Autumn movements of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) from Svalbard, Norway, revealed by satellite tracking.
Sci Rep
; 10(1): 16966, 2020 10 12.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33046805
ABSTRACT
Insight into animal movements is essential for understanding habitat use by individuals as well as population processes and species life-history strategies. In this study, we instrumented 25 fin whales with ARGOS satellite-transmitters in Svalbard, Norway, to study their movement patterns and behaviour (Area Restricted Search (ARS), transiting or unknown) during boreal autumn/early winter. Ten of the whales stayed in the tagging area (most northerly location 81.68°N) for their entire tracking periods (max 45 days). The other 15 whales moved in a south-westerly direction; the longest track ended off the coast of northern Africa (> 5000 km from the tagging location) after 96 days. The whales engaged in ARS behaviour intermittently throughout their southward migrations. During transit phases the whales moved quickly; one individual maintained an average horizontal speed of 9.3 km/h (travelling 223 km per day) for a period of a week. This study documents that (1) some fin whales might remain at high latitudes during winter; (2) the whales that do migrate probably feed along the way; (3) they can maintain high transiting speed for long periods and; (4) one breeding area for this species is likely located in deep, warm water some 100 km west of Morocco.
Texto completo:
1
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Conducta Animal
/
Comunicaciones por Satélite
/
Ecosistema
/
Migración Animal
/
Ballena de Aleta
Límite:
Animals
País/Región como asunto:
Africa
/
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Rep
Año:
2020
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Noruega