2013 Calendar 2013
Whales
Bowhead A Year in the Life of of Life the in Year A
A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales
This calendar illustrates aspects of the life history of bowhead whales. Special thanks to Billy Adams, Nok Acker, Lewis It incorporates traditional knowledge Brower, Michael Donovan III, Bill Kopplin, and contemporary research from many Charles Monnett, Sue Moore, Scott Oyagak, individuals representing a variety of Glenn Sheehan, Michael Stotts, Edith Suvlu and Bryan Thomas. institutions, agencies, and organizations. Front cover Whales: photo by Julie Mocklin, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 782-1719. January Whales: photo by Julie Mocklin, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 782-1719. February Plane: photo by Kate Stafford, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington. Triple camera: photo by Dave Rugh, Stephen Okkonen Craig George NOAA/AFSC/NMML. Whale by ice: photo by Vicki Beaver, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, University of Alaska Fairbanks North Slope Borough Dept. Wildlife Permit No. 14245. March Whale eye and spear points: photos by Craig George. Whale: Julie Mocklin, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 782-1719. April M/C Dixon Jones Kim Goetz whale: photo by Vicki Beaver, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 14245. University of Alaska Fairbanks National Marine Mammal Laboratory May Whales from land: photo by photo by Kate Stafford, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington. Bowhead/beluga: photo by Vicki Beaver, Phil Alatalo Lara Horstmann-Dehn NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 14245. June 1-ton whale: photo by Vicki Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution University of Alaska Fairbanks Beaver, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 782-1719. 5-ton whale: photo by BOWFEST aerial survey team, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 14245. Big Carin Ashjian Wieslaw Maslowski bowhead: photo by Julie Mocklin, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 782-1719. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Naval Postgraduate School July Copepod: photo by Celia Gelfman (URI). Bowhead: photo by Amelia Brower, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 14245. August Whale tag: photo Mark Baumgartner Julie Mocklin by Mark Baumgartner. Whale: photo by Amelia Brower, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution National Marine Mammal Laboratory Permit No. 782-1719. September Whale: photo by Julie Mocklin, NOAA/ AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 782-1719. October Krill and copepod: photos by Ronald Brower Sr Dave Rugh Celia Gelfman (URI). Whale stomachs: photos by Craig George. Whale: photo by University of Alaska Fairbanks National Marine Mammal Laboratory Julie Mocklin, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 782-1719. November Whale stomach: photo by Craig George. Whale: photo by Jaclyn Clement-Kinney Lori Quakenbush BOWFEST aerial survey team, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Permit No. 782-1719. Naval Postgraduate School Alaska Department of Fish and Game December Hydrophone: photo by Kate Stafford, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington. Whale: photo by Amelia Brower, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, Robert G. Campbell Kate Stafford Permit No. 14245. back cover Photo by Julie Mocklin, NOAA/AFSC/NMML, University of Rhode Island University of Washington Permit No. 782-1719. John Citta Linda Vate Brattstrom Alaska Department of Fish and Game National Marine Mammal Laboratory Support was provided by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. This publication is the result, in part, of research sponsored by the Cooperative Institute for Alaska Research with funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under cooperative agreement NA08OAR4320751 with the University of Alaska.
