| This work is important because we want to understand if drilling activities in the Beaufort Sea could cause any changes to the way the whales behave and interact with their environment. The only practical way to observe the whale migration is from an airplane. The airplane must fly high enough so that the whales are not disturbed by the plane, yet low enough so that I can record their behavior. We base our operations in Deadhorse, Alaska, which is located near Prudhoe Bay. |  Twin Otter Aircraft |
| Flying in a Twin Otter plane over the Beaufort Sea at an elevation of 1500 feet is quite an adventure in itself. The Twin Otter is a small double-prop plane with extended fuel capacity. We can stay in the air for up to seven hours at a time. As we fly over the Beaufort Sea, we look for bowhead whales. |  Inside the Twin Otter Aircraft |
| As a whale observer I've been trained to determine what each whale is doing, how may
whales are in the pod (group) and the direction and speed they are moving. This
information is recorded into a computer as we fly. Later on, the computer data is used to
help us better understand the migration and behavior patterns of these whales. We also see pods of Beluga whales and different species of seals. Once in a while we spot polar bears swimming in the ocean. One time I spotted a mother polar bear with her three cubs all swimming in a row. The young bears were playing follow-the-leader. It looked as though each bear was holding on to the one in front as the mother towed them through the water. It was quite a sight. |
 Mother and Calf Bowheads, Beaufort Sea |
