Application of Remote Methods of Large Cetacean Tracking: Bowhead Whales

摘要

This study provides the first data on route and rate of movement for the fallbowhead migration from Canada to Russia. These data indicate areas of importance to bowhead whales in the Beaufort Sea and suggest that the heavy ice front may be the principle migratory cue for navigating across the Chukchi Sea. The changes in dive durations, depths and surface times seen in various ice conditions or regions would affect the sighting of whales during surveys and thus influence population estimates. Although 12 whales of similar size were tagged within 1 week in a 40 km area, considerable variability in their subsequent movement, behavior and distribution indicate that the population does not migrate 'en masse'. Future studies will benefit from improved attachments, smaller transmitters, shorter repetion rates, and a reduced duty cycle to obtain longer duration tracks.