Thanks to Rachel Potter (UAF) for processing the MODIS chlorophyll image. The big picture: tracking bowheads from satellites
165°E 180° 165°W 150°W 135°W 120°W 105°W When and where bowhead whales passed by shore in spring and fall has been known for thousands of years by Iñupiat whalers, but where they spent the winter was not well known by hunters or scientists. A cooperative project that began in 2006, and Annual range of the Western e r continues today, works with Native whalers to put Arctic stock of bowhead whales as m m determined by satellite tagging studies u satellite tags on bowhead whales to track their 70°N s movements wherever they go. These tags have told us: 1) where bowhead whales winter in the Bering Sea, 2) that some whales do not pass Barrow in the FALL e a spring, but stay in the Chukchi Sea, 3) that during S f o r t the summer, some whales go back and forth in the C B e a u h Beaufort Sea and others go far to the north and u r i n g east towards Greenland, and 4) that in fall, most k s p c h Barrow bowheads travel close to shore in the Beaufort S i Tuktoyaktuk Sea, then fan out as they cross the Chukchi Sea e a Kaktovik and then travel close to the shore of Russia before entering the Bering Sea for the winter. Vankarem Point Hope
Qakugulu sukun aġvigit qaaŋiqsaaguutillaaŋi Uelen siñaakun upingaami ukiamilu ilisimanigaat Taimaŋa qaŋasaaruk Iñupiat aġviqsiuqtit, aglaan sumi ukiusuutillaaŋich naluvallignigaat tamatkua 60°N aŋuniatit naga qimilguuqtit. Paammaaġignikun savaaq isagutiruaq 2006mi, suli igliktuat paŋmanuaġlaan, winter savaqatigisuugai Iñupiat aġviqsiuqtit pituutchiqsuqługi aġvigit sil.akun naipiqtuługi iglautuaqmata. Matkua pituutat il.itchugipkaġaatigut: 1) sumi aġvigit B e r ukiusuutllaŋi Ualiġmi Taġiumi, 2) il.aani aġvigit i n g ataulaitkaat Utqiaġvik upingaami, aglaan Qulliġmi S e a Taġiumiitchuurut, 3) il.aani upingaami, il.aŋi aġvigit utiqtatqigaaġuurut Qulliġmi Taġiumi suli allat iglaurut kivanmun tuŋaanun Kalaallit Nunaat, suli 4) imalu ukiaġman, iñugiaktuat aġvigit siññiqsraaguurut kivaliġmi Taġiumi, siamiraqsivlutik aasii Qulliġmun Taġiumun aasiisuli iglauraqsivlutik qalivlugu Russit Nunaat isiqsaaqsagamik Ualiġmun Taġiumun ukiuyaqtuahutiŋ.
January | Siqiññaatchiaq 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales Tracking bowhead whales from airplanes
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Map showing locations of all bowhead sightings during late summer aerial surveys, 2007 – 2011 72°N
71°N
0 25 miles The three Canon cameras with 85 mm lenses mounted 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 0 40 km inside the NOAA Twin Otter’s belly port.
Aerial surveys can be used to describe changes in the timing and locations Siļamiñ kaŋiksiuġnit quliaqtuaguyumiñaqtut alaŋugnit igliġniŋanŋi suli of bowhead whales. In addition, aerial photography provides information sumuguutilaaŋi aġvigit. Il.aman, Sil.amiñ qiñigaat kaŋiksiuġutausuurut qanutun on how long individual whales stay in an area and on the sizes of whales. tamaanitchuugutillaaŋa aġviglaa suli aktillaagutausuumiuq aġviġnun.
Aġvigit qanusigakniŋi naipiqtuguumigai sil.amiñ qimilguuqtuat. Qavsiiqsuaługi, Bowhead whale behavior is also observed by the aerial survey team. Often, aġvigit qiñiguugai niġiruat, aqiyiñniŋagun timiani, aatchaŋalgaraqman, suli anaa bowheads are seen feeding, based on mud on the body, open-mouths, tautugnaġman. Aglaan, naipiqtulhaaqnaqtuaq aġvigit qanusiġaġniŋat Utqiaġvium and the presence of feces. However, the most commonly observed whale siñaani: iglaukpagniŋat! behavior near Barrow is: traveling!
February | Siqiññaasugruk 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales Bowheads live a really long time
Indirect evidence that bowhead Iļitchugiłauraŋarut aġvigit whales live a long time comes, iñuukpaguutillaaŋi, in part, from stone weapons uriqsuutigivlugi, uyagaait (right) that were found in the satkuŋitch (taimaŋaqtat) blubber of whales recently pakitauruat uqsruŋiŋñiñ aġviġit harvested by Eskimo hunters. paŋmapak aġvaktaaġiraŋinñiñ Native whaling crews generally Iñupiat. Iñupiat aġviqsiuqtuat stopped using stone weapons aġiuŋavalligai uyagait satkut by the 1880s. This suggests taimaani 1880 qaniani. that whales live at least 120 Suaguuq aġvigit iñuusuumarut years, and perhaps much tallimakipiaq iñuiññaq ukiani, longer. imaqanuqlu sivisulhaaqtuamik. Scientists can also estimate Qimilguuqtit the age of bowhead whales by ukiuqtutillaalasiŋagai measuring chemical changes aġvigitch uuktuqługi ivsaviurat within the eye lens. These qasaluata allaŋugniŋa iluani changes occur at known rates tukuata irim. Tamatkua and can be used to roughly alaŋŋugniŋi nalunaitchut suli age long-lived mammals like ukiuktutilaagutauyumiŋaqtut humans and whales. The oldest iñuukpaguuruanun niġrutinun whale aged using this method iñuŋnilu aġviġnilu. Utuqauniksraq was over 200 years old. aġviq ukiututillaataat qulikipianiñ utuqqaulhaatuq.
