Cetaceans in British waters

• Published in: Mammal Review
• Main Author: EVANS, P. G. H.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1980
• Subjects: Arctic; Blue whale; Harbour porpoise; Humpback Whale; narwhal*; Sperm whale; White whale
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1980.tb00232.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2907.1980.tb00232.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1980.tb00232.x

Abstract Most information on the distribution, movements and ecology of cetaceans in the N.E. Atlantic have come from whale catches mainly in the early part of this century, and from strandings records collected by the British Museum (Nat. Hist.). With the formation of the Cetacean Group in 1973, a scheme for recording live cetaceans at sea was started. This paper summarizes the results of about two thousand sightings involving nearly 25,000 individual animals between the years 1958– 1978 (but mainly from the last 10 years), and relates them to existing information collected from other sources. Difficulties of identification and potential sources of bias are discussed. Most large cetaceans are present in British waters as part of a latitudinal feeding migration whereas smaller species may be present in the N.E. Atlantic throughout the year with movements being mainly of an offshore‐inshore nature. Some species are clearly very rare probably as a result of over‐exploitation in the last century and early part of this century. These include the Right whale, Blue whale and probably Humpback whale. Other species are rarely recorded because their usual range is some distance from British waters. These include narwhal and White whale (from Arctic waters), Pygmy sperm whale, smaller beaked whales and Euphrosyne dolphin (from warm temperate to tropical waters). The Harbour porpoise is by far the most common and widespread species in British waters, occurring mainly in inshore waters, although it has apparently declined in certain regions (e.g. Southern North Sea, English Channel, Irish Sea) in recent years probably as a result of pollution, disturbance and/or over‐exploitation of food resources. Bottle‐nosed and Risso's dolphins are also widely distributed close to the coast, although the latter is restricted to the west and south coasts and the former is associated particularly with some large estuaries. Common dolphins are relatively abundant and widespread, and are more pelagic than the previous three species. ...