October 15, 2024
Happywhale engages citizen scientists to identify individual marine mammals, for fun and for science. This is a vital platform for cataloging whale sightings but also more importantly, fosters a global community committed to whale conservation. The significance of Happywhale lies not just in its innovative technology, but in its role as a catalyst for citizen science and public engagement. By empowering individuals to contribute their observations, Happywhale amplifies our collective understanding of whale populations and the movement of individual whales over time.
And this is WHY we at Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area was very excited to contribute to the important research at Happywhale by sponsoring a known humpback whale, CRC-12290 from the Santa Barbara Channel and naming it, Jean-Michel Cousteau in honor of Jean-Michel’s 86th birthday.
Whale research and conservation is imperative for maintaining ecological balance in the oceans. As ecosystems engineers and climate warriors, whales play a crucial role in marine ecosystems, influencing everything from nutrient cycling to enhancing ocean productivity. Moreover, whales are invaluable indicators of ocean health. And today, we get to witness the comeback of humpback whales after centuries of unsustainable whaling that brought them to the brink of extinction.
Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society and honorary president of the World Cetacean Alliance, is an inspiration to us all at SBCWHA. He has been instrumental in guiding us from the very beginnings of applying for this designation through the Whale Heritage Area program with World Cetacean Alliance and World Animal Protection. Community engagement and education is at the heart of SBCWHA and with the naming of this whale, we hope to engage more people in whale conservation by supporting Happywhale, Ocean Futures Society and Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area.
Jean-Michel personally enjoyed a friendly encounter with this whale back in the fall of 2022 and just last week, this whale was seen again by both the Condor Express and Islands Packers in the SB Channel. We’re always on the look out for many of our known humpback whales who are seasonal visitors feasting on a banquet of anchovies and krill while in our local waters. And with the continued growth in humpback whale populations, the whale watching companies have been enjoying many amazing encounters with humpback whales all summer and well into the fall too.
Thanks to Happywhale, we know this whale was first photographed in CA in April 2009 and has been sighted 43 times over the last 15 years. This whale is part of the endangered population of humpback whales who spend the winter months off of Central America. It is still unknown if this whale is a female or male, but with each and every one of us sharing our tail fluke pictures to Happywhale, we’ll continue to following this amazing whale overtime with the hopes of engaging more people to become stewards of the ocean, just like Jean-Michel has done for his entire life.
By all working together, we share our commitment to preserving the wonders of the oceans for future generations. By harnessing the power of technology, citizen science, and collective action, we can ensure a brighter, more sustainable future for whales and the marine ecosystems they call home.
