‘Thar she blows!’ The cry rings out. A whale is spotted from high on the Marlborough Sounds headland. An old whaler radios down to the boat – there’s a humpback in Cook Strait. The motor fires up and the crew speeds out. It’s the same drill and the thrill of the chase has not diminished, but these men are no longer out for the kill. Former whalers were the heart and soul of the Department of Conservation humpback whale survey that took place every winter from 2004 to 2015. As citizen scientists, they brought generations of skill and local knowledge to the conservation effort. Diary from the Lookout is the story of swapping harpoons for dart guns and cameras to identify and record whales on their migration journey. It’s the story of ex-whalers turned whale watchers and the scientists, conservation workers and Sounds locals who were part of the team