Manx Wildlife Trust’s seal surveys on the Calf of Man have gone high tech this year with the use of a thermal imaging drone.
The use of a thermal imaging drone enables the volunteers to see the seals more easily and with less disturbance when used in the correct way.
MWT says that the thermal image (below) you can see the drone is being flown at height (over 50m) with the white seals visibly hauled up on the rocks.
The other image (below) is the drone zoomed in on one of the individual seal allowing MWT to compare this seal to its existing photo ID catalogue.
MWT say every seal is an individual and their behaviour is different and although the guidance states a minimum of 50m flying height, volunteers always fly higher and where needed reduce the height slowly (to no less than 50m) monitoring the behaviour of the seals.
If there are any signs of disturbance and the volunteers move the drone away.
This work is done under licence from the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.
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