ABOVE Stone weapons recently found in the blubber of bowhead whales.
left A bowhead whale eye.
March | Paniqsiqsiivik 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales Bowhead food in the Beaufort Sea: Alaska grown
B e a u f o r t S e a B e a u f o r t S e a
r u r u s s s s i a i a a l a s k a a l a s k a
B e B e r i n r i n g S e a g S e a
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Computer studies of ocean currents show how krill might be carried from Qaqasaŋuakun il.saat saġvatigun nalunaiŋagaa qanuq igliġat saġvaguutilaaŋi their spawning grounds in the Bering Sea to the Beaufort Sea. The map iñuguġvianiñ Ualim Taġiuŋaniñ pauŋa kivalim Taġiuŋanun. Nunauraliam on the left shows that some of the krill spawning in April near Alaska saumiani nalunaigaa qanuq iġligat ivaruat Umiaqqavigmi ualiani Alaskam could arrive at Barrow in time for bowhead whales to feed on them during tikillaaŋat Utqiaġviŋmun nalauługu aġviġnun niqauyuminasivlutik Sikkuvikmilu September and October. The map on the right shows that krill spawning Nippivikmilu. Nunauraliaq taliqpigmi nalunaigaa iġligatli iñuguqtuat Ruusim in April near Russia are not likely to arrive at Barrow by September and siññaani sagvaqtauyuminaitchut Utqiaġviŋmun Sikkuvigmilu Nippivigmilu. October.
April | Qargill.iigvik 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales The bowhead census shows a growing population
18,000
16,000 Estimated Bowhead Whale Population Size and Trend 14,000
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0 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Bowhead whales from the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Sea population Aġviġit Ualiġmi (Bering) Qulliġmi (Chukchi) suli kivaliġmi (Beaufort are counted in the spring as they swim in open leads near Barrow, Alaska. Sea) kistchuugai upinġaksrami iglaumata uiñitigun Utqiaġvium saliani. Some whales are not seen because they pass by in the fog, in very heavy Iļaŋi aġviġit qiñiġnalaitchut atakii atautchuurut taktukkun, sagraġruakun, ice, or far from shore. Hydrophones in the water listen for whale calls to nagga uŋasinaahutiŋ. Naalakniuitit immakun tusaasuugaa aġviġum nippa help count these unseen whales. These counts show that the bowhead kisitauvluniasii qiñiġnailanun. Tamatkua kisitchinġit nalunaiġaat aġvigitguuq population is healthy, increasing, and can support a subsistence harvest — sayaaġitsut, naunmuktut, suli ikayuutaullaruq niqsaġniġmun – aniqsa Iñupiat as the Inupiat have known for thousands of years. il.isimaaniksimaraat taimaŋasaaq ukiuni.
May | Suvligvik 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales One-ton baby bowheads gain a ton per month
May 2011 September 2011
Bowhead calves are typically born in May. At birth, a calf weighs about one Aġvalaat aniraqsisuurut Suvluġviŋuġman. Aġvalaaq, qulit tallimakipiatun ton and is about 13 feet long. Calves nurse for the next 6 to 9 months. By uqumaitchuq aġvalaat miluguurut itchaksrani nagga quliŋŋugutailani the time a calf is one year old, it will weigh 10–12 tons and will have grown tatqini. Atausimik ukiuqtutillaanigman, qulit tallimakipiat,tallimakipipatun to 25–30 feet long. uqumailivluni suli nauvlunisuli iñuiññaq tallimatun – iñuiññaq qulitun taktillaanihuni. The calf photographed in May 2011 weighs a little more than one ton and is about 14 feet long. Aġvalaaq qiñigaaq Suvluġviŋuġman 2011mi uqumainŋuraqtuq qulit tallimakipiatun suli akimiaġutailamik taktillaaqahuni. The same calf photographed in September 2011 now weighs about five tons and is about 21 feet long. Aġvalaaq qiñigatqil.giñman Sikkuvigmi 2011mi uqumailiniqsuq tallimat qulit tallimakipiamik suli iñuiññaq atausinik takitigiliġłuni.
