MRI Whale Unit
Established in 1985, the MRI Whale Unit is a global, African research, conservation and education facility that researches the ecology, population dynamics and behaviour of the diverse cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) in the southern African sub-region and surrounding oceans, with the principal objective of providing knowledge that will promote their conservation. A primary raison d'être of the Unit remains the development of human capacity in these areas. Research, Conservation and Education are interlinked to execute forward-looking programmes, integral for the understanding of conservation priorities for African cetaceans.
The MRI Whale Unit possesses a wealth of expertise, intellectual property, and well-established knowledge resource bases. It has current national and international collaborations with over 30 organisations, is the lead in various research consortia and is actively involved in the work of the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (the intergovernmental body responsible for the management of whale populations) as well as the related Southern Ocean Research Partnership.
Multidisciplinary activities range across a broad national and international geographic and institutional spectrum and align within these themes:
Recovering Whales - The role of large whales in Southern Hemisphere Ocean Ecosystems
Large migratory whale population abundance and trends, and the related impacts of climate change
Large whale feeding ecology and migratory behaviour
Cetaceans of the South African EEZ - Assessment of seasonal distribution and relative abundance of cetacean species in South African waters
Capacity building - Building marine mammal research capacity in Africa
Management and policy - Application of science-based knowledge for the creation of national and international Conservation Management Plans
Satellite tagging of southern right whales
This map shows the live location of adult southern right whales which were tagged in Walker Bay in October 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
These tags were deployed to investigate, in detail, the migration and feeding behaviour of these animals. Research of this kind is of paramount importance when considering the drastic changes that have been observed in southern right whale migration, reproduction, and body condition in the last 10 years. These changes are likely explained by a reduced prey availability in the Southern Ocean due to climate change. These tags will provide us with information for up to 1 year.
This research project is run in collaboration with the following people and organisations:
Dr Alex Zerbini and Dr Amy Kennedy from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), University of Washington’s Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES/UW), and the Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research (MarEcoTel). Funding for the tags deployed in 2022 was provided by WWF Protecting Whales & Dolphins Initiative, a private donor and MRI Whale Unit. Tags deployed in 2023 and 2024 were donated by the South African Polar Research Infrastructure, to whom we are very grateful.
Deployment of CTD tags runs in collaboration with Prof Mads-Peter Jorgenson from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Prof Jonas Teilmann from Aarhus University, Dr Alexandre Zerbini from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), University of Washington’s Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES/UW), and the Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research (MarEcoTel). and Wildlife Computers. It is a project funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR)
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Open statement for urgent global action to protect marine life from extinction
More than 360 cetacean experts from around the world have signed an open statement to global leaders calling for action to urgently address the precarious situation of many populations of whales, dolphins and porpoises (collectively known as ‘cetaceans’). An alarming number of cetacean species are in peril, with 13 listed as “critically endangered” or “endangered”, seven as “vulnerable” and seven as “near threatened”, while 24 species are considered “data deficient” and could also be imperilled. Additionally, there are 32 subspecies and other distinct cetacean populations that are presently either endangered or critically endangered. Therefore the statement warns that the lack of concrete action to address threats adversely affecting cetaceans in our increasingly busy, polluted, overexploited and human-dominated seas and major river systems means many populations, one after another, will likely be declared extinct within our lifetime.
Whale Watching Regulations in South Africa
South Africa has some of the best regulations in the world that stipulate exactly how the public and boat-based whale-watching industry may/may not approach whales and dolphins at sea. This industry is permitted by national government and abide by a voluntary Code of Conduct. Follow this link to download guides to the regulations, code of conduct and species-specific rules for boat-based whale-watching.
Staff
Dr Els Vermeulen
Dr Els Vermeulen is a senior lecturer and research manager at the Mammal Research Institute (MRI) Whale Unit within the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. With over 20 years of experience in research on whales and dolphins, her main interest and expertise lie in population biology, ecology, and associated conservation management. As manager of the MRI Whale Unit, she is responsible for the continuous project development and execution, administration, fundraising, student supervision, and community and policy engagement. Due to her interest and expertise, the Whale Unit’s research projects range across a broad national and international geographic and institutional spectrum and align mainly with the role of large baleen whales in the Southern Hemisphere Ocean Ecosystems.
Based on her expertise, she is a member of the South African National Committee for the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SANC for SCAR), the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group, the IUCN Red List Authority and an annually invited participant to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission. Additional to her research expertise, Dr Vermeulen has a solid capacity to bring together diverse experts across various fields to advance overarching global goals in cetacean research, as evidenced in her leadership in the IWC-SORP theme on southern right whales, the Southern Right Whale Consortium (SRWC), the South African Humpback Dolphin Consortium (SouSA), and the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Network (HuDONET).
Dr Vermeulen has a C2 rating from the NRF.
Chris Wilkinson
Chris is the technical manager at the University of Pretoria’s Mammal Research Institute – Whale Unit, overseeing operations and ensuring safety in field sampling activities like aerial and ship surveys, shore-based tracking, and whale disentanglements (www.sawdn.co.za). His technical expertise spans cetacean sampling, including photography, skippering, RPAS piloting, shore-based tracking, and biopsying, with training in satellite tagging through NOAA. He maintains rigorous safety protocols for the safety of the staff and animals.
Chris handles permitting and stakeholder engagements, vital due to complex regulatory requirements for marine mammal research in South Africa. The Whale Unit strictly adheres to ethical, legal, and safety standards across multiple jurisdictions, including compliance with DFFE permits, SAMSA, and CAA regulations. He also manages the unit's scientific equipment, ensuring readiness for offshore sampling with their custom RHIB and a range of field tools, and oversees the smooth transition of collected samples to labs in Pretoria or international partners.
With over 40 years of whale data, including historical records, Chris curates and expands this valuable dataset to support ongoing projects and research. Additionally, he manages procurement, income, and expenditure within the university’s accounting framework to ensure compliance and transparency. Chris serves as the main point of contact for all invoicing and billing needs for the Whale Unit, liaising with suppliers, donors, and university departments.
Contact
The MRI Whale Unit is hosted in an off-campus field station of the MRI in Hermanus, Western Cape.
Address; Shop 11, Astoria Village, Main Road, Hermanus, 7200, Western Cape, South Africa
Contact: Dr Els Vermeulen +27 (0)60 971 4301; Chris Wilkinson +27 (0)83 580 8247
Email: els.vermeulen@up.ac.za / christopher.wilkinson@up.ac.za
