BALYENA.ORG is an all-Filipino non-profit society established in 2013 dedicated to the research and conservation of cetaceans — whales, dolphins, and porpoises — and their habitats across the Philippines.
Founded by Dr. Jo Marie Acebes, a National Geographic Explorer and IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group member with over 20 years of marine biodiversity experience at WWF-Philippines and Conservation International, the organization grew from a 2000 research expedition documenting humpback whales in the Babuyan Islands.
BALYENA.ORG is the only Filipino-led group focused specifically on cetacean research in the country, producing peer-reviewed science and contributing data to government agencies including DA-BFAR.
BALYENA.ORG operates at two primary research sites. In the Babuyan Marine Corridor in Cagayan province, northern Luzon, boat-based surveys track the only known breeding population of humpback whales in the Philippines — a project running continuously since 2007.
In the Bohol Sea, designated as both an Important Marine Mammal Area and a marine Key Biodiversity Area, the team monitors blue whales, sperm whales, and 18 confirmed cetacean species through the “In Search of the Big Blue” project launched in 2015.
A 2025 Memorandum of Agreement with the Bohol Provincial Government formalized collaborative marine mammal monitoring across Bohol waters, supporting the province’s UNESCO Global Geopark designation.
Field teams conduct annual boat-based photo-identification surveys of humpback whales in the Babuyan Channel between February and April, building the Philippine humpback whale photo-ID catalogue contributed to the international SPLASH2 collaborative project with Cascadia Research Collective.
In the Bohol Sea, surveys run from May through June targeting blue whales and other large cetaceans. The organization monitors mobulid ray fishery catch landings in Bohol from November through June, collecting species composition and trend data to inform management recommendations for local government.
BALYENA.ORG provides marine mammal stranding response training to coastal communities and government personnel, maintaining a national stranding database. Research is funded by the Rufford Foundation and conducted in collaboration with institutions in Japan, Russia, and the United States.
Volunteers join boat-based research expeditions during the humpback whale survey season in the Babuyan Islands, assisting with visual observations, photo-identification of individual whales from fluke images, and acoustic recording of whale songs.
These are multi-day survey trips aboard local outrigger boats, requiring comfort with open-ocean conditions rather than dive certification. The organization runs an Adopt-A-Whale program where supporters virtually adopt individually identified humpback whales, with adoption fees directly funding annual survey expeditions.
In Bohol, volunteers assist with fishery monitoring data collection at landing sites and participate in educational outreach sessions with coastal schools and fishing communities. BALYENA.ORG also publishes a regularly updated “Whales and Dolphins in the Philippines” field guide used in community education.
BALYENA.ORG suits marine mammal enthusiasts, biology students, and wildlife observers drawn to cetacean research rather than reef diving. Expedition volunteers should be comfortable with extended boat travel in open water, basic field conditions on remote islands, and variable weather in the Babuyan Channel. No dive certification is required — the work is surface-based observation and photo-identification. The humpback whale survey season runs February through April, and Bohol Sea surveys in May and June.
Supporters who cannot travel can participate through the Adopt-A-Whale program or purchase merchandise funding research operations. Contact the organization through their website or via email for expedition volunteer scheduling.
