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Observations of Bowhead Whales During Spring Migration

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Observations of Bowhead Whales During Spring Migration bowhead whales. The Naval Arctic Re­ Larry Rockhill, Field Coordinator, phological variant of the bowhead whale, Sa­ /aena mysticetus. Mar. Fish. Rev. 42(9-10): search Laboratory at Barrow, Alaska, University of Alaska, X-CEO Program, 70-73. gave me institutional and individual Rural Education Development Center, Eschricht, D., and J. Reinhardt. 1866. On the support. The National Marine Mammal Barrow, Alaska, provided the photo­ Greenland right-whale (Sa/aena mysticetus, Linn.), with special reference to its geograph­ Laboratory, NMFS, Seattle, Wash., graph of the 37.5 Col long fetus from ical distribution and migrations in times past supplied data on fetuses and provided Wainwright, Alaska. and present, and to its external and internal financial support, as did the Arctic In­ Sponsored in 1973 by the National characteristics. In W. H. Flower (editor), Recent memoirs on the Cetacea, p. 1-150. stitute of North America, Calgary, Al­ Marine Fisheries Service and in prior Robert Hardwicke, Lond. berta, Canada, and the Office of Naval years (1961-72) by the Arctic Institute Gray, R. W. 1929. Breeding habits of the Greenland whale. Nature (Lond.) 123:564­ Research, Washington, D.C. I also of North America with the financial 565 thank James Mead, Jane Small, and support of the Office of Naval Research Home, E. 1812. An account of some peculiarities David Schmidt of the National Museum under contract N00014-70-A-0219­ of the structure of the organ of hearing in the Salaena mysticetus of Linnaeus. Philos of Natural History, Smithsonian Institu­ 0001 (subcontract ONR 367). Trans. R. Soc. Lond., Pt. 1,1812:83-89 tion, Washington, D. c., for courtesies Literature Cited Meek, A. 1918 The reproductive organs of extended in making it possible for me to Cetacea. J. Anat. 52:186-210. Braham, H w., F. E. Durham, G. H. Jarrell. Slijper, E. J. 1962. Whales. Hutchinson & Co .. examine a frozen fetus on deposit there. and S. Leatherwood. 1980. lngutuk: A mm- Lond., 475 p. Geoffry M. Carroll and John R. Smithhisler are with the National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Northwest and Alaska Fisheries Center, National Observations of Bowhead Whales Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand During Spring Migration Point Way N.E., Bldg. 32, Seattle, WA 98115. GEOFFRY M. CARROLL and JOHN R. SMITHHISLER quette6 include comments on bowhead behavior. During April, May, and June 1975­ Introduction McVay (1973), Maryuette (1976, 1978), 78, National Marine Fisheries Service Everitt and Krogman (1979), Rugh and (NMFS) biologists were stationed at l 2 Each spring bowhead whales, Cubbage (1980), Gilmore , Foote , Point Hope and Point Barrow, Alaska, to 3 4 Balaena mysticelus, of the western Arc­ Durham , Fiscus and Marquette , census the bowhead whale population, 5 tic stock travel through breaks in the sea Braham and K rogman , and Mar- maintaining a 24-hour watch (ice and ice, migrating from their winter weather conditions permitting) from grounds in the Bering Sea to their sum­ camps established on the landfast ice mer grounds in the Beaufort Sea (Braham and Krogman, footnote 5; (Braham et aI., 1980). These breaks in 'Gilmore, R. M 1951. The Arctic right whale, Braham et aI., 1979). They recorded the the ice, or leads, form when winds blow Greenland whale, or bowhead. Unpubl. manuscr. behavior of bowheads during their the moving pack ice away from landfast [Vol. 15, Encyclopedia Arctica], 71 p. Avail. northward migration in the nearshore ice, creating a flaw zone of open water Dartmouth College Library, Hanover, NH 03755. 2Foote, D. C. 1964. Observations of the bowhead lead past the ice camp. Two categories and broken ice generally parallel to the whale at Point Hope, Alaska. Unpubl. manuscr., of behavior were recorded: 1) General shore. If conditions allow, most 73 p. Geogr. Dep., McGill Univ., Montreal, migrating behavior directly associated bowheads follow these nearshore leads Que., Can 3Durham, F. E. 1972. Biology of the bowhead with rate and direction of migration, while migrating along the northwest­ whale (Sa/aena mysticetus) in the western Arctic. group size, size class distribution, dive ern coast of Alaska. This provides an Unpubl. manuscr., 93 p. Dep. BioI., Univ. South. profiles, and movements of whales Calif., Los Angeles, CA 90007. excellent opportunity to observe their <Fiscus, C H., and W. M. Marquette. 1975. through constantly changing ice fields; behavior. ational Marine Fisheries Service field studies and 2) "extra-migratory" behavior There is little published information relating to the bowhead whale harvest in Alaska, 1974. Processed rep., 23 p. Natl. Mar. Mammal such as reaction to human disturbance, on the behavior of bowhead whales. Lab., Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., NOAA, 7600 Sand Some whaling captains (Scoresby, 1820; Point Way .E., Bldg. 32. Seattle, WA 981 15 Scammon, 1874; Cook, 1926; Bodfish, 'Braham, H. w., and B. D. Krogman. 