I am currently investigating the shallow water behaviour of beaked whales under the supervision of Dr Mark Johnson and Dr Sascha Hooker. Beaked whales perform a series of shallow dives between deep dives. Although there are many proposed explanations in the current literature for why they perform shallow dives, no studies have systematically tested them. Therefore the predicted behaviour from each proposed explanation will be compared to the observed behaviour of beaked whales, as measured by a Dtag. Reducing the list of potential explanations for beaked whale shallow dives will be a considerable step forward in determining the role they have within beaked whale ecology. Any results could also contribute towards improving conservation and animal welfare, arising from human disturbances such as naval sonar.