Drone sampling of exhaled wild humpback breath has confirmed whale virus circulating above the Arctic Circle
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A potentially deadly whale virus – known as cetacean morbillivirus – has been found in the Arctic Circle after a study into whale breath using drones.
These drones have been used to collect samples from the exhaled breath or ‘blow’ from wild humpback, sperm and fin whales in northern Norway, ushering in a new era of non-invasive health monitoring for these marine giants in Arctic regions.
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Experts say this new use of drones could support conservation strategies by detecting early emerging threats of the virus, which has been connected to numerous mass strandings of whales and dolphins worldwide.
‘Drone blow sampling is a game-changer,’ said co-author Professor Terry Dawson. ‘It allows us to monitor pathogens in live whales without stress or harm, providing critical insights into diseases in rapidly changing Arctic ecosystems.’
Between 2016 and 2025, researchers sampled humpback, sperm and fin whales across the Northeast Atlantic, including northern Norway, Iceland and Cape Verde.
Blow samples, as well as skin biopsies and an organ sample, were collected and screened for infectious diseases using laboratory tests. In doing so, researchers found cetacean morbillivirus in humpback whale groups in northern Norway, a sperm whale showing poor health, and a stranded pilot whale.
Cetacean morbillivirus is a highly pathogenic virus infecting whales, dolphins and porpoises, leading to severe respiratory, neurological and immune damage. It has triggered multiple mass mortality events in cetacean populations since its discovery in 1987.
‘Going forward, the priority is to continue using these methods for long-term surveillance, so we can understand how multiple emerging stressors will shape whale health in the coming years,’ said lead author Helena Costa of Nord University.
The study, involving King’s College London and The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in the UK, and Nord University in Norway is published in BMC Veterinary Research.
