A note on recent surveys for right whales in the southeastern Bering Sea

LeDuc, Rick; Perryman, Wayne L.; Gilpatrick, James W.; Hyde, Jackson; Stinchcomb, Charles; Carretta, James V.; Brownell, Robert L.

doi:10.47536/jcrm.vi.280

Cited by 14 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Following catches of 372 right whales by Soviet pelagic whaling operations (primarily in the 1960s; Doroshenko, 2000), the eastern North Pacific population is believed to contain fewer (perhaps far fewer) whales than the western population (LeDuc et al, 2001). Recent surveys, photo-identification and genetic studies suggest that this population may number in the tens of animals.…”

Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of North Pacific right whales (Eubalaena japonica) as shown by 19th and 20th century whaling catch and sighting records

Clapham

Quinn²,

Reeves³

et al. 2023

JCRM

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North Pacific right whales (Eubalaena japonica) were extensively exploited in the 19th century, and their recovery was further retarded (severely so in the eastern population) by illegal Soviet catches in the 20th century, primarily in the 1960s. Monthly plots of right whale sightings and catches from both the 19th and 20th centuries are provided, using data summarised by Scarff (1991, from the whale charts of Matthew Fontaine Maury) and Brownell et al. (2001), respectively. Right whales had an extensive offshore distribution in the 19th century, and were common in areas (such as the Gulf of Alaska and Sea of Japan) where few or no right whales occur today. Seasonal movements of right whales are apparent in the data, although to some extent these reflect survey and whaling effort. That said, these seasonal movements indicate a general northward migration in spring from lower latitudes, and major concentrations above 40°N in summer. Sightings diminished and occurred further south in autumn, and few animals were recorded anywhere in winter. These north-south migratory movements support the hypothesis of two largely discrete populations of right whales in the eastern and western North Pacific. Overall, these analyses confirm that the size and range of the right whale population is now considerably diminished in the North Pacific relative to the situation during the peak period of whaling for this species in the 19th century. For management purposes, new surveys are urgently required to establish the present distribution of this species; existing data suggest that the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, the Okhotsk Sea, the Kuril Islands and the coast of Kamchatka are the areas with the greatest likelihood of finding right whales today.

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Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of North Pacific right whales (Eubalaena japonica) as shown by 19th and 20th century whaling catch and sighting records

Clapham

Quinn²,

Reeves³

et al. 2023

JCRM

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“…Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) are known to occur along the eastern and western margins of the North Pacific (Andrews, 1914;Rice and Wolman, 1971); they have been extinct in the North Atlantic for several hundred years (Mead and Mitchell, 1984). Recent genetic studies show that animals from the eastern (California-Chukchi) and the western (Korean-Okhotsk) Pacific should be recognised as geographically and genetically separated at the population level (LeDuc et al, 2002). Although both populations were greatly reduced by commercial whaling, only the eastern gray whale has returned to numbers approaching the suspected pre-exploitation population size (IWC, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The western gray whale: a review of past exploitation, current status and potential threats

Weller¹,

Burdin²,

Würsig³

et al. 2023

jcrm

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Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) occur along the eastern and western coastlines of the North Pacific as two geographically isolated populations and have traditionally been divided into the eastern (California-Chukchi) and western (Korean-Okhotsk) populations. Recent molecular comparisons confirm, based on differences in haplotypic frequencies, that these populations are genetically separated at the population-level. Both populations were commercially hunted, but only the eastern gray whale has returned to near pre-exploitation numbers. In contrast, the western population remains highly depleted, shows no apparent signs of recovery and its future survival remains uncertain. Research off Sakhalin Island, Russia between 1995 and 1999 has produced important new information on the present day conservation status of western gray whales and provided the basis for the World Conservation Union (IUCN) to list the population as ‘Critically Endangered’ in 2000. The information presented here, in combination with potential impacts from anthropogenic threats throughout the range of this population, raises strong concerns about the recovery and continued survival of the western gray whale.

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“…. Recent genetic studies show that eastern and western Pacific gray whales should be recognised as geographically and genetically separated at the population level (LeDuc et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A note on the spatial distribution of western gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) off Sakhalin Island, Russia in 1998

Weller,

Reeve,

Burdin

et al. 2023

jcrm

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Three aerial surveys were conducted along a portion of the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia between August and September 1998. They were conducted to examine the spatial distribution of western gray whales on their feeding grounds, and in relation to current and planned industrial activity. A total of 32 gray whale groups, consisting of 38 whales, was sighted during the surveys. Group sizes ranged from 1-3 individuals (mean = 1.2, SD = 0.54), with 87.5% (n = 28) composed of single whales. All groups detected were within 5km of the shore and 93.8% (n = 30) were sighted inside 4km. Sighting locations ranged from 0.6-4.8km offshore, with an overall mean distance from shore of 2.5km (SD = 1.11). These data suggest that western gray whales feed primarily in waters less than 20m deep and relatively close to shore. The nutrient-rich effluent from a large coastal lagoon is believed to significantly enrich the near-shore benthic environment of the northeastern Sakhalin Island coast, creating an area of particularly high food availability, and in turn contributing to the near-shore affinity of gray whales observed during this study.

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A note on recent surveys for right whales in the southeastern Bering Sea

Cited by 14 publications

References 9 publications

Distribution of North Pacific right whales (Eubalaena japonica) as shown by 19th and 20th century whaling catch and sighting records

Distribution of North Pacific right whales (Eubalaena japonica) as shown by 19th and 20th century whaling catch and sighting records

The western gray whale: a review of past exploitation, current status and potential threats

A note on the spatial distribution of western gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) off Sakhalin Island, Russia in 1998

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