June | Ig• ñivik 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales Summer picnic: copepods eat algae, bowheads eat copepods
Areas covered by clouds are blacked out. Many algae
a S e t f o r B e a u
ALASKA M A a m u n cK d s e n G u l f CANADA en Y zi u e ko R n R
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Bowhead whales spend much of the summer feeding on Aġvigit upinġiqpagaktut taina niġiniuraahutiŋ igliġauranik qavani copepods in the southeastern Beaufort Sea. Here, near ualiaŋani Kivalim taġiuŋani. Taavani, Amundsen Ikarraani suli Amundsen Gulf and where the Mackenzie River flows into taavani (Kuukpaum) maqivia kivaliġmun taġiumun, nauriagurat the Beaufort Sea, vast expanses of algae (tiny, microscopic nauqpaguurut(qiñinapqauraqtuat) niġġivigik-paguugai igliġaurat. plants) feed great swarms of copepods. These great swarms of Tamatkua iñugiaksiqpahutiŋ igliġaurat, il.iŋiŋl.iasii, niqiŋŋuqłutin copepods, in turn, feed thousands of bowhead whales. aġviġnun. The plot shows the distribution of algae in the southeastern Tamna kaŋiksiugun nalunaigaa siaminniŋi nauriagurat ualiaŋani Beaufort Sea in July 2010. Red colors indicate high A copepod Kivalim taġiuŋani Iñukkuksaiviŋuman 2010mi. Qaviqsaat qaunġich concentrations of algae; blue colors indicate low nalunaigai naupaktuat nauriagurat; suŋauraataat qaunġich nalunaigai concentrations of algae. naupiaŋitviat nauriagurat.
July | Iñukkuksaivik 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales “Tags” help us observe whale feeding behavior
43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Temperature (°F) 0
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a tag Short-term tagging is a common way to study whale feeding Pituugaurat piiqsiġiatuat ilisaunnaurut aġviġit niġiniaqniannun. behavior. A tag is attached to a whale for periods of a few Pituusikługu aġviq qavsiqiurani siqiñŋuram kiavalagniani hours while scientists follow the whale’s movements and maligallasisuugaat qimilguuqtit aasii uuktugaasivlugu sample the ocean many times along the whale’s path to taġiuq aġviġum iglauviŋa kaŋiksisuġługu uunnaaktillaaŋa, measure temperature, salinity, and the amount of food taġiuqtutillaa, suli uuktuqługu niqisraa aġviġum. Pituugauraq available to the whale. Once detached from the whale, the amuman aġviġmiñ, tavra paqiługu Pituugauramiñ qanutun tag can be recovered and dive information recorded by the nakkaumitillaaŋa kaŋiqsiuġviġisuugaat. Piŋña kaŋiksiugun tag can be analyzed. The plot above shows an example of uuktuusiaguruq aġviġum pituutiŋaniñ kivaliani Utqiaġvium a bowhead whale tagged northeast of Barrow that is searching for food niġiniuraaqtuam niglaumaniani taġium samma qaniani natqata (taamna in the cool water near the sea floor (the black line indicates the whale’s maŋaqtaam nalunaiġaa aġviġium nakaaganiŋa aasii qaunigit tunuani nalunaiġaili depth and the color background indicates the temperature of the water). taġium uunaqtillaaŋi).
