A clever floating robot is now listening out for whales in Golden Bay, at the top of the South Island, in the hope of stopping deadly whale strandings before they happen.
The project, called Pilot Pulse, uses a solar-powered buoy fitted with an underwater microphone and artificial intelligence computer technology that can learn to recognise patterns, a bit like how we learn to recognise a friend’s voice. The buoy listens for the clicks and whistles that pilot whales and dolphins use to “talk” to each other.
When the AI hears a whale call, it sends an alert to people on shore so they can get ready to help, far sooner than if they waited to spot stranded whales by chance. The buoy was first placed in the water in December 2025 and is being trialled over summer.
Golden Bay, with its shallow waters and sweeping Farewell Spit, is known as one of the world’s hotspots for mass pilot whale strandings.
Daren Grover, general manager of Project Jonah, said early warning could make a big difference. “Having reliable, early detection of pre-stranding behaviour could be a game changer,” he said.
The project is a team effort between Project Jonah, the HealthPost Nature Trust, the Department of Conservation and marine scientists, with hopes the technology could one day help save whales right around the country.
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