OceanXplorers
I watched the first episode of Nat Geo’s OceanXplorers. It was excellent and I’ll make sure to catch the rest, but I had a special interest in this one for a couple of reasons. One was the topic: whales. I’ll watch anything about whales. The second was the guest starring role of marine mammal biologist and STEM educator Mithriel MacKay, a friend who runs the Marine and Coastal Ecology Research Center (MCERC) in Tampa, Florida. You can watch on Nat Geo or Hulu.
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Mithriel MacKay H.P.P. | LinkedIn
www.Marine-Eco.org
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Episode 1 was set in the waters off the Dominican
Republic. The nonhuman guest stars were
humpback whales and orcas, and both put on a show.
The ship looks thoroughly state of the art and downright
luxurious for a research vessel. It has a submersible (a strikingly roomy one
compared to most I’ve seen), a helicopter, and a HoloLab where researchers
wearing goggles can manipulate images of the seascape and its creatures.
The humans enter this realm via the submersible and Zodiac-type
rafts. The raftborne scientists are properly cautious about the giants they
follow, who can change course at any moment.
The expedition members want to know why humpbacks congregate
at a particular spot on the trackless ocean. Here humpback males engage in what
MacKay has christened “Fight Club.” The battle for access to females is savage,
with makes smashing each other halfway out of the water.
Eric and Kerry set shallow hydrophones that listen to the
activities of the whales and contribute to a startling discovery. The seafloor
terrain here forms a gigantic bowl. The humpbacks, singing their famous songs.
make use of it to amplify their efforts. The natural amphitheater amplifies the
strength of their acoustic signals by a significant 11db. The whales who have figured
this out can dominate the local “social media” traffic and reach more potential
mates. A scientific paper on the phenomenon is in work.
That’s not the only surprise on this episode, though. MacKay
and company are in the rafts, trying to attach suction-cupped cameras to the
humpbacks, when they spot incoming orcas. The small group of killer whales
circles the humpbacks, with the alpha using tail smacks to keep them from them
from escaping and signal the rest of their pod. MacKay changes the plan on the
fly (the float?) to attach a camera to a hunting orcas as 18 more gang up on
the humpbacks. The resulting footage is a breakthrough, providing the first
underwater closeups of whale-hunting orcas and revealing their tactics.
Focusing on a calf, the orcas try to push it under. The mother keeps the calf
on her back for protection, but the orcas again and again launch themselves at
the calf, knocking it off. Eventually the exhausted calf is overwhelmed and
killed.
This gorgeously filmed show does a good job of explaining
the science and showing the discussions and findings alongside the spectacular video
moments. If you’re a fan of marine science and marine life, it’s very well
worth your time.
By the way, MCERC does valuable STEM work as well as science. They are worth a donation.
Matt Bille is a writer, historian, and naturalist living in Colorado Springs. He can be reached at mattsciwriter@protonmail.com. Website: www.mattbilleauthor.com.
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