Young humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae feeding in Santa Catarina coastal waters, Southern Brazil, and a ship strike report

Guilherme Augusto Bortolotto,Cristiane Kiyomi Miyaji Kolesnikovas,Paulo César Simões-Lopes,Andrea Santarosa Freire

doi:10.1186/s41200-016-0043-4

Guilherme Augusto Bortolotto, Cristiane Kiyomi Miyaji Kolesnikovas + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s41200-016-0043-4

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Abstract

Humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae are cosmopolitan and highly migratory animals that rarely feed in low latitude waters during their breeding seasons. The western South Atlantic humpback whale population breeds off the Brazilian coast, from Natal (4°S) to Cabo Frio (23°S) and migration to their feeding grounds is known to be undertaken through offshore waters. Here we report on an unusual stranding of a young humpback whale that was feeding in the coastal waters of Santa Catarina state (27°S), in October 2014. Evidence of a ship strike and that the animal had fed in no more than a few hours before death are also presented. Additionally, it is the first time that Peisos petrunkevitchi, a sergestid shrimp species, is described as prey for large whales. Although more information is required before we can further discuss whether the area could provide an important source of food for young humpback whales, the present ship strike highlights a possibly important threat in case this ecological feature is confirmed in the future.

Highlights

Humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae are cosmopolitan and highly migratory animals that rarely feed in low latitude waters during their breeding seasons
We report on an unusual stranding of a young humpback whale in Santa Catarina state, the presence of food items in its stomach and a ship strike as the cause of death
Both species are small pelagic shrimps that occur in coastal waters up to 50 m deep and their distributions overlap in the southern coast of Brazil (D’Incao and Martins 2000)

Summary

Introduction

Humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae are cosmopolitan and highly migratory animals that rarely feed in low latitude waters during their breeding seasons. The western South Atlantic humpback whale population breeds off the Brazilian coast, from Natal (4°S) to Cabo Frio (23°S) and migration to their feeding grounds is known to be undertaken through offshore waters. At-sea observations and data from stranded animals indicate that they normally feed in high-latitude regions during summer and autumn months (Mackintosh 1942; Chittleborough 1965; Dawbin 1966; Clapham 2000). This seems to remain a general pattern for humpback whale populations around the world, increasing records in recent years have reported. We report on an unusual stranding of a young humpback whale in Santa Catarina state, the presence of food items in its stomach and a ship strike as the cause of death

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