Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) Tracked by Radio in the Irminger Sea

摘要

A fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) was radio tagged 155 km southwest of Iceland and tracked continuously for 9-1/2 days, 25 June to 5 July, 1980. It travelled more than 1700 km and passed within 110 km of Greenland. Detailed analysis of surfacing patterns, swimming speeds, association with other whales, and diel behavioural changes were made possible by the radio tag signals, which were transmitted when the whale surfaced. The whale fed on krill off iceland and schooled fish off Greenland. The average interval between surfacings was 1.98 min including the shortened intervals in clustered blowing. The average speed over the entire track was 7.4 km/hr. There were diel changes in activity in spite of less than total darkness at night. The tagged whale's crossing of the Irminger Sea, often in close association with conspecifics, is the first direct proof of an east-west movement of a fin whale between Iceland and East-Greenland, and an additional proof of mixing whales between the two areas. Keyword: Reprints.