Seasonal distribution and diving behaviour of male sperm whales off Kaikoura: foraging implications

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Jaquet ◽  
Stephen Dawson ◽  
Elisabeth Slooten
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Seasonal Distribution ◽  
Diving Behaviour ◽  
Physeter Macrocephalus ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Male Sperm ◽  
Adequate Food ◽  
Whaling Industry

Male sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) were the preferred target of the whaling industry between 1950 and 1985, but despite hundreds of thousands of kills, very little is known about their ecology. To partially redress this, we present data on residency, seasonal distribution, and diving behaviour of individually identified sperm whales off Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand, gathered during 15 field seasons over 8 years. One hundred and thirty-six sperm whales were identified within the study area. A lack of statistically significant differences in the abundance of sperm whales between summer and winter, and among the 15 seasons of fieldwork, suggests an adequate food supply year-round. Significant differences in distribution between summer and winter suggest that off Kaikoura, male sperm whales may change their diet in response to fluctuations in prey biomass. Diving behaviour was also significantly different between summer and winter: sperm whales dived for longer, stayed longer at the surface, and travelled farther between consecutive fluke-ups in summer than in winter. Unlike female sperm whales, males at Kaikoura spent little time at the surface; they spent about 83% of their total time under water. This paper represent the most extensive non-invasive study of male sperm whales and provides new insights into their ecology.

Behaviour and Vocalizations of Two Single Sperm Whales, Physeter macrocephalus, Off Nova Scotia

1988 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 1736-1743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Mullins ◽  
Hal Whitehead ◽  
Linda S. Weilgart
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Ocean Floor ◽  
Physeter Macrocephalus ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
Scotian Shelf ◽  
Male Sperm

During June 1986, two male sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus, on the Scotian Shelf were tracked by listening for their clicks with a directional hydrophone for periods of 12.5 and 7 h, respectively. Each whale travelled along the edge of the shelf at about 2 kn (3.6 km/h), and one whale, on two occasions at least, dived to the ocean floor. After about 30 min underwater, the whales spent approximately 9 min at the surface breathing. When the whales were visible at the surface, they were silent, except on one occasion when "slow clicking" (mean interclick interval of 4.6 s) was heard from Whale 2. While underwater, most of the sound production consisted of "usual clicks" (mean interclick interval 0.96 and 0.69 s for the two whales) interrupted by frequent short silences (mean durations 21.06 and 27.82 s) and occasional "creaks" (with interclick intervals less than 0.2 s) and "slow clicks." No "codas" (stereotyped patterns of clicks) were heard from these two single whales. These results are consistent with the hypotheses that "usual clicks" and "creaks" are used for echolocation and "codas" for communication.

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.

scholarly journals Social structure and residency in aggregations of male sperm whales

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (7) ◽  
pp. 1189-1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erland Lettevall ◽  
Christoph Richter ◽  
Nathalie Jaquet ◽  
Elizabeth Slooten ◽  
Steve Dawson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Structure ◽  
Social Structures ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Residence Times ◽  
Physeter Macrocephalus ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
Apparent Lack ◽  
Male Sperm ◽  
Close Spatial Proximity

Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are sexually dimorphic in several respects, including size, latitudinal distribution, and social structure. Females are known to have complex social structures, including long-term bonds, but the social structures of sexually mature or maturing males have received much less attention. Using data from aggregations of males off Norway, Nova Scotia, New Zealand, and the Galápagos Islands, we examined aggregation size, residence times within aggregations, clustering at the surface, and long-term bonds. Results were generally consistent among study areas. The aggregations found in each area contained around 10–30 males at any time, and were usually a few tens of kilometres across. Mean residence times within aggregations ranged from a few days to a few weeks. Close clustering at the surface was rare, but present at each site. There was no evidence for preferred companionship between individuals at any temporal scale in any of the study areas. The rarity of clustering and the apparent lack of long-term relationships amongst male sperm whales contrast strongly with results of studies on females, suggesting that both close spatial proximity at the surface and permanent bonds between individuals may be a consequence of the need for care of the young.

scholarly journals Correcting Positional Errors in Shore-Based Theodolite Measurements of Animals at Sea

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ophélie Sagnol ◽  
Femke Reitsma ◽  
Christoph Richter ◽  
Laurence H. Field
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Positional Information ◽  
Physeter Macrocephalus ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
Vertical Angle ◽  
Position Accuracy ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Difference

Determining the position of animals at sea can be particularly difficult and yet, accurate range and position of animals at sea are essential to answer a wide range of biological questions. Shore-based theodolite techniques have been used in a number of studies to examine marine mammal movement patterns and habitat use, offering reliable position measurements. In this study we explored the accuracy of theodolite measurements by comparing positional information of the same objects using two independent techniques: a shore-based theodolite station and an onboard GPS over a range of 25 km from the shore-based station. The technique was developed to study the habitat use of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) off Kaikoura, New Zealand. We observed that the position accuracy fell rapidly with an increase in range from the shore-based station. Results showed that the horizontal angle was accurately determined, but this was not the case for the vertical angle. We calibrated the position of objects at sea with a regression-based correction to fit the difference in distance between simultaneously recorded theodolite fixes and GPS positions. This approach revealed the necessity to calibrate theodolite measurements with objects at sea of known position.

IMPACTS OF COMMERCIAL WHALE WATCHING ON MALE SPERM WHALES AT KAIKOURA, NEW ZEALAND

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Richter ◽  
Steve Dawson ◽  
Elisabeth Slooten
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
Whale Watching ◽  
Male Sperm

A link between male sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus, of the Azores and Norway

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. 1751-1756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Steiner ◽  
Luca Lamoni ◽  
Marta Acosta Plata ◽  
Silje-Kristin Jensen ◽  
Erland Lettevall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Ocean Basin ◽  
Physeter Macrocephalus ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
Photo Identification ◽  
The North ◽  
Male Sperm ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
The North Atlantic

Little is known about the movements of male sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus, in the North Atlantic. Recoveries of traditional harpoons and tags during commercial whaling indicated movements from Nova Scotia to Spain and from the Azores to Iceland and Spain. We compared collections of photo-identification images from different areas using the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sperm Whale Catalogue and the Eurphlukes Phlex/Match programs. The largest collections of identified males (number of individuals, start and end date for data collection shown in parentheses) are for the Azores (297, 1987–2008), Andenes (375, 1988–1996 and 2008), Tromsø (84, 2005–2008). There were six matches between Andenes and Tromsø (~25 nm), with three of these re-sighted in multiple years and three photo-identification matches from the Azores to Norway (~2400 nm). In all cases individuals first photographed in the Azores (in 1993, 1999 and 2003) were matched to images collected later in Tromsø (in 2007 and 2008). In 1997 a photo-identification image from Andenes matched a male stranded on the west coast of Ireland. No matches were made to images in smaller collections from Iceland, Nova Scotia, Greenland, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean. These findings show the value of data collected from whale watching vessels and the importance of collaboration between groups to allow investigation on an ocean basin scale. It is hoped that with the coordinated collection of more images from around the Atlantic, further insight might be gained into the movements of these widely ranging animals.

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