Richard Sears, a renowned researcher of blue whales, founded Mingan Island Cetacean Study (facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MICScanada, web: https://www.rorqual.com/english/home), based in Quebec, Canada, in 1979, to study marine mammals in the St. Lawrence, with an emphasis on baleen whales. This work became the first long-term blue whale’s research project worldwide and the longest continuous data collection effort for cetaceans in the St. Lawrence.

In 1982, he expanded his research to Mexico, where he started the first long-term study of blue whales in the Sea of Cortéz. In 1996 he travelled to Iceland and collected the first blue whale identification photographs and biopsies samples. In 1998 he came to the Azores, for the first time, where he returns almost every year since, to collect data on blue whales passing by the archipelago in the spring, during the migration season. Here, he has identified, in total, over 600 individuals, focusing on the islands of Pico and Faial, where some whale watching companies have contributed actively to enrich this catalogue.

This year, similarly to the previous year, with all the worldwide travel restrictions due to the pandemic situation we are facing, Richard cannot travel to the Azores. Still, he has kindly accepted to share with us his knowledge and enthusiasm about these fascinating animals. The conversation we had with him will be available soon on our LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project website at: https://www.lifeazoresnatura.eu/