Abstract
In a portion of the coastal waters of northeastern Florida, North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) occur close to shore from December through March. These waters are included within the designated critical habitat for right whales. Data on swim speed, behavior, and direction of movement – with photo-identification of individual whales – were gathered by a volunteer sighting network working alongside experienced scientists and supplemented by aerial observations. In seven years (2001–2007), 109 tracking periods or “follows” were conducted on right whales during 600 hours of observation from shore-based observers. The whales were categorized as mother-calf pairs, singles and non-mother-calf pairs, and groups of 3 or more individuals. Sample size and amount of information obtained was largest for mother-calf pairs. Swim speeds varied within and across observation periods, individuals, and categories. One category, singles and non mother-calf pairs, was significantly different from the other two – and had the largest variability and the fastest swim speeds. Median swim speed for all categories was 1.3 km/h (0.7 kn), with examples that suggest swim speeds differ between within-habitat movement and migration-mode travel. Within-habitat right whales often travel back-and-forth in a north-south, along-coast, direction, which may cause an individual to pass by a given point on several occasions, potentially increasing anthropogenic risk exposure (e.g., vessel collision, fishing gear entanglement, harassment). At times, mothers and calves engaged in lengthy stationary periods (up to 7.5 h) that included rest, nursing, and play. These mother-calf interactions have implications for communication, learning, and survival. Overall, these behaviors are relevant to population status, distribution, calving success, correlation to environmental parameters, survey efficacy, and human-impacts mitigation. These observations contribute important parameters to conservation biology, predictive modeling, and management. However, while we often search for predictions, patterns, and means, the message here is also about variability and the behavioral characteristics of individual whales.
Highlights
As early as the 1950s, researchers reported the seasonal occurrence of North Atlantic right whales, Eubalaena glacialis, in Atlantic coastal waters of the southeastern United States (SEUS— here defined as south of the South Carolina/Georgia border), with the suggestion that the area was a calving ground for the population [1,2,3,4]
This paper describes observations for the southern portion of the SEUS Critical Habitat where direct observations were collected in an unobtrusive manner and where potential observer effects on whale behavior were absent
For the two examples of mothercalf pair (MC) pairs with numerous follows (#s 1622 and 2430), we explored whether swim speed varied by date, but no correlation could be detected
Summary
As early as the 1950s, researchers reported the seasonal occurrence of North Atlantic right whales, Eubalaena glacialis, in Atlantic coastal waters of the southeastern United States (SEUS— here defined as south of the South Carolina/Georgia border), with the suggestion that the area was a calving ground for the population [1,2,3,4]. Accumulating evidence led to an early effort in 1982–83 to develop a right whale sighting network in the SEUS [5]. In 1984, the first aerial surveys for right whales in the SEUS (by a volunteer group of commercial airline pilots) commenced [6], [7]. Sighting data collected between 1950 and 1989 were synthesized to define three proposed critical habitats, including the SEUS, for right whales under the Endangered Species Act [8], which were subsequently designated by the National Marine. The SEUS right whale critical habitat extends from 31u159 N latitude (off St. Simon’s Island, Georgia) to 30u159 N
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
