The navy vessel diverted course and was not seen again. Early Warning System plane searches the water for signs of whales and warns ships away. As the wind-driven rain pelted the boat this weekend, the dock lines strained to keep the boat in its slip. The well-rested crew isn't sure when it will get back out again. The weather system must pass through, and the seas and wind abate before the EWS aircraft can fly.
Air support is essential to the tracking efforts.
With antennas attached to the struts of a plane, the researchers can locate the whales from up to twenty miles away. We rely on the airplane to locate her, and then we can steam to that location. It makes our work a heck of a lot easier. We can work it for three maybe up to five miles. Any farther and the crew must depend on transect lines and hunches to locate the whales.