August | Amig• iksivik 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales Why Barrow is a bowhead feeding hotspot
BARROW CANYON BARROW CANYON
Alaska Alaska Photo: Julie Mocklin Alaska Barrow Barrow
BEAUFORT SEA BEAUFORT SEA
krill or euphausiid Photo: Robert Campbell and Carin Ashjian
When winds blow from the east When winds are calm Currents carry krill ❶ through Barrow Canyon ❷ into the Beaufort Sea ❸ When winds become very weak or stop blowing, upwelling currents stop beneath the relatively warm Alaskan Coastal Water ❹. When winds blow and the warm Alaskan Coastal Water ❶ moves closer to the shore. In this from the east ❺, they move the Alaskan Coastal Water farther away from situation, the Alaskan Coastal Water extends down to the sea floor❷ and the coast. At the same time, upwelling currents ❻ near the bottom carry acts as a barrier to the movement of krill ❸. Krill that were carried westward the krill into shallower shelf waters. Once krill are in shallow shelf waters, by shelf currents when winds were from the east are prevented from escaping shelf currents ❼ carry the krill to the west toward Barrow. into deeper water by the Alaskan Coastal Water, so they collect in large numbers near Point Barrow ❹. Bowhead whales feed upon these dense • patches of krill during late summer and during their annual westward fall- Nigiqpagman feeding migration ❺. Saġvaitch aulautisuugai Igliġat ❶ Utqiaġvium taġiuŋata itiruaŋanun ❷ Nuvuum kivaliani taġiumun ❸ Ataanunlu uunnaaktuam taġiuŋanun Alaskam • • siññaani ❹. Anuġit Nigiqpaġmata ❺, tunusuugai Alaskam nunaata siññaanin Anugit qasulaagmata taġiumun taunuŋa uŋasiksivlugi. Aasiiñ, qunmuktuam saġvaum ❻ sammaŋamiñ Anuġit suamaigmata nagga anuqłiŋiagman, qunmuktuat saġvait tiŋŋiŋmivlugi igliġat pauŋa ikatuam taġiuŋanun. Tavraŋŋa igliġat taġium nutqaguurut aasii uunnaaktuaq Alaskam taġiuŋa ❶ qallitqiguuruq ikaŋniŋanugmata, saġvait ❼ igliġutisuugai igliġat uanmun Utqiaġvium tuŋaanun. nunamun. Tainnailiman, Alaskam siññaani taġiuŋa tasitchuuruq tasamuŋa taġium natqanun ❷ sapiqutauvluniasii iglauviŋanun Igliġat ❸. Igliġatli saġvaktauruat uanmun ikatuam saġvaakun taimani anuġi nigiqpaġman sapirausuurut annaksaguminaiługi tasamuŋa itiruaŋanun Alaskam taġiuŋaniñ, tavraasii atautchimun katitpaasivlutiŋ kiluani Utqiaġvium ❹. Aġviġitch niġiniaġviġisuugai taina katitpaktuat igliġat ukiagsraaman suli uanmun ukiagniuraagman iglauraqsigamiŋ niġiniaġviġiqpaguugai ❺.
September | Amig• aiqsivik 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales Copepods and krill – tiny prey for massive whales
A krill, and krill filling the stomach of a whale harvested near Barrow.
A copepod, and copepods filling the stomach of a whale harvested near the Barrow Alaska/Canada border.
Kaktovik
Euphausiids or krill are close relatives of shrimp and look similar. They Copepods are the most abundant animals in the sea. Bowhead whales are born in the Bering Sea in spring and are brought to Alaska’s northern feed on large copepods the size of a grain of rice. Copepods spend the coast by ocean currents, arriving at Barrow in the fall as juveniles and summer feeding and building up fat, and are a high-energy, high-calorie adults, in time for migrating bowheads to eat them. Juvenile and adult krill food. Bowhead whales eat copepods along Alaska’s north coast and in are a little less than an inch long. Many whales harvested near Barrow are the whales’ summering grounds in the Canadian Arctic. Whales harvested found with krill in their stomachs. Few krill survive the trip in the currents at both Barrow and Kaktovik may have copepods in their stomachs. from Barrow to Kaktovik, so whales in eastern Alaska and in Canada are Igliġaurat iñugiaŋnigsraurut niġrutni taġiumi. Aġviġit niġiniaguurut rarely found with krill in their stomachs. igliġauranik aktillaaqaqtuanik raaqtun. Igliġaurat upingivlutiŋ niġiniaqpaguurut Igliġat tainiqaqtuat krill-nik ilagiiksut suli qiññaqaqtut naulaġnatun. quiññaksahutiŋ, suli uqsruagiksut, kayummiñaq niqigiksut. Aġviġit niġiniaguurut Iñuguġuurulli Ualim taġiuŋani upingaaġman aasii pauŋaŋa Alaskam qulaanun igliġauranik Alaskam qullaani taġiumi suli aġviġit upingiviani qavani tiŋŋittagigai saġvait, tikiłłutiŋ Utqiaġviŋnun ukiaġmauŋ agliuraaniġmata suli Kanadam siññaani. Aġvaktaat Utqiaġviŋmilu Kaktoviŋmilu ilaani igliġauranik qatqitmata, nalauługi aġviġit niġiniaqniŋat. Igliġaiyaat suli igliġat mikiuraqtut immaqagaguurut aqiaguŋiŋni. uuktuutimi atausim titaaniñ. Iñugiaktuat aġvaktat Utqiaġvium killuani igliġanik imaqaguurut aqiaġuŋi. Igliġat iñugiaktuat iñuulaitchut saġvaŋni Utqiaġviŋmiñ Kaktoviŋmun, tavraasii aġviġit kivaliani Alaskam Kanadamilu igliġanik paqiñnaitchuq aqiaguŋinñi.
