Diving behavior of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) in a maritime traffic area in Patagonia, Argentina

Article

Authorship

ARGÜELLES, MARIA BELEN ; FAZIO, ANA ; FIORITO, CARLA DANIELA ; Pérez Martínez, Daniel ; COSCARELLA, MARIANO ALBERTO ; BERTELLOTTI, NESTOR MARCELO

Date

2016

Publishing House and Editing Place

European Association for Aquatic Mammals

Magazine

AQUATIC MAMMALS, vol. 42 (pp. 104-108) European Association for Aquatic Mammals

Summary Information provided by the agent in SIGEVA

The aim of this study was to assess the diving behavior of southern right whales in Golfo Nuevo. To our knowledge, this is the first record of depth diving of southern right whales in the world. This is a matter of interest since whales are diving into deeper waters in ship traffic areas to and from the Puerto Madryn port. This study was carried out in November 2013, towards the end of the whale breeding season. In order to record the depth and diving time of whales, we used a time-depth record... The aim of this study was to assess the diving behavior of southern right whales in Golfo Nuevo. To our knowledge, this is the first record of depth diving of southern right whales in the world. This is a matter of interest since whales are diving into deeper waters in ship traffic areas to and from the Puerto Madryn port. This study was carried out in November 2013, towards the end of the whale breeding season. In order to record the depth and diving time of whales, we used a time-depth recorder (TDR), the Sensus ULTRA Reefnet, attached to a suction-cup device (SCD) designed by us. The device was a floating capsule of closed cell material attached to a carbon fiber base with two silicone suction cups of 5-cm diameter each. This was the first time that a SCD was used to tag southern right whales.