Abstract

There are no previously published sightings of pygmy right whales (Caperea marginata) from the southwest Pacific Ocean. This note reports a sighting of 14 pygmy right whales approximately 445km southeast of Christchurch, New Zealand, at 17:30 on 5 January 2001 (46°26’S, 177°18’E). No cow-calf pairs were observed. Although feeding was not directly observed, several animals defecated during the observation period. The faeces were bright red and formed into small red clumps that bobbed at the water’s surface which implies that the whales had recently been feeding in the immediate area. It appears that pygmy right whales may aggregate at the Sub-tropical Convergence during the austral summer and that this area may represent an important feeding ground.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.