Paul Spong
Encyclopedia
Dr. Paul Spong is a neuroscientist
and cetologist
from New Zealand
. He has spent more than 30 years researching orcas (or Killer whales) in British Columbia
, and is credited with increasing public awareness of whaling
, through his involvement with Greenpeace
.
, near the north-east coast of New Zealand, in 1939. He studied law at the University of Canterbury
in Christchurch
.
In 1963 Spong enrolled in the Brain Research Institute (BRI) at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) for post-graduate studies in psychology. His work at the BRI included analysis of human brain wave patterns and tracking information pathways. Spong's doctoral thesis
was on sensory stimulation, perception, and human consciousness.
(UBC), to find a "whale scientist" to assist him at the aquarium. Dr. Spong was selected as the candidate to work at the Vancouver Aquarium with orca
whales (Orcinus orca) after a successful interview and a recommendation from the head of the lab at UCLA.
Dr. Spong arrived in Vancouver, with his wife Linda, in April 1967. This was two months after Skana, the orca that Paul would be working with, had been bought by the Vancouver Aquarium from The Pacific Northwest Boat Show.
In April 1968, a second orca, Hyak was captured and brought to the Aquarium. Hyak was kept in a separate pool from Skana. Dr. Spong thought that Hyak was in deep depression after being captured, and thus tried to stimulate the orca by conductive experiments. Paul learned the importance of acoustics for orcas through these experiments. He noticed that when the two whales swam together in the same pool they vocalized and sung together. Thus Dr. Spong started experimenting with music and sound and noticed Hyak's recovery from lethargy.
Dr. Paul Spong believed that his frequent interactions with the whales allowed him to communicate with them. He established this after an event involving Skana. The whale would brush her teeth against the Dr. Spong's feet repeatedly until he no longer pulled them out of the water. Dr. Spong considered this a conscious deconditioning of his fear by the whale. After this event Dr. Spong started freely swimming with the whales on a regular basis.
His comments from this lecture were published in local newspapers and interviews with radio stations were scheduled. However, the Dr. Newman from the Aquarium did not appreciate the fact that Dr. Spong's recommendation on freeing the whales. This pushed him to suspend the research project Dr. Spong was working on.
, Canada
.
In December 1969 Spong travelled to Pender Harbour, where fishermen had captured 12 whales. Of the 12 whales, only one whale, Corky
, survived in captivity for more than 2 years. Spong spent three decades trying to free her.
At the laboratory, Dr. Spong started to catalogue and transcribed the modulations and songs sung by the whales in order to decipher them.
Dr. Paul Spong set up an online viewing portal of the orcas over several summers starting in 2000. While future plans for this project are under review, but microphones are still available. It included 3 microphones or "hydrophones" and one roving video link. Viewer could log in and chat to fellow orca enthusiasts. He also helped set up a sister site in Japan to watch turtles. Both programs run under the Nature network banner.
Neuroscientist
A neuroscientist is an individual who studies the scientific field of neuroscience or any of its related sub-fields...
and cetologist
Cetology
Cetology is the branch of marine mammal science that studies the approximately eighty species of whales, dolphins, and porpoise in the scientific order Cetacea...
from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He has spent more than 30 years researching orcas (or Killer whales) in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and is credited with increasing public awareness of whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
, through his involvement with Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
.
Early life
Paul Spong was born in WhakataneWhakatane
Whakatane is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region, in the North Island of New Zealand, and is the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Whakatane is 90 km east of Tauranga and 89 km north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatane River.The town has a population of , with...
, near the north-east coast of New Zealand, in 1939. He studied law at the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
.
In 1963 Spong enrolled in the Brain Research Institute (BRI) at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) for post-graduate studies in psychology. His work at the BRI included analysis of human brain wave patterns and tracking information pathways. Spong's doctoral thesis
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
was on sensory stimulation, perception, and human consciousness.
