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Cetacean Diversity Revealed from Whale-Watching Observations in Northern Peru

Authors

Pacheco, Aldo; Silva, Sebastián; Alcorta, Belén; Gubbins, Salvador; Guidino, Chiara; Sanchez-Salazar, Fiorella; Llapapasca Ll, Miguel; Balducci, Nadia; Larrañaga, Eduardo; Zapata, María; Grados, Estefanía; Valdivia, Camila; Pinasco, Giancarlo; Garcia Cegarra, Ana; Cáceres, Daniel; Biffi, Daniella; Silva, Lorena; Auger, Andrea; Jaramillo-Calle, Vannesa

Year

2019

Journal

Aquatic Mammals

Volume

45

Issue

Pages

116-122

Keywords

citizen science, diversity, humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, Peru, platforms of opportunity, whale watching

Abstract

Whale-watching surveys were conducted every year from 2010 to 2017 from late July to late October, covering an approximate area of 168 km2 along the coast of Los Organos (4º 10' 38.23" S, 81º 8.27' 4.83" W). During this period, a total of 651 d of navigation were conducted encompassing a total of 847.2 effective hours observing cetaceans (Table 1). A total of 13 cetacean species were recorded in situ and alive during the study period, including four mysticete and nine odontocete species (Table 2). The humpback whale was the most frequently observed species as this was the target of the whale-watching excursion, followed by long-beaked common dolphin which often occurred in neritic waters. The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), an unidentified beaked whale (most likely Ziphius or Mesoplodon spp.), dusky dolphin, and pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) were sighted once. In neritic waters, species such as bottlenose dolphin and Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera brydei) were sighted; while at the oceanic realm, the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), short-beaked common dolphin, Risso’s dophin (Grampus griseus), short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus), and killer whale (Orcinus orca) were recorded (Table 2).

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