Abstract
The vocalizations of migrating eastern North Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) are not well understood, but studying these sounds may provide insights to their behaviors and encounters along their migratory route. To record migratory gray whale sounds over long periods, a high frequency acoustic recording package (HARP) was deployed from March to May 2010 off the north coast of the Santa Barbara Channel, an area where the gray whale northbound migration is close to shore. The HARP recorded continuously and concurrently with a shore-based visual survey of marine mammals. Comparisons of calls and sightings were conducted to relate calling repertoires with various types of migrating whale behaviors and groups (e.g., cow/calf pairs, juveniles, etc.). The spatial and temporal overlap of the visual and acoustic data enabled the estimation of call detection ranges and source levels. Characterization of gray whale vocalizations also will help with the development of automatic detectors which will aid in future the investigations of long-term gray whale recordings, including potential responses to anthropogenic activity.
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