Depredating sperm whales in the Gulf of Alaska: local habitat use and long distance movements across putative population boundaries

J. M. Straley; G. S. Schorr; A. M. Thode; J. Calambokidis; C. R. Lunsford; E. M. Chenoweth; V. M. OConnell; R. D. Andrews

doi:10.3354/esr00595

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ESR 24:125-135 (2014) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00595

Depredating sperm whales in the Gulf of Alaska: local habitat use and long distance movements across putative population boundaries

J. M. Straley^1,*, G. S. Schorr², A. M. Thode³, J. Calambokidis², C. R. Lunsford⁴, E. M. Chenoweth¹, V. M. O’Connell⁵, R. D. Andrews⁶

¹University of Alaska Southeast, Sitka, Alaska 99835, USA
²Cascadia Research Collective, Olympia, Washington 98501, USA
³Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
⁴Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute, NOAA Fisheries, Juneau, Alaska 99801, USA
⁵Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, Sitka, Alaska 99835, USA
⁶School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska 99664, USA

*Corresponding author: jmstraley@uas.alaska.edu

ABSTRACT: Satellite tags were attached to 10 sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus (1 whale was tagged in 2 different years) to determine the movements of sperm whales involved in removal of sablefish from longline fishing gear in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Tags transmitted from 3 to 34 d (median = 22) in 2007 and 7 to 158 d (median = 45) in 2009. Seven whales stayed in the GOA; all were associating with fishing vessels along the slope. Two whales headed south in June shortly after being tagged; one reached the inner third of the Sea of Cortez; the other’s last location was offshore Mexico at 14°N. A third whale stayed in the GOA until October and then headed south, reaching central Baja, Mexico, 158 d after tagging. The whales that travelled to lower latitudes followed no pattern in timing of departure, and at least 2 had different destinations. All whales passed through the California Current without stopping and did not travel to Hawaii; both are areas with known concentrations of sperm whales. Whales travelled faster when south of 56°N than when foraging in the GOA (median rate of median horizontal movement = 5.4 [range:4.1 to 5.5] and 1.3 [range:0.6 to 2.5] km h^-1, respectively). Tagged sperm whales primarily travelled over the slope, but one spent considerable time over the ocean basin. Information on the timing and movement patterns of sperm whales may provide a means for fishermen to avoid fishing at whale hot spots, potentially reducing interactions between whales and fishermen.

KEY WORDS: Sperm whales · Satellite tags · Shelf · Slope · Ocean basin · Rate of horizontal movement · Demersal longlines · Depredation

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Cite this article as: Straley JM, Schorr GS, Thode AM, Calambokidis J and others (2014) Depredating sperm whales in the Gulf of Alaska: local habitat use and long distance movements across putative population boundaries. Endang Species Res 24:125-135. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00595

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ESR 24:125-135 (2014) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00595

Depredating sperm whales in the Gulf of Alaska: local habitat use and long distance movements across putative population boundaries

J. M. Straley1,*, G. S. Schorr2, A. M. Thode3, J. Calambokidis2, C. R. Lunsford4, E. M. Chenoweth1, V. M. O’Connell5, R. D. Andrews6

J. M. Straley^1,*, G. S. Schorr², A. M. Thode³, J. Calambokidis², C. R. Lunsford⁴, E. M. Chenoweth¹, V. M. O’Connell⁵, R. D. Andrews⁶