Overview
- The Journal of Thermal Biology paper analyzed more than 40,000 drone thermal images and confirmed precise estimates of surface temperature and respiration under controlled conditions.
- Accuracy hinged on flight profile, with the most reliable results when drones flew directly overhead at roughly 10–15 meters and performance declining as altitude increased.
- Thermal imagery captured heat signatures from blowholes, dorsal fins and body surfaces, enabling accurate breath counts without physical handling.
- Comparisons to simultaneous close‑range reference data validated the method, with temperature estimates remaining within about 1°C even at higher altitudes.
- The research, led by Flinders University’s Charlie White with Andrew P. Colefax and Guido J. Parra, was conducted under an animal ethics permit with support from Sea World and the Sea World Foundation, and authors emphasize further testing in variable wild conditions before routine use.