Beaked whale strandings on the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, South Atlantic Ocean, between 1866 and 2008

Abstract

Records of beaked whales stranded in the Falkland Islands and at South Georgia were collated for the period 1866 to 2008. Thirty-eight records, involving at least seven species in four genera, were documented. Strap-toothed whales (Mesoplodon layardiiGray, 1865) were the most common species with 11 records, including two neonates. Andrews' beaked whales (M. bowdoiniAndrews, 1908), Arnoux's beaked whales (Berardius arnuxiiDuvernoy, 1851), Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostrisGray, 1823), Gray's beaked whale (M. grayivan Haast, 1876), Hector's beaked whales (M. hectoriGray, 1871) and southern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon planifronsFlower, 1882) were recorded on three to five occasions. In several cases, records suggested potential temporal changes in range. For example, Arnoux's beaked whale has not been recorded in the Falkland Islands since 1965, whilst Gray's beaked whale was not recorded prior to 1981, and Andrews' beaked whale was not recorded before 1987. Although the number of records for each species is low, this could reflect changes in water temperatures and/or prey availability. Overall, this study confirms that the Falkland Islands–Tierra del Fuego region is one of the world's key areas for beaked whales.