As a professional drone photographer with 5+ years of experience of flying drones over whales, I’ve spent countless hours observing these incredible animals from above. In that time, I’ve seen how they react (or don’t react) to drones, even when flown as low as 10 meters above the surface. But my experience is just one piece of the puzzle. In this article, I’ll combine my hands-on knowledge with the latest scientific studies to answer a pressing question: Is flying drones over whales harmful or harmless?
Common concerns about drones and whales
Before diving into the research, it’s important to note why so many governments and individuals are cautious about drones near whales. Common concerns include:
- Drones are loud: many assume drones emit disturbing levels of noise, especially when flying at low altitudes.
- Drones mimic predators: flying directly above might resemble the presence of birds of prey, potentially triggering avoidance behavior in smaller species.
- Shadows and visibility: whales might perceive drones as threatening due to the shadows cast on the water.
- Behavioral interference: concerns that drones may disrupt feeding, mating, or nursing.
- Unknown risks: drones are a relatively new variable in whale habitats, leading to precautionary restrictions.
While these concerns are valid starting points, scientific research offers important context that challenges many of these assumptions.
What science says about drone disturbance
Multiple peer-reviewed studies have investigated how different species of whales and dolphins respond to drones. Here’s a brief overview of relevant studies:
- Christiansen et al. (2016, 2020): studied Southern right whales in Argentina using a DJI Phantom 3 Pro and a DJI Inspire 1 drone. No behavioral responses were observed when drones were flown at 5 meters or above.
- Smith et al. (2016): observed Gray whales in Oregon (probably with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone) and found minimal responses at altitudes of 40 meters or higher.
- Koski et al. (2020): examined Bowhead whales in Alaska with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone; detected no changes in movement or dive behavior when drones were flown at 20-30 meters.
- Pirotta et al. (2017): reviewed drone studies on marine mammals and concluded that responsible drone use causes minimal disturbance.
- Fiori et al. (2019), Torres et al. (2023), Vergara et al. (2023), Bierlich et al. (2023): recent studies support the earlier findings and reinforce that disturbance is minimal when drones are flown at or above 20 meters.
Overall, the consensus is clear: most Baleen whales do not show significant disturbance responses to drones when flown at sensible altitudes.
Current legislation around drones and whales
Despite reassuring science, legislation in many countries remains highly restrictive and often follows helicopter/airplane regulations:
- Australia: legislation is regulated on a state level, e.g. in South Australia drone flights are prohibited within 300 meters of marine mammals (but maximum flight altitude is 120m 🤨). Victoria even has a restriction of 500 meters … In NSW & Queensland they have a limit at 100 meters from marine mammals – Source
- United States: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) regulates drone use under the marine mammal protection act and requires a minumum altitude of 1000 feet (~300 meters) above baleen whales. They further specifically restrict drones to 450 meters above North Atlantic Right whales (but maximum flight altitude is 120m 🤨) – Source
- Norway: drone flights near whales are heavily restricted without prior authorization and require a minimum altitude of 150m (even though the legal max. altitude to fly drones is set to 120m 🤨) – Source
- Canada and New Zealand: similar precautionary rules exist, often requiring large buffers or special permits.
- France: it’s generally prohibited to approach any cetacean within less than 100 meters in marine protected areas – Source
- Mexico: also Mexico has a complete ban on drone flying over whales – Source needed
- Other regions like the Azores – another whale destination – are similar, without any drone whale legislation in place, they just prohibit the use of drones over whales completely, unless you obtain a permit, only for research purposes though – Source
These laws are generally based on the precautionary principle rather than specific scientific evidence. Updating them based on peer-reviewed research could allow for safer, more effective marine wildlife observation.
How loud are drones — and what do whales actually hear?
Typical consumer drones (weighing below 2,5 kg) produce sound levels around 55–70 decibels (dB) in air at a 1-meter distance.
| Drone model | Approximate noise level (dB SPL) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DJI Mini 2 / Mini 3 Pro / Mini 4 Pro | 55-60 dB | Smallest, quietest drone |
| DJI Air 2 / 2S / 3 / 3S | 60-65 dB | Compact, relatively quiet |
| DJI Mavic 2 Pro / 2 Zoom | 65–70 dB | Compact, relatively quiet |
| DJI Mavic 3 / 3 Classic / 3 Pro | 60–70 dB | Medium size, lower pitch noise |
| DJI Mavic 4 Pro | 65–70 dB | Medium size, even lower pitch noise |
| DJI Phantom 4 Pro | 65–70 dB | Model not in production anymore |
| Autel EVO II RTK | 65–70 dB | Similar to Mavic 2 series |
| DJI Inspire 1 / Inspire 2 / Inspire 3 | 70–80 dB | Larger size and more powerful motors |
For reference, the Mini series at 55-60 dB is similar to office background noise. The Air/Mavic series at 65-70 dB corresponds with a normal conversation or the muffled sounds from a busy street when sitting inside a car. Medium sized drones at 70-80 dB are similar to a vacuum cleaner. That is IF they would be flown right next to you.
However, we would never fly drones at 1m above the water surface. That wouldn’t make sense. When capturing photos or videos of whales, you’d need to fly your drone at least at 15-20 meters altitude. These gentle giants are quite large, so you need to fly higher to be able to get them in the frame of your camera. Once you fly at 20-30 meters, the sound is already reduced by 5-10 dB and much less impacting or disturbing.
