Last time I worked out the comms half of my whale project - 900 MHz ISM radio to get the audio across the Bay of Banderas, no satellite, no cloud. But comms is only half. Something on the water still has to decide what’s worth sending. That’s the brain. And it turns out my day job already built it.
Two and a half years into my whale song project I’ve killed one platform, walked away from a $13K dev kit, gotten my ham license, and pivoted to (water-borne) drones. I can do that link myself across the Bay of Banderas with a radio I’m now legally allowed to key up. Read on.
After two years of false starts with the Bristlemouth platform and permit headaches, I’m revisiting my whale song project with a completely different approach: semi-autonomous floating drones. The regulatory landscape has forced a rethink, and honestly, it might lead to something better.
A short update on my whale song project: I fell down a few technical rabbit hole!
A short update on my whale song project: it’s shifting technology.
A short update on my whale song project: it’s delayed. Need to sort out some legal stuff.
Work on the SOFAR Spotter with Development Kit is slower than I hoped.
I have possession and unboxed the SOFAR Spotter with Development Kit!
The SOFAR Spotter with Development Kit may not be able to get to me. There’s some legal paperwork that I don’t have - that may be quite expensive to get. Import/Export laws are a pain.
Recent press about an actual conversation with a whale was preceeded by ground-breaking work by Dr. Michelle Fournet and profiled in the fantastic documentary Fathom on AppleTV. This is a MUST WATCH if you love the ocean - or humanity!
I’ve been accepted into the Bristlemouth Pioneer Program. I’ve been granted a SOFAR Spotter with a Development Kit. Unfortunately it was detained in customs due to it’s high invoiced value. I required a “customs agent” to clear it - which I did not have.
I’ve been accepted into the Bristlemouth Pioneer Program. I’ve been granted a SOFAR Spotter with a Development Kit. I want to build a system capable of autonomously recording whale song (and other ocean data). Humpback Whale songs is incredibly interesting - and scientists have JUST been able to actually talk to whales.
But really getting all “science fictiony” - can we build an ocean phone system to talk to whales?