Citizen scientists in Timor-Leste assist with research

For about two months each year, fisherman Faustino Mauloco da Cunha and his son Zacharias spend most of their days on a dugout boat in the South Pacific Ocean.

Armed with binoculars and a telephoto camera, he scours the cobalt waters for its biggest treasures – pygmy blue whales.

When a darshan happens, all systems go.

A team based in Dr Cunha’s village – known as Suban – dispatches the drone. Then the team leader, Australian marine ecologist Karen Edivane, guides the drone operator to take the best photographs. When the drone returns, the team reviews the images, taking notes on a white board.

It is a small and frugal operation in Timor-Leste, part of an archipelago located between Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. But it has generated a wealth of information about pygmy blue whales — one of the largest animals on Earth, whose vast habitats and elusive nature make them challenging to study.

These citizen researchers, all of them local, have identified around 3,000 pygmy blue whales in the past 10 years – a number which Professor Edivan considers a “truly extraordinary”.

Timor-Leste has the world’s highest concentration of marine mammals.

During migration season – October and November – hundreds of pygmy blue whales pass through the country’s waters as they make an epic journey from South Australia to the Banda Sea, thousands of kilometers north of Timor-Leste.

But the area has been under-researched, says Prof Ediwan, who started the monitoring program in 2014.

During the whaling season of the past decade, he has been stationed in Suban, about 50km (31 miles) from the capital, Dili, working with fishermen, students and dive tour operators to document the cetaceans.

They have “documented some of the lesser-known, intimate breeding behaviors of blue whales, some for the first time,” says Professor Ediwan, who lectures at the Australian National University and Charles Darwin University.

For example, in July, the team captured underwater footage of a mother nursing her calf, providing a glimpse into the species’ reproductive behavior, which is largely unknown.

“It’s very exciting,” he adds.

The project began as a Facebook group, inviting local volunteers to identify and document the lives of pygmy blue whales.

Professor Ediwan trained them in survey methods and hired professionals to teach them how to use telephoto cameras and drones so they could conduct aerial and boat surveys.

“When locals living on the coast see whales swimming, they post pictures on Facebook and WhatsApp. Updates come on a real-time basis and when someone shares something, everyone gets very excited,” says Prof Ediwan.

In 2016, the team worked with a dive tour operator to launch the first whale-watching tour.

Just last year they set up a “research station” outside Dr Cunha’s village home – photos show a simple hut overlooking the bay. Outside there are two tables, plastic chairs and white boards on the walls of the hut.

During this year’s whaling season, undergraduate students from the National University of East Timor gathered at the research station to help with sightings.

Such a basic structure also made the job easier.

“We are able to monitor all day and all night,” says Professor Edivan. “We were able to get the most incredible footage. The whales come so close that sometimes we can hear them blow.

Wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta says citizen researchers like these have become powerful eyes and ears on the ground for marine scientists.

“The combination of people with access to tools like drones and social media to fund our work gives us insights into what’s going on when we’re behind the desk writing grants,” he said.

An increase in research activity in Suban has led to a rise in tourism.

Demand for whale-watching trips is high, diving instructor Cassio Schumacher tells the BBC, adding that these trips are “booked years in advance”.

Local non-profits have warned of the dangers of unregulated whaling tourism, and the government has said it intends to use Professor Ediwan’s research to “fully protect and preserve” the marine life that passes through Timor-Leste’s waters.

Professor Ediwan believes that with regulation, whaling tourism has the potential to create jobs and grow Timor-Leste’s economy.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the country is one of the poorest in the world, with an average annual income in cities of around $1,500. In Suban, most villagers work as subsistence fishermen and farmers, earning only $600 to $900 a year.

Dr Cunha’s family has now started preparing meals from local produce and the day’s catch for students and tourists – a source of additional income.

“We enjoyed having guests and would love to do it again,” Faustino, 51, tells the BBC in a WhatsApp video call. “We’ll make it a great experience (next season).”

His son Zacharias has also been contracted to provide drone services for the project. Prof Edyvane says he plans to train them to give speeches about whales in English.

Visitors are learning to protect the area, says the 26-year-old: “University students learn fast and well to protect the area.”

For tourists, he says, the locals are happy to teach them. “We remind tourists not to swim with the whales but watch them from a distance.”