September 16, 2021
Whale Wise, an environmentalist group in Iceland, has begun researching the effects of rising tourism in Skjálfandi Bay. The group is trying to determine whether the increase of whale watching boats have any adverse effect on the animal by using spray-catching drones.
The drone, named Snotbot, carries a petri dish above whales waiting for them to breach. Once the whale rises, the drone flies above the geyser that spouts from the whale to collect the liquid. The containers of spray are then sent to labs for analysis comparing different levels of hormones. Whale Wise has been able to collect 59 samples thus far. The group plans to double the amount before understanding fully what stress levels the whales may be enduring. Watch the video below to learn more: