Whale's tail technique

Elevation information in tail (EIT) technique for lidar altimetry.

A technique we refer to as Elevation Information in Tail (EIT) has been developed to provide improved lidar altimetry from CALIPSO lidar data. The EIT technique is demonstrated using CALIPSO data and is applicable to other similar lidar systems with low-pass filters. The technique relies on an observed relation between the shape of the surface return signals (peak shape) and the detector photo-...

Minke Whales

Beaked whales

with other cats. Finally, cats need to read and understand human behaviour better (which is where dogs have really excelled). Bradshaw argues that early socialisation and training can help achieve some of these goals, but that we should also consider selective breeding of behaviour. Controversially, the author is suggesting that widespread neutering in the UK be relaxed, arguing that the practi...

Whales from Space: Counting Southern Right Whales by Satellite

We describe a method of identifying and counting whales using very high resolution satellite imagery through the example of southern right whales breeding in part of the Golfo Nuevo, Península Valdés in Argentina. Southern right whales have been extensively hunted over the last 300 years and although numbers have recovered from near extinction in the early 20(th) century, current populations ar...

Acoustic characteristics of underwater tail slaps used by Norwegian and Icelandic killer whales (Orcinus orca) to debilitate herring (Clupea harengus).

Norwegian killer whales debilitate prey by slapping their tails into herring schools. These underwater tail slaps produce a thud-like sound. It is unclear whether this sound is caused by cavitation and/or physical contact between herring and whale tail. Also the forces causing debilitation of the fish are not understood. Here we present an acoustic analysis of underwater tail slaps using a mult...