To summarize, yes, drones are not quiet. However, sound behaves very differently in air compared to water. Even IF flown right above the water surface, due to acoustic impedance mismatch between air and water, the water surface reflects about 99.9% of airborne sounds. More concretely airborne sounds lose 60-70 dB when entering water. Afterwards we need to add 26 dB to adjust for the different pressure references of airborne dB (re 20 µPa) vs underwater dB (re 1 µPa). This means the underwater noise level of a flying consumer drone right above the surface can be estimated around 45-60 dB re 1 μPa, far below the hearing sensitivity of most marine mammals.
What science says about drone noise underwater
Research done by Christiansen et al. (2016) backs up this theory. In the study they found that underwater noise of drones flown at an altitude of 20 meters is inaudible for Southern right whales. And he used an Inspire 1, which is the loudest drone in the table above. The drone noise was only distinguishable in a low ambient noise environment at 1 meter underwater and when the drones were flown at 5-10m right above the surface.
However, even in this unlikely scenario, the resulting underwater noise was still below the hearing treshold of toothed whales and only slightly above the hearing treshold of baleen whales. He added that most close-to-the-surface areas where whales might be present, are not low ambient noise environments. And these ambient noises would further mask the drone noises, rendering the drone noise inaudible to whales alltogether. His research also concluded that no behavioural changes were noted when flying below 10 meters to the surface.
With all this information in mind, we can conclude that noise from drones is attenuated quickly in air and does not significantly penetrate the water, and therefore we can safely assume it should not be a disturbing factor to whales.
Comparing drone noise vs whale-watching boats
We know RIBs (rigid inflatable boats), commonly used in whale watching, generate underwater noise levels ranging from 130 to 170 dB re 1 μPa. Let’s see how that compares:
| Metric | Drone in air | RIB in water |
|---|---|---|
| Measured sound level | 55-70 dB SPL | |
| Approx. underwater equivalent | ~45-60 dB re 1 µPa | 130-170 dB re 1 µPa |
| Underwater impact potential | Very low (at 20m+) | High (even at 100–300m) |
Studies show behavioral disturbance in whales typically starts around 120 dB re 1 µPa underwater, especially if the sound is continuous or intrusive in sensitive frequency ranges.
- <60 dB: typical drone noise underwater
- 120 dB: whale disturbance threshold
- 130-170 dB: typical RIB noise underwater
This stark difference highlights that drones, when used responsibly, are significantly less intrusive than whale-watching boats. Yet in most countries RIBs are legal for commercial whale watching tours. Often allowing multiple boats close to the whale at the same time. And these boats can often go out twice a day. That’s like having a jackhammer next to your breakfast table when you’re trying to read the newspaper.
If the legislation is really in place to protect the whales, the information above clearly illustrates it needs to be updated.
Recommended best practices to fly your drone over whales
Based on the scientific research we can suggest these guidelines – by species:
- Baleen whales (e.g. Humpbacks, Blue whales, Southern right whales): safe at 20 meters or higher
- Belugas: more sensitive; fly at 30 meters or higher
- Dolphins: generally more tolerant; 20 meters is still recommended
In my own experience, I’ve flown drones as low as 10 meters over Humpback whales, Sperm whales and different dolphin species without observing any signs of disturbance — no flinching, avoidance, or behavioral shifts. But science offers a more cautious baseline, and following it supports responsible drone use.
Additionally I would suggest only using 1-2 drones at the same time over an individual or group of whales. I could not find any scientific evidence suggesting that more drones would be more disturbing. My groups have used 3-4 drones at the same time, at different altitudes and distances without noticing any stress or avoidance. However I think this would be a good guideline and avoid any collisions in the air by inexperienced drone pilots.
Staying clear of the path of the whale is a common guideline for whale watching boats. It’s unclear if drones would be considered obstructive when flying in front of the whales. My personal experience suggests it wouldn’t. However if you want to be on the safe side, try to stay on the side, top or back of the whale to keep a clear path for the animals to keep moving forward.
And ultimately, the drone pilot needs to be aware of stress or avoidance signals and increase altitude (or abort) if any of the below signals are noticed during the flight.
🔍 How to recognize whale distress or disturbance
Whales and dolphins may appear calm, but subtle changes in behavior can signal stress or disturbance. As a responsible drone operator, keep an eye out:
• Sudden dives or shorter time at the surface
• Abrupt course changes or increased speed
• Tail slapping, breaching, or erratic surfacing
• Breaking up of groups or avoidance behaviorsSpecies-specific cues:
- Humpbacks: stopping typical breaching or tail lobbing
- Gray whales: unpredictable surfacing or path changes
- Belugas: quieting down, scattering, or breaking formation
- Orcas: loss of group cohesion or sharp directional shifts
- Dolphins: fleeing the surface, breaking away from pods
📚 If you see these behaviors, back off and give space.
Source
Conclusion: a case for science-based drone policy
When flown responsibly and at appropriate altitudes, drones are a low-impact tool for observing whales. They are far quieter underwater than the RIBs used in traditional whale watching, and most studies show little to no behavioral disturbance.
It’s time for regulations to reflect this reality. Governments should consider updating drone legislation based on species-specific research rather than blanket restrictions. Doing so would support safe drone operation while still protecting the well-being of marine mammals.
Drones, used responsibly, can be a powerful ally in both marine conservation and eco-tourism. Let’s ensure the laws catch up to the science.
Let’s work together
If you’ve spotted any mistakes in my article, if you don’t agree with my conclusion, or if you want to work together on making flying drones over whales even safer and better regulated, please reach out to me and I’ll be happy to help.
