© 2026 WPSU
Public Media for Central Pennsylvania
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Thar She Drones: New Technology Helps Track Gray Whales

NPR
Published June 4, 2015 at 1:15 PM EDT
Visitors aboard a boat watch as a gray whale surfaces in the Pacific Ocean waters of the San Ignacio lagoon, near the town of Guerrero Negro, in Mexico's Baja California peninsula. Hunted to the edge of extinction in the 1850’s after the discovery of the calving lagoons, and again in the early 1900’s with the introduction of floating factories, the gray whale was given full protection in 1947 by the International Whaling Commission. (Dario Lopez-Mills/AP)
Visitors aboard a boat watch as a gray whale surfaces in the Pacific Ocean waters of the San Ignacio lagoon, near the town of Guerrero Negro, in Mexico's Baja California peninsula. Hunted to the edge of extinction in the 1850’s after the discovery of the calving lagoons, and again in the early 1900’s with the introduction of floating factories, the gray whale was given full protection in 1947 by the International Whaling Commission. (Dario Lopez-Mills/AP)

Southern California whale watchers are reporting a busier than usual migration season for the once endangered gray whales. The mammals migrate along the California shore capturing the attention of casual observers and researchers.

KPBS environment reporter Erik Anderson says two San Diego-based scientists are using some new technology to get a bird’s eye view of the species.

Watch a video about the new technology

[Youtube]

Guest

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.