Powerful space satellites that can identify individual whales from their markings have been used for the first time to track a critically endangered species. Scientists are using the tech to follow the North Atlantic right whale to keep them away from ships and find out where they go in the summer and fall. Interestingly, it is not known where approximately 50% of North Atlantic right whales go in the summer and autumn months.
The latest satellites are able to capture finer images than Google Earth, meaning conservationists can identify species and even individuals. Knowing where the whales are at any given time enables fisheries to open or close to avoid the whales and enables ships to bypass them to prevent collisions and deaths of the beasts.