1977. 6Marquette, W. M. 1977. The 1976 catch of Population biology of the bowhead (Salaena mys­ bowhead whales (Salaena mysticetus) by Alas­ 1936) included comments on whale be­ ticetus) and beluga (De/phinapterus leucas) kan Eskimos, with a review of the fishery, 1973­ havior in reporting their experiences in whale in the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. 76, and a biological summary of the species. Processed rep., 29 p. Natl. Mar. Mammal Lab., Processed rep., 80 p., Natl. Mar. Mammal Lab., Arctic waters. Tomilin (1957), Sleptsov Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., NOAA. 7600 Sand Point Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., NOAA, 7600 Sand Point (1961), Maher and Wilimovsky (1963), Way N.E.. Bldg. 32. Seattle. WA 98 I J5. Way N.E., Bldg. 32, Seattle, WA 981 15. 80 Marine Fisheries Review resting, exuberant displays, and feed­ are altered but not caused by ice condi­ Each whale observed surfaced 2-14 ing. The objecti ve of this paper is to tions. The Eskimos describe three times in a dive sequence, beginning describe the behavior of migrating major pulses each spring. Durham with the first blow and ending with an bowhead whales as interpreted from (footnote 3) concluded from his apparent sounding dive. Of63 observa­ observations, literature, and conversa­ bowhead catch statistics that there were tions of rolls from undisturbed whales tions with Eskimo whalers. four pulses. Our results show a varying from 1975 to 1977, the mean number number of pulses from year to year with was 6.57 ± 3.08 (standard deviation, General Migratory Behavior no strong consistency except that two SO) per dive sequence. Of 41 recorded pulses were distinct between 15 April dive sequences during 1978, the mean Rate and Direction of Migration and 30 May each year from 1976 to 1978 number of blows per rise was 6.53 ± When ice was not obstructing their (Braham et aI., 1979; Krogman, 1980). 2.84 (SO). Undisturbed bowheads most often ventilated seven to nine times per passage, bowhead whales moved Size Class Distribution through the nearshore lead at a steady dive sequence, but it was not unusual rate, seldom altering course. Depend­ Smaller and presumably younger for them to blow as few as two or three ing on the direction and velocity of the whales were more prevalent early in the times (Fig. I). However, a blow is not water current, their rate of travel rela­ season. From mid-April through early always visible each time a whale rolls, tive to the observers ranged from I to II May, when bowheads first appeared in and thus the data may be biased slightly km/hour. Nearly all the whales traveled the leads offBarrow, most of the whales downward. northeastwardly; fewer than I percent were judged to be small. From late May For determining the average time that tra veled in the oppos ite direction. to early June, the majority of whales whales were at or near the surface, only When they traveled southwest it was were large. This is consistent with ob­ the 1978 data were used because of usually because of closed leads stop­ servations made by Eskimos. Calves­ greater precision obtained in timing ob­ ping their progress to the northeast. of-the-year have been seen migrating servations with the use of time-lapse with their mothers during April, May, digital stopwatches. Surfacing se­ Group Size and June, indicating that at least some quences were recorded for eight During the spring migration, calves were born shortly before or dur­ bowheads that provided a total of 31 bowheads usually travel alone, though ing the spring migration (Braham et al., timed periods. The mean time at the they are occasionally seen in pairs and 1980). Small calves generally stay surface for these whales was 4.7 sec­ small groups, with individuals sepa­ close to their mothers' sides and are onds (2.0 SO). Mean time below the rated by a few meters. Of 2,406 difficult to see particularly ifthey are on surface between blows, determined bowheads that we observed over the 4 the offshore side of the mother. On two from 30 timed periods for all eight years, 1,815 (75.4 percent) were travel­ occasions, very small calves were seen whales, was 10.8 seconds (5.2 SO). ing singly; 470 (19.5 percent) were in riding their mothers' backs, apparent­ The mean total time a bowhead was pairs; 105 (4.4 percent) were in groups ly grasping the mothers with their visible to observers (30.9 seconds), of three, and 16 (0.7 percent) traveled in flippers. was derived by multiplying the mean groups of four animals. Usually one in­ number of rolls by the mean time of dividual of a pair was distinctly smaller Dive Profiles each roll. The mean duration of a rise, than the other but not small enough to Bowheads progressed with long, 91.2 seconds, was determined by add­ be a calf-of-the-year.
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