19 October 2010 Last updated at 12:02

Audio slideshow: The Dog and the Whale

Sniffer dog Tucker uses his nose to help researchers find out why a killer whale population off the northwest coast of the United States is in decline. He searches for whale faeces floating on the surface of the water, which are then collected for examination.

He is one of an elite team of detection dogs used by scientists studying a number of species including right whales and killer whales.

BBC Radio 4 reporter Andrew Luck-Baker travelled to the Pacific Ocean to meet the black Labrador and his handlers.

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The Dog and the Whale can be heard on BBC Radio 4 at 2102 BST on Tuesday 19 October 2010. It will then be available on the BBC iPlayer.

All images subject to copyright. Slideshow production by Paul Kerley. Publication date 19 October 2010.

Related:

Center for Whale Research

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New England Aquarium

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