ENRICH Voyage: Photogrammetric Whale Movement Tracking in the Southern Ocean

Photogrammetric video tracking data from the RV Investigator voyage IN2019_V01 (ENRICH) conducted between 19 January and 5 March 2019. The dataset includes approximately 18 hours of tracking across 24 sessions, primarily targeting Antarctic blue whales with some fin whale observations. It provides baseline information on cetacean surface behavior and movement to support investigations of whale behavior, movement patterns, and vocal activity.

Use Cases

• Analyzing fine-scale surface movement patterns of whales based on photogrammetric range and bearing data.
• Investigating relationships between whale surface behavior and vocal activity as mentioned in the description.
• Studying the availability of Antarctic krill to large predators like blue and fin whales.
• Modeling whale movement relative to environmental factors like sea ice mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Data collected during a dedicated 46-day research voyage (IN2019_V01) in the Southern Ocean.
• Approximately 18 hours of video tracking across 24 separate observation sessions.
• Targets specific, high-interest species: Antarctic blue whales and fin whales.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Focal follows were terminated when sea ice or multiple animals prevented reliable identification, which may introduce gaps.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via the Marine National Facility RV Investigator voyage IN2019_V01.

Collection Method

Collected using a digital photogrammetric video tracking system to determine the range and bearing of surfacing cetaceans relative to the research vessel.

Time Range

19 January 2019 to 5 March 2019

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 00:26:13.278986; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Ocean