A new initiative has been taken on by unmanned aerial vehicles by collaborating teams of marine biologists to study the behavior of killer whales, also known as orcas.
Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration NOAA used drones to capture their footage, according to The Westside Story.
"There are different species of killer whales and this group, often known as Northern Resident Killer whales are found in most of the oceans from the cold Arctic and Antarctic to warm tropical oceans surviving in every latitude and longitude," The Westside Story reported. "Being considered as one of the socialized group of whales, most of the time they are found swimming with the family. Their families are scientifically termed as pods. However, Species at Risk Act in Canada declared this faction under the most threatened category. Members of the class feed upon vast quantities of Chinook salmon, which themselves are affected by inhuman activities."
The robotic drones are capable of taking pictures and video of whales at one hundred feet about the oceans. The robots would go unnoticed by whales since they would be so high up, according to Viral Global News.
"We collected just under 20000 images during 60 flights of 77 Northern Resident killer whales and five transient killer whales," NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center biologist John Durban said, according to Viral Global News.
Eating manners, weight and pregnancy were also studied by the researchers.
The non-invasive study by drones could help them understand killer whales' behavior and assist fisheries management sector to help ensure a better survival of the group.
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