October | Sikkuvik 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales How much food does a bowhead eat?
Bowheads have a massive appetite. During summer and fall they eat Aġvigit niġġiksupialaktut. Upingaksrami ukiamilu ataramik niġiniaġuurut almost all the time to build up their fat reserves for winter and spring. A uqsruqtusisaġłutiŋ ukiumun upingaksramunaglaan. Iñuiññaq qulitun 30 foot bowhead whale can hold about 26 gallons of food in its stomach. agliman aġviqiñuiññaq itchaksrat imgusiaruit immilagai aqiauata.Itchaksrat This is more than five 5-gallon buckets. imgusiarugnin imaqalhaatuq. Krill is a very high calorie food and contains lots of fat. Twenty-six gallons Igligat quiññaksautigiksut suli uqsruagiksiŋasuurut. Iñuiññaq itchaksrat of bowhead food has as much energy as 4,550 Hershey’s Kisses! And imgusiaruitguug aġvigit niqiŋi sayaagiksut 4,550 Hersim nuŋuraaŋatun! Suli bowheads eat this little snack about 5 times per day. That is over 22,000 aġvigit tamuaqatchiagimatun niġisuugai tallimani uvlumi. Niġimatun 22,000 Hershey’s Kisses per day! Hersim nuŋuraaŋatun uvlutuaġman! Eating like this, bowheads can add as much as 20 inches of blubber, Niġigamik taina, aġvigit quiññaksaġaktut ugsrutusivlitiŋ iñuiññaq suva, almost half of their total body weight. The fat keeps the whales warm avvaŋatun timaata uqumainñiŋata. Uqsruata uunnaaktitchuugaa ilua inside and makes it possible for them to live in the cold Arctic waters. suli iñuullasipayaaguugai Qiiyanaqtuani taġiuni. Aglaan, aġvigitch However, bowheads have much more fat than they would need just to stay uqsruqalhaaqtut anniqsuutauruamik uunnautigisiñaŋitchuamik. Uqsruata il.aŋa warm. The extra fat may serve as built-in energy for years when bowheads quiññaksautausinaŋitchuq atuguuvlugu aġviġum il.aani sua niqail.iugumi. cannot find enough food.
November | Nippivik 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales What are bowhead whales saying?
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Bowhead whales make a variety of sounds to communicate Aġviġit iñugiaktuanik imiksiutiqaqtut avanmun uqautigamik, with each other, navigate in icy Arctic waters, and find food. igligviksraqtik sivuniumarruŋ sikutigun, suli niqisraqsiugamiŋ. Scientists use hydrophones (underwater microphones, right) Qimilguuqtit atuguugai (imakkun imiksiugutit , saumiani ) to record these sounds. A spectrogram is a picture of the pituksaqługi nippiŋi. Siititiliaq qiñiġaaligaa nippi uuktuługu sound showing time (in seconds), frequency (in kilohertz), kayumiŋa (titatigun), qatituniŋa (quaqsaagutikun), suli nipatuniŋa and loudness (brighter colors). The spectrogram above shows (qumalhaat qaungit). Siititiliaq piġña naluniagaa aġviġum bowhead communication calls. imiksiutaa uqautigamik.
Push the button to hear A hydrophone is suspended bowhead whale sounds! from a buoy.
• December | Siqingill.aq 2013
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A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales Sound chip