Location Guayaquil, Ecuador (including the Galapagos Islands)


Project Studying endangered humpback whales off the coast of Ecuador


Field Season June – September/October

In the last century, humpback whales were almost hunted to extinction and their numbers fell by a staggering 90%.  Today, despite a moratorium on commercial whaling, and a ban on international trade in whale products, humpbacks face a real and immediate threat of being added to the list of species already targeted by whaling nations.  They also face many other threats to their survival and it is vital that we understand more about the true state of the world’s remaining humpback populations so that we can campaign globally and act locally to protect them.

For over fifteen years, WDCS has supported the work of the Ecuadorian Foundation for the Study of Marine Mammals, FEMM. As part of the largest cetacean population study ever carried out in Ecuador, FEMM is focusing on the Southeastern Pacific humpback whale.  The whales migrate between their Antarctic feeding grounds and the coasts of Ecuador, Colombia and Panama where they come to breed and give birth.

During the breeding season the humpbacks swim near to the coast, fostering the development of local community-led whale-watching programmes. FEMM researchers use these boats to provide educational outreach and to conduct non-invasive research, which involves collecting skin naturally dislodged by the animals after breaching.

The long-term objectives of FEMM are to fully understand the state of marine mammals inhabiting Ecuadorian waters, the threats to their survival, and find ways to mitigate them.  They intend to do this by promoting scientific research through courses, seminars and workshops, and working with local community and government stakeholders to develop strategies for the sustainable management of marine mammals in Ecuador.