.
The team is focusing on humpback whales in an effort to better understand the habits and seasonal movements of this species, which is believed to comprise a unique, non-migrating and possibly genetically isolated population in the Arabian region.
Humpback whales throughout the rest of the world traditionally follow predictable patterns of seasonal migration, feeding in cold polar waters during summer months, and breeding in warm tropical waters in the winter.
However, the humpback whales off the coast of Oman are seen in almost every month of the year, and seem to be both breeding and feeding in the same area.
In order to confirm this theory, the team will be filming whales to analyse behaviour, using hydrophones to listen for the distinctive songs of breeding male humpbacks, collecting skin samples for genetic analysis, and taking photographs of their dorsal fins and tail flukes in order to build up a catalogue of recognisable individuals who can be re-sighted and monitored over time.
The hydrophones were donated to the team by students of the Sultan School, who raised money in an ice cream sale. The team hopes to be able to share some of the taped whale songs with the students when they return from Salalah.
The team will be based at the Salalah Port, and will be using their new research boat, a RIB (rigid hulled inflatable) donated by PDO and Salalah Port Services.
Dr Findlay's flight from South Africa has been sponsored by Emirates Airlines, and almost all of the equipment and facilities for this round of fieldwork have been donated or purchased with the support of sponsoring companies, including Ford Motor Company, Oman Air, OHI Marine, Tawoos, Truck Oman, Vertias, WS Atkins, and Muscat Pharmacy.
The team has also raised some funds by selling T-shirts and other merchandise with the distinctive "Whale Coast Oman" logo. These can be purchased at Dive Eco adjacent to the Grand Hyatt or at the Oman Dive Center in Bandar Jissah.
This is only the first stage of the research the team has planned for 2001. In March the team will continue with boat-based data collection on whales and dolphins in Muscat and the Masirah area. In April, the team will be joined by Dr Koen Van Waerebeek, an expert on the taxonomy and systematic of dolphins and beaked whales.
To learn more about the team's work, log onto www.whalecoastoman.com. The site includes more details on the team, research and fieldwork, sponsorship and dolphin watching in the Muscat area.
Contact details of the team members are as follows: Gianna Minton (Tel: 678484, GSM 9329634), Rob Baldwin (Tel: 595903) or Tim Collins (Tel: 736260, GSM: 9416936).
