A group of international researchers has developed a drone device that can quickly apply monitoring tags to whales whilst avoiding human interference.
Currently, researchers tag whales by approaching in a boat and using a long pole to attach the tags. The new study, published in PLOS, found that First Person View (FPV) racing drones can be used to apply these suction-based devices instead.
“Deploying these tags on the backs of whales in their natural environment is a challenging task,” write the authors. “We introduce an inexpensive and rapid method for deploying tags using small drones.”
The researchers modified a FPV racing drone by building it on a 17.8cm frame. The drone was remotely controlled by a pilot.
They tagged sperm whales off the coast of the island of Dominica, in the Caribbean. Deployment took on average 1 minute and 15 seconds with a success rate of more than 55%.
Approaches for whale tagging. Credit: Vogt et al., 2025, PLOS One, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
“By harnessing the speed and agility of these drones, we enhance the tagging process by reducing the need for a tagging vessel in close proximity to the whale and by reducing the tagging process time by at least a factor of 3,” write the authors.
Tagging a whale involves several steps including locating the whale, carefully approaching it and adhering the tag. Traditional tagging methods can take approximately 3 to 5 minutes from initial whale sighting to deploying the tag.
“[Pole-tagging] is not adaptable to any boat,” write the authors. “This method requires both specialised infrastructure and personnel to be successful.” This can make the tagging process more expensive.
Boats approaching close to the whales can also disturb or frighten the animals. Using drones could be a cheaper and less invasive technique.
“Our research vessel was often hundreds of metres away from the focal whale we intended to tag; it is unlikely that a traditional boat used for pole-based deployment would be able to arrive in time,” the authors write.
Sperm whales are a deep diving species which remain submerged for approximately 45 minutes for every 8 to 10 minutes of surface time. This can make tagging them by traditional means even more difficult as positioning both the whale and boat correctly can be time consuming.
The team’s drones were able to withstand exposure to seawater, successfully releasing the tag when it was on the whale’s back.
An overview of the drone whale tagging method. A: Looking for whales. B: Launching the drone from the boat. C: Aligning the drone behind the whale prior to tag deployment. D: Tag deployment on the whale via “tap-and-go”. E: Drone return on the boat. F: Data recording on the whale. G: Tag retrieval. H: Data offload and tag reconditioning for the next deployment. Credit Vogt et al., 2025, PLOS One, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
“To protect against damage from marine conditions, we developed a method to waterproof nearly all the electronic components to withstand splashes, and for some components, complete immersion in seawater,” write the authors.
This included brushing liquid tape on the front and back of the batteries to avoid water infiltration and using a transparent heat shrink tubing to wrap the radio receiver to keep it dry.
However, the drone deployment is not without its limitations.
The authors note that windy conditions above 120 knots can result in challenging conditions for drone flight and could result in a sideways drift when dropping the tag on the whales. The drone is also limited to a flight time of approximately 10 minutes by its battery life.
Whale tags are a primary research tool that has allowed marine biologists and researchers to collect an abundance of data about whales. This data is essential for helping protect species like sperm whales, which are listed as being vulnerable to extinction due to human activity.
“Future directions can focus on the use of machine learning tools to develop controllers to automate the tagging process, making sure the tags are applied to the appropriate location with sufficient pressure,” write the authors.