Uncovering the Secrets Beneath the Waves: Revealing a Whale's Gender through Its Tail Swish

In a groundbreaking development, our global conservation organisation, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, has announced a significant study that could revolutionise the way we understand and protect iconic marine species like whales. The study, titled "Sexing from Seawater: Application of Environmental DNA Beyond Species Detection for Cetaceans," was published in the prestigious Environmental DNA journal.

The research, made possible through the generous support of Prince of Whales Whale Watching, North Island Kayak, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Coastal Environmental Baseline Program (CEBP), has shown promising results in determining the sex of whales using a less invasive approach.

Whale flukeprints, the slicks of water left behind after a whale dives, contain enough environmental DNA (eDNA) to identify species and, remarkably, in some cases, individual genetic profiles. Researchers, led by Dr. Maria Fernandez, decided to take this a step further to determine if flukeprints could also tell us whether a whale is male or female.

The study screened 67 flukeprints from killer whales (both Southern Residents and Bigg's) and 18 from humpback whales, using a genetic marker to determine their sex. Interestingly, gene detection in humpbacks was slightly lower (44%), but all successfully amplified samples accurately matched the known sex of the individual (100%). On the other hand, the method showed a higher overall gene detection success in killer whales (53%), but only about half of the samples could be confidently linked to the sex of a specific individual.

Identifying the sex of wild whales is crucial for scientists as it helps understand the health of a population and its likelihood of recovery. For humpback whales, which have much less obvious sex-based physical traits, this new method could prove invaluable.

Lasse Gustavsson, CEO and President of our organisation, states that this research adds to a growing body of work on the use of environmental DNA to learn more about whales. Dr. Chloe Robinson, Advisor and Technical Lead of the our organisation's Whales Initiative, expressed excitement about the cost-effective and minimally invasive method working well, especially for humpback whales.

Elspeth McGillivray, General Manager of Prince of Whales, North Island Kayak and Sea Vancouver, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership with our organisation and the deepening of understanding of whales. The study marks an important step toward scalable, less invasive methods of studying and protecting these magnificent creatures.

In the past, biopsies have been the traditional method for determining the sex of whales, but they require specialized training, permits, close vessel approaches, and can cause disturbance to the whale. The new eDNA sampling method provides an alternative that is less intrusive and potentially more feasible for large-scale studies.

This research is a testament to the power of collaboration and the strides being made in the field of marine conservation. As we continue to face challenges like plastic pollution, overfishing, and climate change, innovative solutions like this one are essential in ensuring the survival of our planet's most fascinating creatures.

Uncovering the Secrets Beneath the Waves: Revealing a Whale's Gender through Its Tail Swish