Characteristics, home ranges and population estimates of narwhals (Monodon monoceros) around Baffin Island ...

• Main Authors: Dietz, Rune, Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter, Richard, Pierre R, Orr, Jack, Laidre, Kristin L, Schmidt, Hans Chrisitan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2008
• Subjects: International Polar Year 2007-2008 IPY; Baffin Bay; Baffin Island; Baffin; Davis Strait; Eclipse Sound; International Polar Year; IPY; Lancaster Sound; Monodon monoceros; narwhal*; Somerset Island
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.808846; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.808846

Twenty-one narwhals tagged in 2003 and 2004 in Admiralty Inlet showed a different summer distributional pattern than previous narwhal-tracking studies from Somerset Island, Eclipse Sound and Melville Bay. The migration of the narwhals tracked from Admiralty Inlet moved out through Lancaster Sound 15 days earlier (P <0.0001) than the narwhals summering around Eclipse Sound, whereas the Admiralty Inlet narwhals reached the mouths of Eclipse Sound 18 days later (P <0.0001) than the Eclipse Sound summering population. The winter range of the Admiralty Inlet narwhals overlapped with the winter range of narwhals from Melville Bay and Eclipse Sound in central southern Baffin Bay and Northern Davis Strait, but not with the winter range of narwhals from Somerset Island that wintered further north. Distribution size of range, and population size did not appear to be related. An example of considerable year to year variation between area of summer and winter distribution in the 2 years was believed to be related ... : Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150 ...