NORTH COAST CETACEAN SOCIETY

The North Coast Cetacean Society – (NCCS) was founded in 2001 and is a non-profit charitable whale-research organization that has 23 years of dedication towards research education and the protection of whales along the north and central coast of BritishColumbia. With the support and permission of the Gitga'at First Nation of Hartley Bay NCCS operates a whale research station along the coastal regions that surround the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia. This station focuses on the populations and habitat use of humpback whales fin whales and orca. Our research includes both land and boat-based whale surveys drone surveys and acoustic monitoring of the area through an underwater hydrophone network that enables us to localize the travel route of whales. In 2001 NCCS signed a protocol agreement with the coastal First Nation community of the Gitga’at of Hartley Bay in 2016 with the Kitasoo/Xai’Xais of Klemtu and Heiltsuk of Bella Bella to work in partnership to protect whale habitat. NCCS continues to facilitate an internship program that is open to students worldwide and additionally we operate an effective awareness program that informs recreational and ecotourism vessels in the area of the proper whale watching protocols that must be followed to ensure the safety of whales within the region. We have developed strong partnerships with coastal First Nation communities the Coastal Guardian Watchmen program as well other research organizations focused on protecting marine space for whales.The mandate of NCCS is to strengthen these valuable partnerships to combine diverse layers of experience in the specialized field of cetacean monitoring. In 2020 NCCS developed and is leading the BC Wide Hydrophone Network project (BCCHN). This is a collaborative project between coastal First Nation communities and NGOs to determine habitat use of whales along the entire coast of BC under one platform. The project will also determine the impact of vessel noise on the daily lives of whales and the impact this can have on their ability to find food navigate as well communicate with each other.

NCCS developed a drone-based project to study humpback and fin whales non- invasively from the air. Blow samples collected from both humpback and fin whales with the DNA were extracted and sequenced to determine where these whales come from genetically linking relatedness patterns across the NCCS study region sexing the sampled whales and determining site fidelity of calves returning to these feeding grounds (via understanding how many generations we document feeding within the area). The second part of the drone project used LiDAR morphometrics by using a custom designed GPS and LiDAR laser device attached to a Mavic 2 Pro to take measurements of the whales we film from the air. This allows us to assess the nutritional health status pregnancy rates and recovery from a long fast on breeding grounds (for humpbacks) over time. The 3rd part now includes focal follows determining whale group dynamics at the surface as well surface travel patterns and how this is influenced by marine vessel traffic. This work is now combined with a new drone project to detect scars on whales that indicate this whale had previously been entangled in fishing gear or involved in a vessel strike. In 2024 NCCS will lead in a new eDNA project to collect water samples and sequence areas of whale habitat use to better understand their nutritional needs in the area. We will be testing for all fish krill and algae samples. In 2024-25 NCCS will be studying how the humpback whale song is learnt and passed on from generation to generation to better understand the mating purpose of this song within the pacific humpback population and possible impacts from vessel noise on this cultural tradition of whales.