Drones Enable Noninvasive Whale Tagging

University of Hawaii at Manoa researchers used drones off Maui to deploy noninvasive suction-cup accelerometer tags on 22 humpback whales during February 2026 fieldwork.

The approach allowed researchers to tag whales from several hundred meters away instead of using a boat-mounted pole, reducing potential disturbance and improving researcher safety. The resulting movement, energy-use, and body-condition data will support studies of environmental stress, migration, vessel traffic, military activity, conservation, and wildlife management.