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This article discusses a study on humpback whale vocalizations in a mid-latitude, winter feeding ground in Virginia. The researchers were unable to determine the sex of the whale, but they found that it vocalized for a significant amount of time, producing 11 distinct call types. They also identified patterns and themes in the whale's vocalizations, suggesting the presence of song fragments. The researchers hypothesize that the tagged whale was a juvenile male practicing singing behavior. The article also highlights the threat of vessel strikes to humpback whales, particularly in the U.S. Atlantic Coast, where ship traffic is increased. The researchers suggest that the whale's passive, head-down orientation during vocalizations may increase its vulnerability to ship strikes. Overall, this study contributes to our understanding of humpback whale behavior and the risks they face in their feeding grounds. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the negative impacts of cetacean tourism, such as whale watching, on cetacean populations. It suggests that current management strategies are ineffective due to a lack of regulation, low compliance with guidelines, and a lack of enforcement. The article proposes incorporating concepts from successful business management to improve cetacean tourism management and achieve sustainability. It emphasizes the importance of considering the perspectives and safety of tourists in addition to the well-being of cetaceans. The provided text consists of a list of academic articles and studies related to the impact of tourism on marine mammals, specifically dolphins and whales. The articles cover various topics such as the effects of tourism on behavior, compliance with guidelines, and the sustainability of tourist interactions with cetaceans. The studies examine the behavioral responses of dolphins to vessel presence, the long-term effects of swim-with-dolphin tourism, and the implications of whale-watching activities on conservation. The articles provide valuable insights into the complex relationship between tourism and marine mammals, highlighting the need for responsible and sustainable practices in the industry. The given list of sources includes research articles on the topic of whale watching and its impacts. The articles cover topics such as the negative impacts of whale watching, recent advances in research, compliance with regulations, and the behavior of dolphins and whales in the presence of whale watching vessels. The research examines the effects of whale watching on cetaceans, such as changes in behavior and increased stress levels. It also explores the effectiveness of regulations and codes of conduct in [Extracted from the article]

This document provides a compilation of scientific articles that explore various aspects of killer whale behavior, ecology, and interactions with other marine species. The articles discuss the use of drones to study killer whales, their feeding habits and prey selection, their distribution and abundance, and their role in marine ecosystems. The document emphasizes the importance of using drone footage and citizen science to gain insights into killer whale behavior and conservation efforts. The articles cover a range of regions around the world, providing valuable information on killer whales in different contexts. [Extracted from the article]

The article reports that Humpback whales undergo long migrations between high latitudes where food sources are rich where calving and breeding occur in the winter. Topics include examines although monotypic, three separate populations are generally recognized such as North Pacific, North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere.

The article reports that the Humpback whales are a cosmopolitan species that often visit inshore waters close to the coast, making it easier to see and study them. Topics include considered assessing whale behavior offers a better understanding of the importance of these species in marine ecosystems as well as give knowledge about their ecology and habitat use.

The article focuses on marine wildlife tourism and safety. Topics include the interactions with coastal and marine wildlife in natural settings have increased significantly, the interactions may be facilitated by commercial operators, deliberately sought by individuals and private groups, or incidental during other marine-based activities, and the focal species range from marine mammals to reptiles, birds, elasmobranch and other fish species, and more.

GLO:KQE/01jul20:mms12677-fig-0001.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): Map of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) sightings in Nicaragua and Antarctica. (b) Number of humpback whale sightings per month in each year. gl At 0930 on 17 August 2015, a humpback whale mother/calf pair was sighted (Figure a-c) in Nicaragua, with a small calf, suggesting the area could be important for calf birthing and rearing. GLO:KQE/01jul20:mms12677-fig-0004.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): Ventral sides of the flukes of a Southern Hemisphere humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) photographically matched in Nicaragua and Antarctica. [Extracted from the article]

Blue whale populations from both hemispheres are thought to undertake annual migrations between high latitude feeding grounds and low latitude breeding grounds (Mackintosh, [23]). By comparing blue whale acoustic and surface behavior during three independent blue whale encounters, we explored the similarities in display behavior, focusing on vocalization characteristics and potential functionality. Encounter NA2 started on 4 September 2004 at approximately 9:30 a.m. local time, when again a blue whale pair consisting of a leading female (B205) and a flanking male (B378) was observed to be followed by another male blue whale (B185). Independently, in three different years and over a time span of more than a decade, similar visual observations of surface-active blue whale trios that exhibited a specific acoustic behavior was described for two geographically distant blue whale populations. [Extracted from the article]

