Telemetry tags record data such as diving depth, GPS location, swimming speed, water temperature, salinity, and can include audio or video, with some tags capturing what whales see and hear.

Tagging has been applied to endangered North Atlantic right whales, humpback whales, and Rice’s whales, underscoring conservation priorities and ongoing threats.

NOAA scientists deploy suction-cup telemetry tags using drones to study movement, behavior, and environmental conditions of whales.

Tags can alert emergency responders if a whale becomes entangled, enabling rapid assistance.

Data from even a single tagged whale helps reveal migratory patterns, habitat use, short-term survival, and environmental conditions to aid conservation.

Telemetry tags are temporary, attached by suction cups, and designed to minimize disturbance while collecting data.

Most tags stay on for hours to days, with some lasting months to a year depending on battery and design, before detaching for recovery.

Telemetry is also used to study other marine life—crabs, fish, dolphins, seals, sharks, sea lions, manta rays, and sea turtles—demonstrating broader scientific value.

Whale threats include entanglement in fishing gear, vessel strikes, oil spills, ocean debris, aquaculture, noise, and habitat degradation.