Pygmy blue whales: Citizen scientists in Timor-Leste help research

Fisherman Faustino Mauloko de Cunha transforms his household along the South Pacific beach into a shark monitoring station for about two weeks each year.

From the day, people and student participants gather at the house in Subaun, a town in the northeast of Timor-Leste. They observe little blue whales, one of the world’s great treasures, while using binoculars and lens cameras in the cobalt waters.

When there is a incident, it’s all methods go.

Faustino’s boy, Zacarias, dispatches a helicopter. Then the group’s head, Australian marine ecology Karen Edyvane, guides him to take the best images. When the aircraft arrives, the crew reviews the images, taking notes on a white board.

It’s a tiny, frugal activity in Timor-Leste, which is a part of an coast that spans South East Asia and the South Pacific. However, it has provided a wealth of information about small blue whales, one of the largest animals on earth, whose flimsy character and great habitats make them difficult to examine.

These citizen experts, all of them citizens, have spotted almost 3, 000 dwarf blue sharks over the past 10 ages- Prof Edyvane considers that a” certainly extraordinary” number.

Timor-Leste has one of the nation’s highest amounts of aquatic animals.

As they make the epic trip spanning thousands of kilometers from the Banda Sea, which lies to the north of Timor-Leste, to southeastern Australia, lots of dwarf blue sharks pass through the country’s waters during the migration season, October and November.

But the place has been under-researched, says Prof Edyvane, who started the citizen science tracking program in 2014.

During the last two whale seasons, she has based herself in Subaun, about 50km ( 31 miles ) from the capital Dili, working with fishermen, students and dive tour operators to document the cetaceans.

According to Professor Edyvane, who teaches at the Australian National University and Charles Darwin University,” some of the lesser known, close sexual behaviors of blue whales have been documented,” some of which were for the first time.

For instance, in the year 2022, tourists who worked with a nearby tour operator who was featured in the program captured underground footage of a mother nursing her calf, giving viewers an insight into the mostly untold sexual habits of the species.

” It’s very, very exciting”, she adds.

The project began as a Facebook group with local volunteers invited to observe and record the existence of dwarf blue sharks.

In order to conduct flying and vessel surveys, Prof. Edyvane trained them in surveying techniques and employed experts to teach them how to use lens cameras and drones.

” When people who live along the coast notice the whales passing by, they post images on Facebook and WhatsApp. Improvements come on a real-time foundation and when someone shares anything, everyone gets pretty enthusiastic”, Prof Edyvane says.

The group organized the first whale-watching tour in 2016 by working with a dive excursion controller.

Only last year, they constructed a “research stop” outside the de Cunha’s town home; photos show a basic hut with a bay view. Inside are two columns, plastic chairs and white sheets mounted on the hut’s rooms.

Students from the National University of East Timor gathered at the study place this year to assist with the occurrences during shark time.

Even a simple framework has made the task simpler.

” We’re able to monitor all day and all day”, Prof Edyvane says. ” We’ve even been able to get the most extraordinary film. Maybe we can actually hear the dolphins ‘ punches because they come so close.

According to wildlife professor Vanessa Pirotta, citizen scientists like these have grown to be effective as they have become prominent eyes and ears on the ground for marine professionals.

” The combination of people having access to resources like robots and social media gives us insight into items that are happening while we may get working on projects while we may become writing grants to help fund our work,” she said.

Subaun’s increase in research activity has even resulted in a surge in tourism.

The need for whale-watching tour has increased, swimming teacher Cassio Schumacher tells the BBC, adding that these trips are “booked up years in advance”.

Local non-profits have warned of the dangers of illegal shark tourism, and the government has stated it intends to apply Prof. Edyvane’s study to “fully shield and preserve” the aquatic life that flows through Timor-Leste’s waters.

Prof Edyvane believes that with legislation, shark tourism has the potential to create jobs and expand Timor-Leste’s business.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the country has one of the poorest populations in the world, with an average annual income of$ 1,500. In Subaun, most villagers work as subsistence fishermen and farmers, earning just about$ 600 to$ 900 a year.

The de Cunha community has now started making foods from the day’s catch and local produce for individuals and tourists as an extra source of income.

” We enjoyed having the visitors around and may love to do it again”, Faustino, 51, tells the BBC on a Facebook video phone. ” We will make it a better experience]next season ]”.

His brother, Zacarias, has also been contracted to provide drone service for the job. According to Prof. Edyvane, she intends to teach him to deliver English-language discussions on whales.

The 26-year-old asserts that what he values is that the visitors are learning how to protect the region:” The university students learn quickly and well to support this area.”

As for the visitors, he says the visitors are happy to teach them. We advise visitors to view the whales from a distance rather than swim with them.