Two researchers from the University of New Brunswick are gearing up for another expedition into the Gulf of St. Lawrence this week to investigate the endangered North Atlantic right whales. Coincidentally, this mission aligns with the launch of an Apple TV+ documentary series showcasing six of the world’s most endangered animals.
Kim Davies, an associate professor specializing in biological sciences, contributed to the segment focusing on the right whales. She described this particular production as the most extensive project she has ever participated in.
“The Wild Ones” documentary series highlights various endangered species, including Malayan tigers, Gobi bears, Javan rhinos, Caucasian leopards, western lowland gorillas, and North Atlantic right whales. Produced by Offspring Films based in the UK, the series premiered on July 11.
Davies leads a research initiative studying the right whales that frequent the waters of New Brunswick during spring, summer, and fall. With only around 350 North Atlantic right whales remaining, including a dwindling number of reproducing females, the population falls significantly below the recovery target.
Each year, Davies and her team undertake diverse research endeavors, incorporating advanced drone technology for tagging whales. The drones are equipped to fly over a whale and deploy tags that suction onto the mammal, featuring built-in cameras for underwater footage.
During the previous year’s expedition, the film crew from “The Wild Ones” accompanied the researchers on their boat, capturing the tagging process from an underwater perspective. Davies emphasized that any underwater footage seen from the whale’s viewpoint in the documentary stems from their research program’s contributions.
Collaborating with researchers from Dalhousie University and the Ocean Alliance, UNB researchers were responsible for affixing cameras to the whales to gather underwater footage. Additionally, contributions came from the Canadian Whale Institute and Fisheries and Oceans Canada in the documentary’s production.
Jillian Carter, a graduate student at UNB, partook in last summer’s voyage to conduct her research on the dietary habits of right whales. Carter underscored the significance of understanding the whales’ feeding patterns to safeguard their habitats.
Despite not being directly involved in tagging or filmmaking, Carter expressed her awe at the experience of working alongside an Apple TV+ film crew, describing it as a surreal realization of a lifelong aspiration.
Davies noted that while the underwater footage benefited the documentary crew, it also holds substantial value for scientists in unveiling the behavioral patterns and environmental interactions of right whales. She highlighted ongoing inquiries into the entanglement of right whales in fishing gear underwater, expressing hope that continued tagging efforts may shed light on this phenomenon.
Having collaborated with multiple film crews in the past for right whale documentaries, Davies anticipates a positive impact from having an episode dedicated to the whales on a renowned streaming platform like Apple TV+, potentially reaching a broader international audience and educating them on these majestic creatures.
