Manjula goes blogging...

One thing I really enjoy about Gabon (besides its sea turtles of course!) is the opportunity to meet researchers working on a variety of non-sea turtle topics: leopards, primates, elephants, amphibians, trees, whales, Pygmies, health and education, people and park issues ….. One such researcher whom I particularly enjoyed meeting, because I had a short opportunity to participate/assist in his humpback whale research in southern Gabon , was a British cetacean biologist, Tim Collins, who is affiliated with the Oman Whale and Dolphin Research Group and the Wildlife Conservation Society's whale projects

We were small and insignificant in the Atlantic ocean in our tiny zodiac

driven by a very competent Frenchman, François, who brilliantly coordinated Tim’s requirements and data collection needs, breaching/surfacing humpback whales all around, and boat handling.

It was thrilling to have mothers with calves surfacing beside the zodiac

and even more thrilling to watch these giant mammals breach next to you while Tim shot photographs or biopsy darts at them

Watching a whale breach a few meters from you, as many of you know, is astoundingly spectacular and gives one goose bumps. Just between you and me, the treacherous thought of working with whales flitted very briefly across my mind.... to spend the days admiring breaching whales just seemed so romantic...

Too bad turtles didn’t leap out of the water like whales….but then again, a turtle attempting a tail-breach would surely be embarrassingly funny rather than awe-inspiring….Anyway, these unholy thoughts about turtles occupied my mind until I described the experience to Mike James. Such a brilliant chap that one! He calmly informed me that leatherbacks have indeed been observed to do the turtle equivalent of a breach; it is described in an interesting little publication: Engbring, J., N. Idechong, C. Cook, G. Wiles, and R. Bauer. 1992. Observations on the defensive and aggressive behavior of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) at sea. Herpetological Review 3: 70-71.

There is a photo in the paper showing a fairly respectable "breach" by a leatherback—do take a look—you will be proud! And what more, Mike tells me that he observes similar surfacing behavior in leatherbacks in Nova Scotian waters where he works…amazing! It’s a sight I now dream to see….

Permission to use humpback whale breaching photo was obtained from Aimée Sanders, Mayumba National Park.