In September of 2016 the Waitt Foundation teamed with Dr. Emanuel Gonçalves and his newly forming Ocean Azul Foundation to conduct scientific dive surveys in the islands of the Azores; the expedition was a fantastic success and we hope it will lead to continued partnerships and new protections in the region. Highlights include a non-invasive tagging method developed by expedition member and free diver, Jorge Fontes. He devised a brilliant way to tag Mobula rays with ‘necklaces’ that charted their progress through the water column. The ‘necklace’ sensors have fusible links which dissolve after a period of time and release to the surface, where our team tracked them down using rf directional finders. This expedition group also had an incredible encounter with Sperm whales that none will soon forget. You really want to take a look at the pictures and films from this effort.

​

​

​