Russian ecologists teach dogs to search for whales in the sea for science and tourism

Russian ecologists intend to teach dogs to find whales in the sea from the side of a ship, this will allow them to collect more information about these mammals for science and attract tourists who go to the Arctic to watch the famous “whale dances,” Irina Onufrenya, head of the program for the conservation of wildlife at the Nature and People Foundation, told RIA Novosti.

A year ago, a group of foundation experts trained the Jack Russell terrier Zhuzha to search for whales in the sea off the coast of Murmansk Teriberka. Zhuzha became the first whale biodetector dog in Russia. This year, it was decided to expand the experiment, recruit a group of pets and instill in them the same skills. At the initial stage, it is planned to conduct theoretical classes and select the most capable and motivated dogs for training.

“We say “find a whale,” but globally, of course, we teach dogs to look not for the whales themselves, but for their waste products. Due to the dog’s keen sense of smell, it is easier for a dog to do this than for a person,” Onufrenya explained.

She explained that whale waste products remain on the surface for a while, and the dog can smell them. Whale waste carries a huge layer of information needed by scientists, the agency’s interlocutor noted.

“Analysis of waste products can tell a lot about whales - age, health, stress level, pregnancy and much more. And the task is to collect as much of this material as possible, because for a researcher such a find is a great success,” the ecologist said, adding that the scientific world has not yet accumulated enough knowledge about whales.

As the ecologist noted, in the Murmansk region, whale watching is one of the most popular tourist destinations; tourists travel to the region to see the famous “whale dances.”