POPULATION SIZE

• Main Authors: Stock Definition, Geographic Range
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Minimum Population Estimate; Caldwell; Sperm whale
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.294.5598; http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/sars/ao1995whpy-gmxn.pdf

The pygmy sperm whale appears to be distributed worldwide in temperate to tropical waters (Caldwell and Caldwell 1994). Sightings of these animals in the northern Gulf of Mexico occur primarily along the continental shelf edge and over the deeper waters off the continental shelf (Mullin et al. 1991; Southeast Fisheries Science Center, SEFSC, unpublished data). Pygmy sperm whales and dwarf sperm whales (Kogia simus) are difficult to distinguish and sightings of either species are often categorized as Kogia spp. Sightings of this category were documented in all seasons during recent seasonal GulfCet aerial surveys of the northern Gulf of Mexico during 1993-1995 (Davis et al., in preparation). There is no information on stock differentiation.