How do you give a whale a check-up?
A novel non-invasive tool for disease surveillance of free-ranging whales and its relevance to conservation programs
Scientists checked on whales’ health by flying a little helicopter through their blowhole spray.
Ig Nobel 2010
Studying the health of wild whales is hard because you can’t exactly ask one for a blood sample. But whales breathe out a big misty spray when they surface.
The team flew a small remote-control helicopter through that spray to collect samples, then checked them for bacteria. Clever, gentle, and no whales were bothered.
Bless you, whale.