A whale researcher will ask British Columbians to be good neighbours to marine giants in an upcoming webinar presented by Nanaimo Area Land Trust.

Jackie Hildering, humpback whale researcher in Port McNeill, will explain how humans can help protect humpback whales in the Return of Giants, a webinar about getting a second chance with the whales that she says came close to extinction before numbers rebounded.

Hildering said data is poor on how many whales there were when whaling was halted in Canada in 1966, but 香蕉视频直播渟ightings were the exception香蕉视频直播� along the B.C. coast up into the 2000s when their numbers rose from an estimated seven humpbacks sighted in 2003 to 96 counted in the waters of northeast Vancouver Island in 2019.

香蕉视频直播淚t truly is a second chance and it香蕉视频直播檚 not just population growth post-whaling. They香蕉视频直播檙e also shifting from somewhere香蕉视频直播ο憬妒悠抵辈�� said Hildering, who is director of education and communications for the Marine Education and Research Society. 香蕉视频直播淲e don香蕉视频直播檛 know where that shift is from and what that means in terms of climate and/or prey, so this is a unique chance to learn so much.香蕉视频直播�

She said there香蕉视频直播檚 knowledge to be gained about climate, ecosystems, social associations and feeding strategies from the whales, which can rest just below the water香蕉视频直播檚 surface or surface unexpectedly after very long dives.

香蕉视频直播淲hat has also become so incredibly necessary is boater education,香蕉视频直播� Hildering said. 香蕉视频直播淸Humpbacks] are a game changer for all flavours of boaters on our coast because they香蕉视频直播檙e giants. The mature females are as big as big as school buses.香蕉视频直播�

Humpback habits, physical size and even how they sense their environment is different from orcas and dolphins that hunt with their natural form of echo-locating sonar that allows them to track and pinpoint prey and other objects, such as boats.

香蕉视频直播淸Humpbacks] don香蕉视频直播檛 have the bio-sonar of toothed whales,香蕉视频直播� Hildering said. 香蕉视频直播淓specially when they香蕉视频直播檙e feeding, having left our rich waters to go to the breeding lagoons of primarily Mexico and Hawaii, they are hungry. They are feeding and they are most often oblivious to boats, so that香蕉视频直播檚 one huge educational need to bring across to people.香蕉视频直播�

It香蕉视频直播檚 also difficult to portray how high the risks of net entanglement and collisions are, she said, because most whales sink when they die. With no dead whale bodies floating on the water香蕉视频直播檚 surface there香蕉视频直播檚 no evidence of a death, but 50 per cent of the whales studied show scars of boat collisions and net entanglement.

香蕉视频直播淭here wasn香蕉视频直播檛 even the legal obligation to report collision or entanglement up to 香蕉视频直播� 2018 and even Transport Canada hasn香蕉视频直播檛 caught up,香蕉视频直播� Hildering said. 香蕉视频直播淚t will change, but how is even the best-intentioned boater supposed to know about whale behaviour, let alone what the marine mammal regulations are?香蕉视频直播�

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Hildering is often asked why humpback whales are here, but the better question, she said, is why would humpbacks leave an area where they香蕉视频直播檙e finding food. The whales belong here because the waters around Vancouver Island are rich in the 香蕉视频直播減lanktonic soup香蕉视频直播� they thrive on, the researcher said.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 this thinking that they香蕉视频直播檙e in transit, but what our research supports is these are neighbours that come back to specific spots on our coast year upon year upon year,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淥f the 96 I referenced from 2019, 89 per cent of those were whales we had documented previously. They are specialists in certain strategies for certain prey in this area 香蕉视频直播� knowing what works in a certain area like fishermen and fisherwomen do.香蕉视频直播�

Hildering, also known as 香蕉视频直播榯he Marine Detective香蕉视频直播� and standup comic of marine conservation, is an educator, cold-water diver and underwater photographer, who has worked on-camera with PBS, BBC and Animal Planet, so next week香蕉视频直播檚 webinar promises to be entertaining and educational, said NALT in a press release. The free webinar will be presented Thursday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. Links to attend the webinar will be made available Monday, Jan. 18. For more information, contact paul@nalt.bc.ca.

To learn more about the Marine Education and Research Society, visit and for more information about Hildering, visit .

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