Initial density estimates of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae in the inshore waters of the western Antarctic Peninsula during the late autumn

摘要

In the Southern Ocean, humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae were depleted by commercial whaling operations during the 20th century, but many populations now appear to be recovering. Previous surveys of whale distribution along the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) suggested that humpbacks feed on krill swarms over the continental shelf during the summer, but little is known about their movements and densities during autumn, when krill begin to seek inshore refugia for overwintering. Here we present estimates of humpback whale densities in some inshore regions of the WAP during the late autumn. We surveyed 653.9 km of track line in the Gerlache Strait and adjacent bays during 26 April to 1 June 2009. We detected 371 groups of humpback whales in a distance sampling framework that allowed us to calculate estimates of whale density along track lines in open and enclosed habitats within our study area. Density estimates along track lines ranged from 0.02 to 1.75 whales km-2; the highest densities