Conducting whale surveys from USCG helicopters to document whale distribution patterns off the Oregon coast. Blue whale and gray whale images captured under NOAA permit # 21678

Conducting whale surveys from USCG helicopters to document whale distribution patterns off the Oregon coast

(Blue whale and gray whale images captured under NOAA permit # 21678.)

A foraging gray whale in a kelp bed off the Oregon coast conducts a ‘jaw snap’ to capture zooplankton prey. (Image taken by drone conducted by Todd Chandler under NOAA permit #16111).

A foraging gray whale in a kelp bed off the Oregon coast conducts a ‘jaw snap’ to capture zooplankton prey.

(Image taken by drone conducted by Todd Chandler under NOAA permit #16111)

The Port Orford gray whale research team, composed on high school, undergrads and graduate students, wraps up their kayak training session.

The Port Orford gray whale research team, composed of high school, undergrads and graduate students, wraps up their kayak training session

(Photo Leigh Torres)

A gray whale breaches in front of a fishing vessel outside the Newport harbor entrance

A gray whale breaches in front of a fishing vessel outside the Newport harbor entrance

(Photo Leigh Torres)

A New Zealand blue whale dwarfs the size of the GEMM Lab research boat (Image taken by drone conducted by Todd Chandler)

A New Zealand blue whale dwarfs the size of the GEMM Lab research boat

(Image taken by drone conducted by Todd Chandler)

Overhead view

Gray Whale

A gray whale surfaces close to the GEMM Lab’s research vessel while the drone is up recording behavior and photogrammetry data (Image captured by Todd Chandler under NOAA/NMFS permit #16111)

Sea Lion

A New Zealand fur seal subdues its octopus prey

(Photo by Leigh Torres)

Breeding birds

Two white-capped albatross at their breeding colony on The Auckland Islands, New Zealand

(Photo by Leigh Torres)

WHALE FROM ABOVE

Surface Lunge

A drone captures the moment a blue whale begins a surface lunge to feed on a patch of krill in the South Taranaki Bight, New Zealand (Image captured by Todd Chandler)

Whale tail

A blue whale shows off its fluke as it dives in the South Taranaki Bight of New Zealand

(Photo by Leigh Torres)