Humpback whales ( I Megaptera novaeangliae i ) undertake annual migrations between high-latitude summer feeding grounds and low-latitude winter breeding grounds (Dawbin [8], Lockyer and Brown [17]). Evidence of feeding by the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in mid-latitude waters of the western South Atlantic. Humpback whale "super-groups" - A novel low-latitude feeding behaviour of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Benguela Upwelling System. [Extracted from the article]

This study examines the occurrence of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song in the northeast Pacific from three years of continuous recordings off central California (36.713°N, 122.186°W). Song is prevalent in this feeding and migratory habitat, spanning nine months of the year (September–May), peaking in winter (November–January), and reaching a maximum of 86% temporal coverage (during November 2017). From the rise of song in fall through the end of peak occurrence in winter, song length increases significantly from month to month. The seasonal peak in song coincides with the seasonal trough in day length and sighting-based evidence of whales leaving Monterey Bay, consistent with seasonal migration. During the seasonal song peak, diel variation shows maximum occurrence at night (69% of the time), decreasing during dawn and dusk (52%), and further decreasing with increasing solar elevation during the day, reaching a minimum near solar noon (30%). Song occurrence increased 44% and 55% between successive years. Sighting data within the acoustic detection range of the hydrophone indicate that variation in local population density was an unlikely cause of this large interannual variation. Hydrographic data and modeling of acoustic transmission indicate that changes in neither habitat occupancy nor acoustic transmission were probable causes. Conversely, the positive interannual trend in song paralleled major ecosystem variations, including similarly large positive trends in wind-driven upwelling, primary productivity, and krill abundance. Further, the lowest song occurrence during the first year coincided with anomalously warm ocean temperatures and an extremely toxic harmful algal bloom that affected whales and other marine mammals in the region. These major ecosystem variations may have influenced the health and behavior of humpback whales during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humpback whale songs associated with breeding behaviors are increasingly reported outside of traditional low latitude breeding grounds. Songs from a subarctic feeding ground during the winter were quantitatively characterized to investigate the structure and temporal changes of the songs at such an atypical location. Recordings were collected from 26. January to 12. March, 2011, using bottom mounted recorders. Humpback songs were detected on 91% of the recording days with peak singing activities during 9.–26. February. The majority of the recordings included multiple chorusing singers. The songs were characterized by a) common static themes which transitioned consistently to predictable themes, b) shifting themes which occurred less predictably and c) rare themes. A set median sequence was found for four different periods (sets) of recordings (approximately 1 week each). The set medians were highly similar and formed a single cluster indicating that the sequences of themes sung in this area belonged to a single cluster of songs despite of the variation caused by the shifting themes. These subarctic winter songs could, thus, represent a characteristic song type for this area which is comparable to extensively studied songs from traditional low latitude breeding grounds. An increase in the number of themes per sequence was observed throughout the recording period including minor changes in the application of themes in the songs; indicating a gradual song progression. The results confirm that continual singing of sophisticated songs occur during the breeding season in the subarctic. In addition to being a well-established summer feeding ground the study area appears to be an important overwintering site for humpback whales delaying or canceling their migration where males engage in active sexual displays, i.e. singing. Importantly, such singing activity on a shared feeding ground likely aids the cultural transmission of songs in the North Atlantic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GLO:KQE/01jan21:mms12757-gra-0001.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): . gl B Thomas F. Norris1965-2020 b Our friend and colleague, Thomas F. Norris, passed away peacefully in San Diego, California, on September 9, 2020, after a 7-month battle with pancreatic cancer. 13 Norris, T., Martin, S. W., Yack, T. M., Thomas, L., & Oswald, J. (2011). 17 Norris, T., Yack, T. M., Martin, S., Oswald, J. N., Cummins, A. J., & Thomas, L. (2010b). [Extracted from the article]

When humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) sing in coastal waters, the units they produce can generate reverberation. Traditionally, such reverberant acoustic energy has been viewed as an incidental side-effect of high-amplitude, long-distance, sound transmission in the ocean. An alternative possibility, however, is that reverberation actually contributes to the structure and function of songs. In the current study, this possibility was assessed by analyzing reverberation generated by humpback whale song units, as well as the spectral structure of unit sequences, produced by singers from different regions. Acoustical analyses revealed that: (1) a subset of units within songs generated narrowband reverberant energy that in some cases persisted for periods longer than the interval between units; (2) these highly reverberant units were regularly repeated throughout the production of songs; and (3) units occurring before and after these units often contained spectral energy peaks at non-overlapping, adjacent frequencies that were systematically related to the bands of reverberant energy generated by the units. These findings strongly suggest that some singing humpback whales not only produce sounds conducive to long-duration reverberation, but also may sequentially structure songs to avoid spectral overlap between units and ongoing reverberation. Singer-generated reverberant energy that is received simultaneously with directly transmitted song units can potentially provide listening whales with spatial cues that may enable them to more accurately determine a singer’s position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]