We are hiring for the summer!
www.mersociety.org/about/careers.
Please share with those you think would thrive on our Team.
Will work in Port McNeill, on NE Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in the Traditional Territory of the Kwak̕wala-speaking People.
Know the laws and best practices for #WhaleSafeBoating.
Sign up for the alert for when our free, online Whale-Safe Boating course will be available to YOU! www.SeeABlowGoSlow.org
__________
Whale sized thanks to Art By Di.
#HowWild
How about YOU?
By entering this video and photo contest, you help with the aims to shift the language and imagery of marine marine viewing in BC from "How close" to . . . "How Wild".
Contest criteria and how to submit images, at https://mersociety.org/news-media/education/how-wild-contest
___________
Photo: Member of the A34 matriline of Threatened Northern Residents ©MERS , Territory of the Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw (the Kwak̕wala-speaking Peoples).
Last updated: February 28, 2025. __________ The Marine Education and Research Society (MERS) and the Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective (CCPC) invite photographers and videographers to share imagery of marine mammals in BC where the aesthetic provides a strong sense of the animals in the wild, rather than close to human activity. The story behind “How...
FREE #OceanDay webinar for schools about #Sperm Whales! Yes, these giants are off the coast of BC!
Our very own Dr. Felicia Vachon is a Sperm Whale expert and will share about this unique “creature of extremes”.
Adults are very welcome ☺️. Educational approach aimed at elementary school students.
Webinar will be ~30 minutes followed by ~15 minutes for questions.
Register here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/free-ocean-day-webinar-sperm-whales-your-deep-dwelling-neighbours
Teachers!Join us on June 6th, 2025 for a FREE Ocean Day webinar for schools about Sperm Whales! Yes, there are Sperm Whales off the coast of British Columbia! Illustration by Uko Gorter. Our very own Dr. Felicia Vachon is a Sperm Whale expert and will share with students about this unique “creature of extremes”: their enormous nose, big brains, long dives, complex societies, unique vocalizations, and what we know (and don’t know) about them.To the non-teacher adults reading here, YES you too can join the webinar ☺️. The content will be appropriate for all ages, but the educational approach will be aimed at elementary school students, and they will be the priority for discussion and answering questions.The webinar will be ~30 minutes followed by ~15 minutes for questions.Join us to be captivated by the Sperm Whales! Please be sure to register. ______________________________Dr. Felicia Vachon obtained her PhD studying Sperm Whale behaviour, communication, and conservation in the Caribbean. Her work focused on how Sperm Whales learn from each other, and how this knowledge, passed down from one generation to the next, influences their lives. She has been working with sperm whale experts all around the world to piece together the many sperm whale mysteries and advocate for their conservation. Felicia is our Research Coordinator. Photo: Sperm Whale off British Columbia’s coast taken while on a offshore survey with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Taken with a telephoto lens and cropped.
#HowWild
Enter the #PhotoContest (and video) to help shift the culture, language and imagery of marine mammal viewing from “how close” to “how wild”.
Please see https://mersociety.org/news-media/education/how-wild-contest
Partnership with the Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective.
Last updated: February 28, 2025. __________ The Marine Education and Research Society (MERS) and the Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective (CCPC) invite photographers and videographers to share imagery of marine mammals in BC where the aesthetic provides a strong sense of the animals in the wild, rather than close to human activity. The story behind “How...
Stay tuned!
Annual online auction.
Marine-themed, sustainable, beautiful art, goods & services.
You support us & help promote artists & businesses working for sustainability / marine conservation.
March 10 - we'll share the link so strategizing can begin.
_____________
#ForTheWhales #Auction #MarineArt #OceanInspiration #BuyLocal
Note that the size of this increase in Humpbacks off the BC coast cannot be population growth alone (post whaling). There must also be a shift from somewhere.
To date, there is no solid estimate for the number of Humpbacks in all BC waters. A line-transect survey was done but this was when conditions were highly variable. Research, including that done by the collaboration through @HappyWhale, indicated that Humpback recovery was significantly impacted by the Marine Heatwave 2014 to 2016.
Knowing where, when, and who the Humpbacks are is essential to the work to reduce threats. In addition to informing our research and education, the data feeds into the efforts of the Canadian Pacific Humpback Collaboration (which we coordinate) and research across the North Pacific.
We also share this to highlight how vigilant boaters must be, and how coastal British Columbians can help with reporting sightings, violations, and incidents of concern. Please see www.SeeABlowGoSlow.org.
Summary of MERS 2024 Humpback ID data (to date).
Many thanks to all who shared photos and helped these efforts, adding significantly to what ID data we were able to collect to help the whales and boater safety.
If you provided us with data in 2024, we sent you an email today with some special information.
See comments for details.
___________
#ForTheWhales #Humpback #Whale #CPHC #CitizenScience #HumpbackComeback #ReturnOfGiants
