Ned Lynas
A passion for minke whalesA few short years after Canada had ceased all commercial whaling in the 1970s, the St. Lawrence attracted a small number of researchers intrigued by these animals. Ned Lynas was one of these pioneers. He had just completed graduate studies in behavioural ecology at Knightsbridge and at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. His first summers studying the whales of the St. Lawrence—initially beluga whales and eventually rorqual whales— were spent aboard the Beluga, a small, metal-hulled boat berthed in the Tadoussac dry-dock. The impressive list of Ned Lynas’ interests include rorqual whale feeding techniques and strategies, distribution, breathing patterns and surface movements, photo-identification and the acoustic signatures of rorqual whales, to name but a few. Nonetheless, Mr. Lynas dedicated a large part of his career to the study of the minke whale, a species that, despite its worldwide distribution, remains poorly understood. A keen sense of observation, patient perseverance and an enthusiastic team all helped him put names to the “faces” of these small giants and lift the veil of mystery surrounding their lives. Ned Lynas founded ORES (Ocean Research and Education Society) in 1978. ORES is a non-profit organization based in Les Bergeronnes, a small village a few kilometres downstream from Tadoussac on the North Shore. It is dedicated to research on marine mammals and the marine environment through the use of the least intrusive methods possible. Ned Lynas spent 25 summers at the research station in Les Bergeronnes and on the water, where he most loved to be, with the whales and with students who had come from all over the world. His winters were spent in Toronto drumming up research funding, analyzing data, writing reports and recruiting students and field trainees for the following summer. He also took the time during winter to do what he loved most; share his knowledge through conferences and lectures. Mr. Lynas was a senior lecturer for the San Francisco State University from 1990 to 2002. When Ned Lynas left us in 2003, he passed on the ORES torch to his Swiss assistant, Ursula Tscherter. Those who were fortunate enough to have encountered this great Canadian biologist will always remember Ned Lynas for his unfailing curiosity, devotion and passion. Research project :Whales Online asked Ursula Tscherter, Ned Lynas' assistant : |
