The whaletag-launcher ARTS will now expanding from a pure tag launcher (satellite tags, radio tags and data loggers) to also include a competitive biopsy system. During the Norwegian independent line transect survey (NILS2008) conducted by IMR (Institute of Marine Research, Norway) in waters west of Svalbard and in the Barents Sea, we had chances to make some real sea test trails during rough weather conditions. Applying a Finn Larsen tip on a specially designed ARTdart, we collected samples from humpback whales and fin whales, both from a larger mother ship and from a smaller MOB boat. We noted excellent precision on this new system, collecting biopsy samples on distances up to 50 meters. Only one ARTdart was used during all the test trails collecting a number of 14 biopsy samples, emphasizing the solidity of the new ARTSdart. The ARTdart with a diameter of 38mm and a length of 200mm, coloured with red and yellow patches was unproblematic to spot and further easy to pick up from the sea.

Restech-Norway and LKARTS-Norway can now present a combined whale tag & biopsy canon, hereby called the ARTSB, for instrumentation and for collecting biopsy samples.

Acknowledgement: to the captain and the crew of Thorsteinson and the scientific personnel, Nils Øien and Paul Ensor, for an excellent and well fascinating cruise.

Collecting dive time series and surface rates of the minke whales was the main purpose of the Måøybuen trail, conducted by IMR (Institute of Marine Research, Norway) along the Norwegian coast in September 2008. Radio tags were deployed with the use of the ARTS from Restech-Norway. Excellent weather for almost the whole survey period gave us an unbelievable advantage in this type of work at this time of the year, but we encountered problems in approaching the whales.

From experiences of deploying both satellite tags and VHF tags for the last decade, the main line and key issue is to wait for the right occasion to launch the tag, and normally we would have some few encounters on ranges under 15 meters. However, post-cruise thoughts from this year lift the issue of expanding the range when deploying especially VHF tags. This winter we will conduct dummy testing on ranges up to 30meters. However, when deploying satellite tags the main rule will still be to wait until a close encounter. This will of course always depend on the boat and position of the platform.

This minke whale "GeleVannila" was radio tracked during 6 days in Varangerfjorden, Norway, using the ATS receiver (R2100) and an ATS direction finder (DF). The tag from Televildt was attached with the whale tag launcher ARTS produced by Restech-Norway. GeleVanilla was lost in 2 periods when the whale moved into Russian waters.

Acknowledgement: to the captain and the crew of Måøybuen, and the scientific personnel, Nils Øien, Kjell-Arne Fagerheim and George McCullum, for an excellent and interesting cruise.

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Horten 10.10.2008

Lars Kleivane