CUVIER'S BEAKED WHALE (Ziphius cavirostris): Western North Atlantic Stock

The distribution of Cuvier's beaked whales is poorly known, and is based mainly on stranding records (Leatherwood et al. 1976). Strandings have been reported from Nova Scotia along the eastern USA coast south to Florida, around the Gulf of Mexico, and within the Caribbean (Leatherwood et al. 19...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Stock Definition, Geographic Range
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1999
Subjects:
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.294.7516
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/sars/ao1999whcb-wn.pdf
Description
Summary:The distribution of Cuvier's beaked whales is poorly known, and is based mainly on stranding records (Leatherwood et al. 1976). Strandings have been reported from Nova Scotia along the eastern USA coast south to Florida, around the Gulf of Mexico, and within the Caribbean (Leatherwood et al. 1976; CETAP 1982; Heyning 1989; Houston 1990). Stock structure in the western North Atlantic is unknown. Cuvier's beaked whale sightings have occurred principally along the continental shelf edge in the mid-Atlantic region off the northeast USA coast (CETAP 1982; Waring et al. 1992; NMFS unpubl. data). Most sightings were in late spring or summer. Based on sighting data, this species is a rare inhabitant of waters off the northeast USA coast (CETAP 1982). POPULATION SIZE The total number of Cuvier's beaked whales off the eastern USA coast is unknown. However, seven estimates of the undifferentiated complex of beaked whales (Ziphius and Mesoplodon spp.) is available from select regions of the