Generally, more useful information was obtained by the interview 

 for anecdotal data than by the sighting card for data on actual 

 observations. In most cases, the oil platform operators did not seem 

 to have enough time, interest, or incentive to fill out the cards. 



The original sighting cards, designed by CCP, were quite large, 

 with a total of 50 questions to answer and gave the impression that a 

 lot of work was required to fill them out. Even after the revision the 

 smaller sized cards had 25 questions to answer, although most of them 

 required only a check mark in an appropriate box. 



On the platforms, the posters and cards were left in the galley or 

 in the foreman's office, which was not always the most convenient 

 place. If someone on the lower deck spotted an animal, it was too much 

 effort to go get a card at the time and not important enough to worry 

 about later. There was not much incentive for filling out a card, 

 especially in the perspective that it may indicate that one's place of 

 work could cause undesirable interference with some whales and may 

 jeopardize one's job. Research for the sake of general knowledge 

 didn't seem to have too high of a value with most of the workers, 

 although the identification posters were received with great interest. 



The presence of the researcher seemed to encourage awareness of the 

 oil workers about the marine maiwnals and the study. Many cards were 

 filled out just after the researcher's visit to the platform, but the 

 rate tapered off quickly as normal patterns of work resumed and the 

 novelty of the instructional posters wore off. The awareness increased 

 again when the interviewer returned to the platform and received many 

 apologies for not filling out the cards in spite of some sightings of 

 whales around the platform. Thus, many direct sightings were reduced 

 to anecdotal information. 



Supervisors, obviously concerned with job performance and attention 



to duties, did not always insist that someone stop work to fill out a 



sighting card, and the animals did not always appear during lunch 

 breaks or shift changes. 



For these reasons, the actual number of animals passing within 

 sight of a platform was probably larger than was recorded. The number 

 of sightings seems to vary also with the location of the platform, 

 which raises the question of whether the animals' natural pathways are 

 through unexplored, undeveloped areas, or whether the animals have 

 changed pathways to areas with little or no exploration or 

 development. Without adequate baseline data it is difficult to tell 

 whether the whales are actively avoiding the platforms, or if their 

 natural migratory routes just pass through areas where no offshore 

 production is occurring. To decide whether the presence of the rig 

 caused a change in the pathway or if the animals would have shifted as 

 a result of an evolutionary change would require many years of study, 

 ideally on marked, tracked individuals. More knowledge about the 



C-24 



