Photo identification of blue whales photographed during the 2012 Blue whale voyages in the Bonney Upwelling, Australia

• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australian Ocean Data Network
• Subjects: biota; oceans; EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MAMMALS > CETACEANS > BALEEN WHALES; ANTARCTIC BLUE WHALE; BLUE WHALE; IWC SORP; ANTARCTIC BLUE WHALE VOYAGE; BONNEY UPWELLING; PYGMY BLUE WHALE; MV EASTERN VOYAGER; PHOTO IDENTIFICATION; REAL-TIME PASSIVE ACOUSTIC TRACKING AND TARGETING; MARK RECAPTURE; CAMERAS; SHIPS; AMD/AU; AMD; CEOS; GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR; OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN > CONTINENT > AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND > AUSTRALIA; Antarctic; Southern Ocean; New Zealand; Bonney; Antarc*; baleen whales; Blue whale
• Online Access: https://researchdata.edu.au/photo-identification-blue-upwelling-australia/2819031

Progress Code: completed Purpose Individual blue whales are identifiable from unique patterns of mottled pigment on both sides of the body, and also from variations in dorsal fin shape and any permanent scars that may be present. Individual identification allows the production of sightings histories required for a mark-recapture approach to estimating abundance. These data will also provide information on blue whale population structure and movement. The IWC Southern Ocean Research Partnership has developed guidelines to enable the photo identification of blue whales. These guidelines can be found here: http://www.marinemammals.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/141482/Blue_photoID_guide_2014.3.pdf A spreadsheet detailing the filenames and sighting numbers (to link to visual observations) of the best left and/or right photos of blue whales photographed and individually identified during the blue whale voyages (2) in the Bonney Upwelling, 2012. The 'best' photos are also included as jpegs. See http://www.marinemammals.gov.au/sorp/antarctic-blue-whale-project/bonney-upwelling-acoustic-testing-expeditions and http://www.marinemammals.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/135617/SC-64-SH11.pdf for further detail regarding the blue whale voyages.