Patterns of mortality in endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales: Insights from pairing a long‐term photo‐identification study with stranding records

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara L. McGuire ◽  
Kim E. W. Shelden ◽  
Gina K. Himes Boor ◽  
Amber D. Stephens ◽  
John R. McClung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cook Inlet ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Photo Identification

Reproductive natural history of endangered Cook Inlet Beluga whales: insights from a long-term photo-identification study

Polar Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (11) ◽  
pp. 1851-1871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara L. McGuire ◽  
Amber D. Stephens ◽  
John R. McClung ◽  
Christopher D. Garner ◽  
Kim E. W. Shelden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Cook Inlet ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Photo Identification ◽  
History Of

Anthropogenic Scarring in Long-term Photo-identification Records of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas

2021 ◽  
pp. 20-40
Author(s):  
Tamara L. McGuire ◽  
Amber D. Stephens ◽  
John R. McClung ◽  
Christopher Garner ◽  
Kathleen A. Burek-Huntington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Cook Inlet ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Photo Identification

Distribution and habitat use by endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales: Patterns observed during a photo‐identification study, 2005–2017

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 2402-2427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara L. McGuire ◽  
Gina K. Himes Boor ◽  
John R. McClung ◽  
Amber D. Stephens ◽  
Christopher Garner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Cook Inlet ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Photo Identification

scholarly journals Long-term associations among male sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244204
Author(s):  
Hayao Kobayashi ◽  
Hal Whitehead ◽  
Masao Amano
Keyword(s):  
Physeter Macrocephalus ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
Association Rate ◽  
Photo Identification ◽  
Male Sperm ◽  
The Social ◽  
Pelagic Habitat ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
Social Associations

Little is known about the social structure of male sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) after they leave their natal units. While previous studies found no evidence for preferred associations among males, the observation of mass-strandings consisting exclusively of males, suggest that they have strong social bonds. To investigate the social associations among male sperm whales, we used half weight index of association, permutation tests and standardized lagged association rate models on a large photo-identification database collected between 2006 and 2017 in Nemuro Strait, Japan. Our results suggest that while male sperm whales are not as social as females, they do form long term associations, have preferred companionship, and forage in social proximity to each other. The best-fitting model to the standardized lagged association rate showed that associations among males last for at least 2.7 years and as most males leave the area after 2 years, associations may last for longer. Twenty dyads were observed associating over more than 2 years, for a maximum 5 years. One dyad was observed associating on 19 different days and clustered on 7 different days. Male associations may function to enhance foraging or to fend off predators. Such relationships seem to be adapted to a pelagic habitat with uncertain resource availability and predation pressure.

Prey switching by killer whales in the north-east Atlantic: observational evidence and experimental insights

2013 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 1357-1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dag Vongraven ◽  
Anna Bisther
Keyword(s):  
Killer Whale ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Tooth Wear ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
Prey Switching ◽  
Photo Identification ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Spawning Stock

Studies in the Pacific have identified distinct killer whale ecotypes that are either specialized mammal- or fish-eaters. The different types have developed hunting strategies that would suggest specialization could be more advantageous than generalism. However, it has been suggested, based on long-term dietary markers of tooth wear and stable isotope values, that lineages in the North Atlantic are generalist, but with individual variation in the proportion of prey types consumed. Here, we present the results of ten years of observational and photo-identification data of a population of killer whales that follows the Norwegian spring-spawning stock of Atlantic herring. Although the whales were predominantly observed while feeding upon herring, one pod of herring-eating whales was also observed interacting with seals. This supports the hypothesis based on the long-term markers, of a degree of specialization, with a small number of groups persistently feeding upon mammals, but switching between herring and seals. We further investigated this prey switching by conducting playbacks of herring-eating killer whale sounds to harbour seals at haul-out sites on the herring spawning grounds. We recorded changes in behaviour consistent with an anti-predator response, suggesting the seals perceived the herring-eating killer whales as a potential predatory threat and had not habituated to their calls. This could be due to the risk of herring-eating killer whales switching to mammalian prey, or the difficulty of discriminating between killer whale pods due to the large population size and number of killer whale call dialects in this population, or a combination of both.

Potential natural and anthropogenic impediments to the conservation and recovery of Cook Inlet beluga whales, Delphinapterus leucas

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie A. Norman ◽  
Roderick C. Hobbs ◽  
Caroline E. C. Goertz ◽  
Kathy A. Burek-Huntington ◽  
Kim E. W. Shelden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Cook Inlet ◽  
Beluga Whales

Socio-sexual and probable mating behavior of Cook Inlet beluga whales, Delphinapterus leucas, observed from an aircraft

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 32-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate S. Lomac-MacNair ◽  
Mari A. Smultea ◽  
Mark P. Cotter ◽  
Carey Thissen ◽  
Lisa Parker
Keyword(s):  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Cook Inlet ◽  
Beluga Whales
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