American Queen Voyages Partners with Whale Communication Expert
American Queen Voyages is partnering with Dr. Michelle Fournet, director of the Sound Science Research Collective, for this summer’s inaugural Alaska season of Ocean Victory.
Fournet, an acoustic ecologist, is an expert in the communication of North Pacific humpback whales. Her work was profiled, along with her Sound Science Research Collective team, in the documentary “Fathom”, now streaming on Apple+.
Fournet and the sound collective will collaborate with the American Queen expedition team and California Polytechnic State University researchers as Ocean Victory becomes an extension of their research lab.
Sound Science Collective hydrophones will be used on Zodiacs to listen to Alaska’s whales in real-time. Guests can participate in whale tracking through fluke identification by uploading their own photos from the vessel to a scientific database following their seasonal movements.
“‘Fathom’ has brought so much attention to the sophisticated communication of humpback whales, and we look forward to working with American Queen Voyages to share that research with guests,” Fournet said. “Alaska is unlike any other place on earth, and spending time there is unique in that you’re able to peer right into the wilderness of the oceans while under the shadow of the mountains. There is no better way than on a boat to have that up-close experience.”
Fournet and the collective team use underwater sound to try and understand how marine mammals like North Pacific Humpback whales communicate and interpret the world. Fournet will sail on the May 6 maiden voyage of Ocean Victory from Vancouver to Sitka. Fellow Sound Science Collective scientist Andy Rogan will join the June 17 voyage and Natalie Mastick will sail June 27 from Sitka to Vancouver.
“At American Queen Voyages, we strive to deliver extraordinary experiences for our guests and this partnership with Michelle and the Sound Science Research Collective team will offer unique encounter travel experiences,” said Shawn Bierdz, chief operating officer of American Queen Voyages. “I look forward to welcoming the team onboard and seeing our guests learn first-hand from the world’s leading researchers directly in the field.”
The Sound Science Research Collective is a marine conservation non-profit comprised of bio-acousticians and ecologists from throughout the U.S. Fournet completed her doctorate in wildlife science and master’s in Marine Resource Management from Oregon State University (OSU) and recently completed a four-year postdoctoral research assistantship with Cornell University.
Her research includes investigating how marine organisms use sound to facilitate vital life functions, investigating the potential impact of noise on marine species, and how sound can be used as an indicator of ecosystem health. She is particularly interested in using bioacoustics as a tool to further conservation and to assess species’ resilience to a rapidly changing ocean.
The 186-guest Ocean Victory will sail 12- and 13-day journeys through the less-traveled regions of Alaska led by a seasoned expedition team. Travelers will explore Alaska from kayaks and Zodiacs with expedition guides, viewing wildlife from sliding observation platforms, witnessing marine research by California Polytech University students in real-time and engaging in discussions with First Nation leaders.
Ocean Victory, which has an innovative X-Bow design to smooth travel and minimize environmental disruption, will sail between Vancouver, B.C., and Sitka, Alaska. Ports of call include Canadian Inside Passage; Fiordland (Kynoch Inlet); Ketchikan/Metlakatla; Misty Fjords National Monument; Wrangell/Stikine River Wilderness; Waterfall Coast/Baranof Wilderness; Petersburg/Le Conte Glacier; Tracy Arm/Endicott Glacier; Kake/Frederick Sound/Five Finger; and Sitka, Alaska. Sailings are available in May through September 2022.