It only took Eba two days on the water with whales to sniff out her first whale scat.
Washington, August 8, 2019: The massive gray back of the humpback glistened under the afternoon sun as it surfaced near Kellet Bluff, on Henry Island. Eba, an approximately 3-year-old Jack-Russell terrier mix, sniffs at the breeze. A tangy watermelon scent from nudibranchs, or sea slugs, is strong, but that is not the smell Eba and her humans are searching for.
Reports Islands Sounder “Eba is different than other dogs we’ve used,” Debora Giles, who has a P.h.D. in marine conservation biology, said. “She is a balance between being calm, really wanting to please her people as well as being focused and playful, or ball driven.” Looking for whale scat involves downtime; waiting, watching and following the cetaceans, Giles explained. If the dogs are too hyper or easily distracted those downtimes can be hard on the dog.
Giles has been working with Conservation Canines for several years, a program of the University of Washington’s Center for Conservation Biology that researches animals and habitats around the world by utilizing the keen canine nose to collect scat or poop. Researchers have gleaned incredible amounts of information from their waste regarding the creature’s health including toxins ingested, what and how much they are eating. The center has been studying the Southern resident killer whales for more than a decade.
Giles adopted Eba approximately two years ago and discussed the possibility of training her for the program with Samuel Wasser, the director of the center. He and other professional dog handlers assessed Eba and decided she was up for the job. Once her training was complete, it only took Eba two days on the water with whales to sniff out her first whale scat when Southern residents came through briefly at the beginning of July. “We didn’t really expect to find anything,” Giles said.
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