This evening Paul Borrow-Longain attended the event Southern Ocean Stories: The Orca’s Tale, organised by The Antarctic Heritage Trust in conjunction with South Georgia Heritage Trust.
During the presentation two whale researchers described their work with orca in the Southern Ocean. They presented how their studies of the movements, behaviour, abundance, culture and ecology of killer whale populations using direct observations and remote sensing technology told the story of our changing environment.
The Orca’s Tale hosted by Alison Neil and Camilla Nichol, Chief Executives of the South Georgia Heritage Trust and UK Antarctic Heritage Trust respectively. The expert presenters will be researcher, author Captain Jared Towers and marine biologist and science communicator Leigh Hickmott.
Jared helps direct and advise several cetacean research, policy and conservation initiatives through Bay Cetology and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Leigh, of Open Ocean Consulting, has worked for more than 25 years in the marine mammal sciences and conservation fields across all seven continents and virtually from pole to pole. He is also known for his work as the whale scientific adviser during filming for the BBC’s Frozen Planet II series.
It was extremely interesting to learn more about the “ecotypes” of Orcas (A, B1, B2, C and D), and take a deeper dive into the hunting techniques of B1s. They are clearly extremely intelligent, and remain with and work in family pods their entire lives. Something us humans could learn from. While intelligent they aren’t capable of adjusting to rapid changes, such as human impact, verses slower natural variations.
Southern Ocean Stories: The Orca’s Tale launched an online charity auction to raise funds towards conservation programmes in Antarctica and South Georgia.
Having a lifelong interest in science this presentation was extremely informative and I would highly recommend joining the host organisations.
