Population characteristics of humpback whales in Glacier Bay and adjacent waters: 2000
Gabriele CM and Hart TE. 2000. Population characteristics of humpback whales in Glacier Bay and adjacent waters: 2000
We photographically identified 87 individual humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), including 3 mother/calf pairs, in Glacier Bay and Icy Strait between June 1 and August 31, 2000. Although this count is lower than the record high count of 104 whales in 1999, it is substantially higher than any count made prior to 1997. Twenty-three whales were resident in Glacier Bay and 24 were resident in Icy Strait for more than 20 days. One yearling whale returned to the study area, bringing the 1974-2000 total number of returning offspring to 31. The crude birth rate of the population in 2000 was 3.4% (3 calves / 87 total whales), a figure which is lower than any crude birth rate observed in this population since 1985. Fluctuations in the crude birth rate since 1985 are not correlated with corresponding increases and decreases of the proportion of the population composed of mature females.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Gabriele, Christine; Hart, Tracy
- Date of Issue
- 2000
- Units
- GLBA
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Ecology, Inventory and Monitoring (I&M), Mammalia (Mammals)