24 July 2023: Fin whale tag 2.0

After the test shootings of five fin whale tags in Japan in June 2023, the Steering Group decided to change the fin whale tag design for the next tests in August 2023.
Kenji Konishi and his team observed during the deployment that there were difficulties in hitting the target position accurately and achieving sufficient penetration, both of which are crucial for the initial testing of transmitters and deployment performance.

Therefore, the fin whale tag 2.0 is shorter than the previous one only measuring 10 cm and has a single front retention cone. Additionally, to ensure that the tag can effectively penetrate and cut through the skin without bouncing back due to the elasticity of the skin layers the tag has a three-blade cutting tip instead of the dart tip.

We are excited to see how the new design will perform during the tests in August 2023!
Find out more about the project on our website: www.mintag-project.com