Transfer to Vancouver
In 1967 Dr. Murray Newman, of the Vancouver Aquarium, asked Dr. Patrick McGeer, head of the Neurological Lab at the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(UBC), to find a "whale scientist" to assist him at the aquarium. Dr. Spong was selected as the candidate to work at the Vancouver Aquarium with orca
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
whales (Orcinus orca) after a successful interview and a recommendation from the head of the lab at UCLA.
Dr. Spong arrived in Vancouver, with his wife Linda, in April 1967. This was two months after Skana, the orca that Paul would be working with, had been bought by the Vancouver Aquarium from The Pacific Northwest Boat Show.
Whale Research
Dr. Spong started his research on Skana by testing her eyesight. This was done by rewarding the whale (with a herring filet) every time she distinguished between one or two horizontal lines. However, Paul soon noticed that Skana's enthusiasm had waned and her success rate fell to 0%. After some research, Dr. Spong contemplated whether the whale was trying to communicate with him and giving him wrong answers on purpose. This was the first breakthrough Paul had in understanding orca's complex communication system.In April 1968, a second orca, Hyak was captured and brought to the Aquarium. Hyak was kept in a separate pool from Skana. Dr. Spong thought that Hyak was in deep depression after being captured, and thus tried to stimulate the orca by conductive experiments. Paul learned the importance of acoustics for orcas through these experiments. He noticed that when the two whales swam together in the same pool they vocalized and sung together. Thus Dr. Spong started experimenting with music and sound and noticed Hyak's recovery from lethargy.
Dr. Paul Spong believed that his frequent interactions with the whales allowed him to communicate with them. He established this after an event involving Skana. The whale would brush her teeth against the Dr. Spong's feet repeatedly until he no longer pulled them out of the water. Dr. Spong considered this a conscious deconditioning of his fear by the whale. After this event Dr. Spong started freely swimming with the whales on a regular basis.
1968 Lecture
In a 1968, Dr. Paul Spong delivered a lecture at UBC, describing his experience with the two whales at the Vancouver Aquarium. He described the whales as "highly intelligent, social animals" and advised that they should not be kept in captivity. He proposed transferring the whales to a semi-wild environment (such as Pearl Harbour) in order to study them in their natural habitat. Dr. Spong also mentioned that humans could someday communicate with whales.His comments from this lecture were published in local newspapers and interviews with radio stations were scheduled. However, the Dr. Newman from the Aquarium did not appreciate the fact that Dr. Spong's recommendation on freeing the whales. This pushed him to suspend the research project Dr. Spong was working on.
KWOOF
Killer Whale (Orcinus Orca) Foundation, or KWOOF was the foundation that Dr. Paul Spong created with his $4000 separation package from the University. The purpose of the foundation was to stop whale captures in British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
In December 1969 Spong travelled to Pender Harbour, where fishermen had captured 12 whales. Of the 12 whales, only one whale, Corky
Corky
Corky is a female captive orca from the A5 Pod in British Columbia, Canada. She currently lives at SeaWorld San Diego in California. Corky received her name after the park's original Corky died in December 1970. Of the other animals captured on that day, only Corky still survives...
, survived in captivity for more than 2 years. Spong spent three decades trying to free her.
Hanson Island
In the summer of 1972, Dr. Paul Spong moved to Hanson Island and established the OrcaLab. The lab is located 200 miles northwest of Vancouver in a quiet bay where orcas retreat to in the summer to feed and give birth. Hanson Island was an ideal place to study orcas in their natural habitat.At the laboratory, Dr. Spong started to catalogue and transcribed the modulations and songs sung by the whales in order to decipher them.
Dr. Paul Spong set up an online viewing portal of the orcas over several summers starting in 2000. While future plans for this project are under review, but microphones are still available. It included 3 microphones or "hydrophones" and one roving video link. Viewer could log in and chat to fellow orca enthusiasts. He also helped set up a sister site in Japan to watch turtles. Both programs run under the Nature network banner.