Frequency of Occurrence of the North Pacific Minke Whale <i>Balaenoptera acutorostrata scammoni</i> Deméré, 1986 off the North-Eastern Coast of Sakhalin Island in 2008–2021

Abstract

The seasonal and interannual variability in the frequency of occurrence of the North Pacific common minke whale (Minke whale) Balaenoptera acutorostrata scammoni Deméré, 1986 off the north-eastern coast of Sakhalin Island (the Sea of Okhotsk) in 2008–2021 was studied. It has been shown that the occurrence of whales of this species in the study area has significant seasonal and interannual variability. The average frequency of occurrence in even years of observations was 1.6 times higher than in odd years and amounted to 7.1 and 4.4%, respectively. It has been suggested that the frequency of occurrence of minke whale in the study area is determined by the intensity of coastal wind upwelling off the eastern coast of Sakhalin Island.