Digital Catalogues

Like many long-term studies the first step is to individually identify each group member is being investigated.
The best known technique for this purpose in the case of cetaceans is that of photo identification, which in the case of dolphins and killer whales is accomplished by photographing the dorsal fin of each individual and in the  humpback whales the tail . This methodology has led to the catalogs in which our projects are based.

Digital Catalogue of the Humpback Whale

IN BAHIA DE BANDERAS.

The oldest program in our organization is the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) which began in 1991 with the identification photo catalogue that continues growing and that has been useful for two B.S.´s  Thesis and a master. We have published the results from this project in several congresses and the catalogue was supported in 2003 by the CONABIO with the title.

CATALOGO DIGITAL DE LA BALLENA JOROBADA (Megaptera novaeangliae) EN BAHIA DE BANDERAS, MÉXICO.

http://www.conabio.gob.mx/institucion/cgi-bin/datos.cgi?Letras=BE&Numero=14

Our team became part of Splash International Project which main purpose was to determine humpback whales´ current situation (Megaptera novaeangliae) in North Pacific. Until 2008, the digital catalog database contains a photograph of the underside of 812 whales and all information regarding sightings of these individuals and for this we made an average output of 100 to 120 per season.
The catalog was done with the File Maker Pro software as this is compatible with both PC and Mac platforms, which has 46 all searchable fields, including an area of recaptures to log each visit to the area of each whale.

ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION SPACETIME-CONTINUUM

( Tursiops truncatus) IN NORTH OF BAHIA DE BANDERAS, JALISCO-NAYARIT, MEXICO.

In the second program we have consider Bottle Nose  Dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus)from which there was a research to support a master´s thesis. Furthermore the research results from it have been published in several congresses and magazines. This began in 1998 and like the whales´, this is also based on photo identification, the catalogue has been useful not only for the project in Bahia de Banderas but we have also shared it with other researchers in the country, in  order to develop better identification and classification  methods for  different populations  living in our coasts.

Orcas (Orcinus orca) in BAHIA DE BANDERAS

The project with orcas (Orcinus orca) has reported fewer results for the difficulties that represents this species, however we are about to implement new methods to obtain better results.

Contact Us: Tordo #154 Colonia Aralias, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico C.P. 48328
Tel. +52 (322) 22 536 21, Cell. +52 1 322 2271645 / +52 1 322 1002908

Wildlife Connection offers the ultimate wildlife experience on our Whale Watching tours and the rare opportunity to swim or play with a bottlenose dolphin in the wild with the free dolphin program across the blue waters of  Banderas Bay, at the same time participate in a research project that helps us to understand and protect the dolphins and whales in Puerto Vallarta. Our guides are professional biologists who will share with you their knowledge, making this excursion a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Or Snorkeling tour at Los arcos, to see a lot of different types of fish, we also provide the Bird Watching to see the birds of this tropical paradise, something good for the whole family, there is a Wildlife Connection just right for you during your vacation in Puerto Vallarta Mexico.