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Burkhardt, Elke (2013): Whale sightings during POLARSTERN cruise ANT-XXVIII/4 [dataset]. Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.819863

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Abstract:
From 13 March to 09 April 2012 Germany conducted a fisheries survey on board RV Polarstern in the Scotia Sea (Elephant Island - South Shetland Island - Joinville Island area) under the auspices of CCAMLR. During this expedition, ANT-XXVIII/4, an opportunistic marine mammal survey was carried out. Data were collected for 26 days along the externally preset cruise track, resulting in 295 hrs on effort. Within the study area 248 sightings were collected, including three different species of baleen whales (fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), and Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) and one toothed whale species, killer whale (Orcinus orca). More than 62% of the sightings recorded were fin whales (155 sightings) which were mainly related to the Elephant Island area (116 sightings). Usual group sizes of the total fin whale sightings ranged from one to five individuals, also including young animals associated with adults during some encounters. Larger groups of more than 20 whales, and on two occasions more than 100 indivuduals, were observed as well. These large pods of fin whales were observed feeding in shallow waters (< 300 m) on the north-western shelf off Elephant Island, concordant with large aggregations of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba). This observation suggests that Elephant Island constitutes an important feeding area for fin whales in early austral fall, with possible implications regarding the regulation of (krill) fisheries in this area.
Keyword(s):
Cetacean sightings; WALOG
Related to:
Burkhardt, Elke; Lanfredi, Caterina (2012): Fall feeding aggregations of fin whales off Elephant Island (Antarctica). The International Whaling Commission's 64th, The International Whaling Commission's 64th Annual Meeting, hdl:10013/epic.39404.d001
Further details:
Information for MAPS whale sighting data (2018-12-18)
Project(s):
Marine Mammal Perimeter Surveillance from RV Polarstern (MAPS)
Coverage:
Median Latitude: -61.929423 * Median Longitude: -57.091258 * South-bound Latitude: -62.410970 * West-bound Longitude: -61.421780 * North-bound Latitude: -60.972550 * East-bound Longitude: -55.792200
Date/Time Start: 2012-03-23T10:34:43 * Date/Time End: 2012-04-07T20:47:39
Event(s):
PS79/4-track * Latitude Start: -53.144700 * Longitude Start: -70.909100 * Latitude End: -53.144700 * Longitude End: -70.909100 * Date/Time Start: 2012-03-13T12:00:00 * Date/Time End: 2012-04-09T12:00:00 * Location: Antarctic Peninsula * Campaign: ANT-XXVIII/4 (PS79) * Basis: Polarstern * Method/Device: Underway cruise track measurements (CT)
Comment:
Date/Time is given in UTC. Certainty of identification: definite if observer clearly identified the species. The number of individuals is binned according to the options given in the data acquisition software: 1, 2, 3, less equal 5, less equal 10, greater than 10, greater than 20. More precise values may exist, due to observer comments. See doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.784455 and doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.784460 for weather condition and doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.802809 for the sea surface oceanography.
Parameter(s):
#NameShort NameUnitPrincipal InvestigatorMethod/DeviceComment
1 DATE/TIMEDate/TimeGeocode
2 LATITUDELatitudeGeocode
3 LONGITUDELongitudeGeocode
4 Whale speciesWhaleBurkhardt, ElkeVisual observation
5 Certainty of identificationCertaintyBurkhardt, Elke
6 IndividualsInd#Burkhardt, ElkeVisual observation
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-3.0)
Size:
96 data points

Data

Download dataset as tab-delimited text — use the following character encoding:

1 
Date/Time		2 
Latitude		3 
Longitude		4 
Whale		5 
Certainty		6 
Ind [#]
2012-03-23T10:34:43-60.97255-55.92590Balaenoptera physalusprobable2
2012-03-23T12:23:04-61.00178-55.95315Balaenoptera physalusdefinite2
2012-03-23T13:07:11-60.98723-55.91007Balaenoptera physalusdefinite>10
2012-03-23T19:28:26-61.11313-55.90295Balaenoptera physalusdefinite>50
2012-03-24T09:39:49-60.97788-55.92212Balaenoptera physalusdefinite>5
2012-03-25T09:40:20-61.33920-56.20195Balaenoptera physalusdefinite3
2012-03-25T10:05:43-61.35413-56.10688Balaenoptera physalusdefinite1
2012-03-25T14:34:54-61.28297-56.30988Balaenoptera physalusdefinite4
2012-03-25T23:53:09-61.58497-56.80130Large whale, unidentifieddefinite1
2012-03-28T14:33:46-62.37772-61.42178Megaptera novaeangliaedefinite1
2012-03-29T14:07:44-62.30658-60.79022Balaenoptera physalusprobable2
2012-03-29T14:12:10-62.32077-60.78353Balaenoptera physalusdefinite1
2012-03-29T14:16:09-62.33330-60.77650Balaenoptera physalusdefinite2
2012-03-29T14:17:21-62.33695-60.77460Balaenoptera physalusdefinite2
2012-03-30T13:42:09-62.02107-59.27927Balaenoptera physalusdefinite4
2012-03-30T20:20:46-61.67555-59.23563Large whale, unidentifieddefinite1
2012-03-31T17:09:32-61.76692-58.53693Balaenoptera physalusprobable1
2012-03-31T21:26:43-61.78228-58.33355Balaenoptera physalusdefinite2
2012-04-03T11:57:25-62.41097-56.22382Megaptera novaeangliaedefinite>5
2012-04-03T12:17:41-62.41097-56.22382Megaptera novaeangliaedefinite2
2012-04-04T19:30:59-62.28205-55.79220Balaenoptera physalusprobable2
2012-04-04T20:50:48-62.28205-55.79220Balaenoptera physalusdefinite3
2012-04-05T12:09:35-62.28205-55.79220Balaenoptera physalusdefinite2
2012-04-05T12:19:52-62.28205-55.79220Balaenoptera physalusdefinite2
2012-04-05T13:43:28-62.28205-55.79220Balaenoptera physalusdefinite4
2012-04-05T13:53:20-62.28205-55.79220Balaenoptera physalusdefinite>5
2012-04-05T13:55:02-62.28205-55.79220Balaenoptera physalusdefinite4
2012-04-05T14:18:06-62.28205-55.79220Balaenoptera physalusdefinite4
2012-04-05T21:27:21-62.28205-55.79220Orcinus orcaprobable2
2012-04-07T11:04:55-62.28205-55.79220Lagenorhynchus crucigerdefinite3
2012-04-07T19:44:31-62.28205-55.79220Globicephala melaspossible1
2012-04-07T20:47:39-62.28205-55.79220Lagenorhynchus crucigerpossible4