Feeding Behavior of a Humpback Whale in Low‐latitude Waters

Baraff, Lisa; Clapham, Phillip J.; Mattila, David K.; Bowman, Robert S.

doi:10.1111/j.1748-7692.1991.tb00567.x

Cited by 48 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…However, occasional winter feeding events have been reported in some populations (Baraff et al 1991, Gendron and Urbán 1993, Swingle et al 1993, Stockin and Burgess 2005. Here we report the first documented case of humpback whales feeding on a major wintering ground off Brazil.…”

mentioning

confidence: 71%

Record of feeding by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in tropical waters off Brazil

Alves¹,

Andriolo

Zerbini

et al. 2009

Marine Mammal Science

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mentioning

confidence: 71%

Record of feeding by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in tropical waters off Brazil

Alves¹,

Andriolo

Zerbini

et al. 2009

Marine Mammal Science

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“…Evidences of feeding of M. novaeangliae have been reported for some breeding areas, such as in Mexico (Gendron & Urban 1993), Hawaii (Salden 1990) and Dominican Republic (Baraff et al 1991). The feeding activities of humpback whales from the North Atlantic, at Bermudas islands (32…”

Section: Vibrio Fluvialismentioning

confidence: 99%

Humpback whales washed ashore in southeastern Brazil from 1981 to 2011: stranding patterns and microbial pathogens survey

et al. 2013

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In the Southwest Atlantic Ocean the wintering breeding ground of Megaptera novaeangliae is located in northeastern coast of Brazil, mainly in the Abrolhos Bank (16°55′ S, 38°50′ W) and its surroundings. During migratory percussion, events of strandings are thought to occur. A total of 58 stranded humpback whales were recorded between 1981 and 2011 along the coast of the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The number of strandings in 20 years (1992–2011) increased during the period of study, with a mean of 2.6 events per year. In 2010 a peak occurred with 13 records of strandings. Most of them occurred preferably in the southern half of the study area, or in the southeast area of Rio de Janeiro state. Three cases of entanglement were found, two of these involving calves with less than eight meters of body length. Stranding events were more frequent during winter and spring. No statistical differences were found between age categories, but 33% were classified as “dependent calf” (< 8 m length). Males stranded more often than females. Only one whale out of 16 specimens that had the stomach contents examined presented food remains, but comprising only two cephalopod beaks of the squid Doryteuthis sanpaulensis. Bacteriological survey of Vibrionaceae and Aeromonadaceae agents in three live stranded whales on the Brazilian coast indicated evidence of animal impairment that resulted or were associated with the cause of death and stranding event.

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“…In the North Atlantic Ocean, humpback whales exhibit maternally directed site fidelity to these breeding and feeding grounds (Martin et al 1984, Clapham & Mayo 1987. They feed almost exclusively at higher latitudes, although feeding on breeding grounds has been rarely observed, where it is apparently limited to juveniles (Baraff et al 1991, Gendron & Urban 1993, De Sá Alves et al 2009). Contaminant burdens in humpback whales are therefore primarily reflective of each individual's summer feeding ground.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Levels of persistent organic pollutants in eastern North Atlantic humpback whales

Ryan¹,

McHugh²,

Boyle³

et al. 2013

Endang. Species. Res.

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Blubber lipid concentrations of 14 organochlorine compounds and 10 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were measured by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection in eastern North Atlantic humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae from Cape Verde (n = 20) and Ireland (n = 4). Concentrations were statistically compared to those from 20 samples collected from the Gulf of Maine in the western North Atlantic. Pollutant burdens were compared using males only, in order to circumvent biases associated with reproductive offloading. Lipid-normalised PCB concentrations were below the estimated threshold toxicity value of 17 000 ng g −1 for blubber in marine mammals. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), PCB and chlordane concentrations were an order of magnitude lower than those previously reported for Gulf of Maine humpback whales and higher than those reported from the North Pacific Ocean. Higher concentrations of lower-chlorinated PCB congeners (28, 31 and 52), hexachlorocyclohexanes and hexachlorobenzene in males in eastern North Atlantic sites is consistent with higher latitude feeding grounds. Lower p,p'-DDE (dich loro di phe nyldichloroethane):ΣDDT ratios suggest that whales from the eastern North Atlantic harbour more recent inputs of DDT. The ΣDDTs:ΣPCBs ratio was higher for males from Cape Verde (1.69) and Ireland (1.44), indicating proportionately greater sources of agricultural rather than industrial sources of pollutants than for the Gulf of Maine whales (0.75). We demonstrate potential for persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) as tracers to determine foraging ground provenance for samples collected on breeding grounds in the North Atlantic. Low concentrations suggest that POPs are unlikely to be a factor in the poor recovery rate of humpback whales in Cape Verde.

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Feeding Behavior of a Humpback Whale in Low‐latitude Waters

Cited by 48 publications

References 8 publications

Record of feeding by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in tropical waters off Brazil

Record of feeding by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in tropical waters off Brazil

Humpback whales washed ashore in southeastern Brazil from 1981 to 2011: stranding patterns and microbial pathogens survey

Levels of persistent organic pollutants in eastern North Atlantic humpback whales

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