Taiwan Conservationists Conducts Underwater Cetacean Audio Surveys

Conservationists in Taiwan are helping the world better understand the cetaceans off the country’s east coast by conducting underwater audio surveys.

Transcript

00:00The chirping of spinner dolphins

00:05The singing of common bottlenose dolphins

00:12And the clicking of sperm whales

00:19Beneath the waves, there is an ocean of sounds

00:22These recordings of cetaceans off Taiwan's east coast

00:37Were made by NGO Hualien Formosa Association

00:40And a local whale watching company

00:43Part of a massive project that started in 2023

00:46To study aquatic mammals

00:48Using offshore observation and monitoring

00:51The team, including volunteers

00:53Take still and aerial photos

00:55And make acoustic surveys of the animals

00:58Collecting well over 300 underwater recordings

01:01Which they then organize for study

01:04Most of the recordings come from sperm whales

01:15The project heads say it's evidence

01:17That several sperm whale pods

01:19Still return to Taiwan's waters each year

01:22Despite decades of fast industrial growth

01:25And weak early environmental rules

01:27Polluting the seas

01:28To date, some of its data has already been released

01:39On international scientific platforms

01:41For researchers around the world

01:43The team hopes to build a solid foundation

01:46For cetacean research in Taiwan

01:48And show the world their commitment to marine life

01:50And future scientific studies

01:52Andy Shrian Sanichi for Taiwan Plus

01:54Andy Shrian Sanichi for Taiwan Plus

01:55Andy Shrian Sanichi for Taiwan Plus