Canada’s most northerly postglacial bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus): Holocene sea-ice conditions and polynya development

• Main Authors: Arthur S. Dyke, John England
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2003
• Subjects: Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Baffin Bay; Baleine; Canada; Canadian Arctic Archipelago; Eureka; Eureka Sound; la Baleine; Norwegian Bay; Arctic Archipelago; Baffin; Balaena mysticetus; baleine boréale; bowhead whale; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.555.5727; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic56-1-14.pdf

ABSTRACT. Rare remains of postglacial bowhead whales occur in the Norwegian Bay–Eureka Sound region. These are the northernmost remains known from the Canadian Arctic. The region is beyond the bowhead’s current range because of persistent summer sea ice. We argue that the region has been beyond the bowhead’s range for most of postglacial time for the same reason. With one exception, the 16 known subfossil bowheads from the region date to the last 4000 14C years. Within the region, whale bones are most common adjacent to polynyas, which connect to more southerly channels extending from Baffin Bay. This distribution suggests that the polynyas, which here occupy areas of strong currents, developed as a result of shallowing of inter-island channels due to postglacial uplift. The whale remains beyond the polynyas are seen as those of doomed strays that reached the polynyas from Baffin Bay and foraged farther along coastal leads before being trapped by freeze-up. This interpretation of Holocene sea-ice history agrees with the limited development of Holocene raised beaches in the region. However, it contradicts other interpretations of greatly ameliorated marine conditions in northernmost Canada at about 6000 14C years B.P. Key words: Holocene bowhead whale, Arctic Ocean, sea-ice paleoclimate, Canadian Arctic Archipelago RÉSUMÉ. La région de la baie Norwegian et du détroit d’Eureka abrite un petit nombre de restes organiques de baleines boréales postglaciaires. Ce sont les restes trouvés le plus au nord de l’Arctique canadien. Cette zone est située en dehors du territoire actuel de la baleine boréale en raison de la présence constante de glace marine estivale. On soutient que la région s’est trouvée en dehors du territoire de la baleine boréale durant la plus grande partie de la période postglaciaire, et ce, pour la même raison. À une