Comparison of Behavior of Bowhead Whales of the Davis Strait and Bering/Beaufort Stocks

摘要

The report describes statistical and other comparisons between the behavior of two stocks of bowhead whales that have been studied in late summer and autumn: the Eastern Arctic or 'Davis Strait-Baffin Bay' stock and the Western Arctic or 'Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort' stock. The behavioral repertoires of bowhead whales in the two regions were qualitatively similar in most respects. However, the comparisons revealed statistically significant quantitative differences in behavior. Such differences were evident for all three categories of whales that were compared: feeding in deep water, socializing in shallow water, and migrating. Sexual interactions were observed much more often at Isabella Bay in the eastern arctic than observed at any location in the western arctic during late summer or autumn. The report discusses possible reasons for the observed behavioral differences.