Cook Islands Whale Research - Center for Cetacean Research and Conservation Cook Islands Whale Research is part of the Center for Cetacean Research and Conservation, which conducts and facilitates benign research on whales (particularly humpback whales in the waters of the Cook Islands) and dolphins. Multidisciplinary scientific research is needed to develop appropriate conservation strategies of cetacean populations. CCRC undertakes studies on the biology, behavior, and ecology of a variety of cetaceans.