Abstract
Reports of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song chorusing occurring outside the breeding grounds are becoming more common, but song structure and underwater behavior of individual singers on feeding grounds and migration routes remain unknown. Here, ten humpback whales in the Western Antarctic Peninsula were tagged in May 2010 with non-invasive, suction-cup attached tags to study foraging ecology and acoustic behavior. Background song was identified on all ten records, but additionally, acoustic records of two whales showed intense and continuous singing, with a level of organization and structure approaching that of typical breeding ground song. The songs, produced either by the tagged animals or close associates, shared phrase types and theme structure with one another, and some song bouts lasted close to an hour. Dive behavior of tagged animals during the time of sound production showed song occurring during periods of active diving, sometimes to depths greater than 100 m. One tag record also contained song in the presence of feeding lunges identified from the behavioral sensors, indicating that mating displays occur in areas worthy of foraging. These data show behavioral flexibility as the humpbacks manage competing needs to continue to feed and to prepare for the breeding season during late fall. This may also signify an ability to engage in breeding activities outside of the traditional, warm water breeding ground locations.
Highlights
Migratory species frequently exhibit distinct behaviors during different phases of their migratory cycle
In humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), one of the best-studied baleen whales, song is primarily produced on the breeding grounds, during the time of the life cycle in which males are competing for mating opportunities with females
Whale mn133a’s record had two bouts of song during dives that included feeding lunges. This foraging behavior appears to have begun before singing started, and continued well after singing ceased. These results confirm that humpback whales commonly sing on the feeding grounds in the Western Antarctic Peninsula during late fall, as all tag records contained at least minimal background chorusing
Summary
Migratory species frequently exhibit distinct behaviors during different phases of their migratory cycle. Many baleen whale species have separate breeding and feeding grounds, and behavior is believed to be largely discrete between the two. In humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), one of the best-studied baleen whales, song is primarily produced on the breeding grounds, during the time of the life cycle in which males are competing for mating opportunities with females. Humpback whale song is well known as one of the most complex acoustic displays in animals. The most basic element of this acoustic display is termed a ‘‘unit,’’ defined as the shortest sound that still seems continuous to the human ear [1]. Songs last anywhere from a few minutes to over twenty minutes, and are generally repeated continuously to form a song session, which can last for more than 20 hours [1,2,3]
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