Ned here, at your service.
Itās not every day you get called to a crime scene and the first thing you see is a beluga whale giving you side-eye. Even more surprising, thereās a drone swimming laps like it owns the place. Yepāunderwater forensic investigation is here.
š§© The Setup
The victim? Pushed into the beluga whale tank sometime after closing.
Witnesses? A school of sardines and an eccentric bunch of tourists in a group called, of all things, The Society of People Who Showed Up. One of them insisted that the whale looked āvisibly distressed.ā Sure.
So, what did the crime scene techs do? Cue the underwater forensic drone. The lab team dropped it in like a remote-controlled piranha. It scanned the tank for clues, capturing visual and environmental dataāvideo, sonar, heat mapping. Apparently, we’re checking for aquatic trauma now. Your friendly neighborhood diver has been replaced by a bright yellow, box-shaped robot. At least the beluga wonāt be tempted to take a bite. Or will it?
Anyway, it reminds me that I need to renew my FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot License. Hopefully, I wonāt have to take the test underwater.
š What Was Found
The drone zipped around and delivered pictures ofābelugas. One looked like he (or she, Iām no cetologist or marine mammalogist, so Iām not qualified to judge), was giving the camera the stink-eye. . Frankly, I would too if a yellow box with wires and tubes attached was in my face.
What else? A hand print. But our robotic friend canāt collect that yet. Human forensic divers still must examine and collect prints underwater. Maybe in a few years, the drone will get that upgrade. Or maybe humans wonāt be around to find out.
I’ll have to pay a visit to Bob the crime scene tech soon. The hand print and the droneās report require it. Iāve been avoiding him this week. Mostly because Iāve been thinking about Chicago.
šļø Other Evidence
Scuff marks on the railing. Found. Security camera? Disconnected. Suspicion. Applied.
ā Something Fishy Is Going On
You donāt need gills to smell whatās rotten in this tank. The whale may not be talking, but the evidence is starting to bubble to the surface.
Catch you on the flip side. Or the dry side. You choose.
-Ned
š¬ Crime Scene Tech Tip: Underwater Evidence Collection
Collecting evidence underwater presents unique challenges. Forensic divers use specialized waterproof tools, powders, and lighting. They detect fingerprints, blood trails, or other trace evidence on submerged surfaces like glass. Underwater drones assist in mapping and locating evidence. However, trained divers are required for hands-on collection and careful preservation. This ensures crucial clues arenāt lost in the depths.
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