Abstract
The humpback whale population of New Caledonia appears to display a novel migratory pattern characterized by multiple directions, long migratory paths and frequent pauses over seamounts and other shallow geographical features. Using satellite-monitored radio tags, we tracked 34 whales for between 5 and 110 days, travelling between 270 and 8540 km on their southward migration from a breeding ground in southern New Caledonia. Mean migration speed was 3.53±2.22 km h−1, while movements within the breeding ground averaged 2.01±1.63 km h−1. The tag data demonstrate that seamounts play an important role as offshore habitats for this species. Whales displayed an intensive use of oceanic seamounts both in the breeding season and on migration. Seamounts probably serve multiple and important roles as breeding locations, resting areas, navigational landmarks or even supplemental feeding grounds for this species, which can be viewed as a transient component of the seamount communities. Satellite telemetry suggests that seamounts represent an overlooked cryptic habitat for the species. The frequent use by humpback whales of such remote locations has important implications for conservation and management.
Highlights
Understanding the patterns of movement of free-ranging animals is crucial to assessing their habitat use and is a prerequisite in the development of conservation management strategies
Our results reveal a novel migratory pattern in which whales interrupted their migratory behaviour near oceanic features such as seamounts, which probably provide a suitable environment for breeding, migrating and perhaps feeding humpback whales from New Caledonia
The migratory pattern of the New Caledonian humpback whales differs from those of some other known populations due to congregation on seamounts and other oceanic features, multiple directions upon departure from their breeding grounds and the geographical spread of the migratory ‘corridor’. This type of variable migratory pattern has not been reported in other Southern Hemisphere humpback whale populations
Summary
Understanding the patterns of movement of free-ranging animals is crucial to assessing their habitat use and is a prerequisite in the development of conservation management strategies. There is a lack of information [1] on how, or whether, this species uses offshore areas such as seamounts [2]. Research is needed to assess the behaviour and habitat use of whales in such areas, and the relevance of offshore habitats for particular life-history stages of the species. It is important to identify potential anthropogenic effects or impacts in these locations. Information of this nature is important to identify high-priority habitats for the development of conservation measures, such as designation as offshore Marine Protected Areas [3,4,5]
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