Dear Marmamers
Orca Project Sri Lanka (OPSL) is the first citizen-science project centred on studying orcas (Killer Whales) sighted off Sri Lanka. The initiative collects and compiles orca sightings records and publishes them in a public-access log that is viewable online in a downloadable PDF as well as the project social media pages. In addition to the sightings log, there is also a photo ID component that aims to identify and catalogue the orcas seen off Sri Lanka from images submitted by the public. So far there have been 9 individual orcas identified and catalogued, these consist of 4 males, 1 likely male, 2 females and 2 possible female or juveniles; with images being submitted from all 3 locations in the whale-watching triangle. OPSL has already produced some interesting results in the form of ID matches for 3 individuals, including the first confirmation of some orca moving all around the island, being sighted in Kalpitya (North west), Mirissa (south) and Trincomalee (North east). The orcas are thought to be of a mammal eating eco-type with documented predation and attempted predation towards Sperm and Blue whale. The catalogue is included in the official *project information PDF* that can be viewed and downloaded from this link. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzRJAIq7VT1Ia3VJdm5wS3p5OGs/edit?usp=sharing The public-access sightings log can be viewed and downloaded in PDF form https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzRJAIq7VT1Id0VmbUhZb2pqdTA/edit?usp=sharing With the support of the public, sharing of images and information, together we can lean more about these enigmatic predators and help raise awareness of their presence in our waters, laying a foundation for further studies in the future. The initiative functions as a library of information, collecting and compiling information that can be accessed by anyone, whether for general interest or to supplement further studies. We would be very interested to hear from other researchers who may have catalogued orcas from the surrounding nations. If you would like to know more about Orca Project Sri Lanka, please contact the project administrator at [email protected] or reply to this post. All the best
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