Evidence of killer whale predation on a yearling bowhead whale in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut
Accounts of killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on marine mammals in the Canadian Arctic are relatively uncommon. Although second-hand reports of killer whale predation events in the Arctic are more common in recent years, these observations are generally poorly documented and the outcome of attac...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:ac202734220d4bd7ad82668ae67097c5 2023-05-15T14:23:36+02:00 Evidence of killer whale predation on a yearling bowhead whale in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut Brent G. Young Sarah M.E. Fortune William R. Koski Stephen A. Raverty Ricky Kilabuk Steven H. Ferguson 2020-03-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2019-0014 https://doaj.org/article/ac202734220d4bd7ad82668ae67097c5 EN FR eng fre Canadian Science Publishing https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2019-0014 https://doaj.org/toc/2368-7460 doi:10.1139/as-2019-0014 2368-7460 https://doaj.org/article/ac202734220d4bd7ad82668ae67097c5 Arctic Science, Vol 6, Iss 1, Pp 53-61 (2020) balaena mysticetus orcinus orca predation arctic nunavut Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2019-0014 2022-12-31T09:42:43Z Accounts of killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on marine mammals in the Canadian Arctic are relatively uncommon. Although second-hand reports of killer whale predation events in the Arctic are more common in recent years, these observations are generally poorly documented and the outcome of attacks are often unknown. On 12 August 2016, a floating bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) carcass was found off-shore in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut — presumably predated by killer whales that were sighted in the area. Inspection of the carcass revealed injuries consistent with published accounts of killer whale predation on large whales and observations of killer whale predation on bowheads described in Inuit traditional knowledge. The bowhead was male, 6.1 m long in good nutritional condition and estimated between 14 and 16 months old. As a recently weaned yearling, this whale would have been highly vulnerable to killer whale predation. With decreasing summer sea ice making some areas of the Arctic more accessible, the incursion and presence of killer whales in the Arctic is expected to increase. A better understanding of Arctic killer whale predation pressure is needed to predict the potential impact they will have on the eastern Canada–west Greenland bowhead population as well as on other marine mammal prey. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Balaena mysticetus bowhead whale Cumberland Sound Greenland inuit Killer Whale Nunavut Orca Orcinus orca Sea ice Killer whale Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Nunavut Canada Greenland Cumberland Sound ENVELOPE(-66.014,-66.014,65.334,65.334) Arctic Science 6 1 53 61 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English French |
topic |
balaena mysticetus orcinus orca predation arctic nunavut Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 |
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balaena mysticetus orcinus orca predation arctic nunavut Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 Brent G. Young Sarah M.E. Fortune William R. Koski Stephen A. Raverty Ricky Kilabuk Steven H. Ferguson Evidence of killer whale predation on a yearling bowhead whale in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut |
topic_facet |
balaena mysticetus orcinus orca predation arctic nunavut Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 |
description |
Accounts of killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on marine mammals in the Canadian Arctic are relatively uncommon. Although second-hand reports of killer whale predation events in the Arctic are more common in recent years, these observations are generally poorly documented and the outcome of attacks are often unknown. On 12 August 2016, a floating bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) carcass was found off-shore in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut — presumably predated by killer whales that were sighted in the area. Inspection of the carcass revealed injuries consistent with published accounts of killer whale predation on large whales and observations of killer whale predation on bowheads described in Inuit traditional knowledge. The bowhead was male, 6.1 m long in good nutritional condition and estimated between 14 and 16 months old. As a recently weaned yearling, this whale would have been highly vulnerable to killer whale predation. With decreasing summer sea ice making some areas of the Arctic more accessible, the incursion and presence of killer whales in the Arctic is expected to increase. A better understanding of Arctic killer whale predation pressure is needed to predict the potential impact they will have on the eastern Canada–west Greenland bowhead population as well as on other marine mammal prey. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Brent G. Young Sarah M.E. Fortune William R. Koski Stephen A. Raverty Ricky Kilabuk Steven H. Ferguson |
author_facet |
Brent G. Young Sarah M.E. Fortune William R. Koski Stephen A. Raverty Ricky Kilabuk Steven H. Ferguson |
author_sort |
Brent G. Young |
title |
Evidence of killer whale predation on a yearling bowhead whale in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut |
title_short |
Evidence of killer whale predation on a yearling bowhead whale in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut |
title_full |
Evidence of killer whale predation on a yearling bowhead whale in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut |
title_fullStr |
Evidence of killer whale predation on a yearling bowhead whale in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut |
title_full_unstemmed |
Evidence of killer whale predation on a yearling bowhead whale in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut |
title_sort |
evidence of killer whale predation on a yearling bowhead whale in cumberland sound, nunavut |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2019-0014 https://doaj.org/article/ac202734220d4bd7ad82668ae67097c5 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-66.014,-66.014,65.334,65.334) |
geographic |
Arctic Nunavut Canada Greenland Cumberland Sound |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Nunavut Canada Greenland Cumberland Sound |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Balaena mysticetus bowhead whale Cumberland Sound Greenland inuit Killer Whale Nunavut Orca Orcinus orca Sea ice Killer whale |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Balaena mysticetus bowhead whale Cumberland Sound Greenland inuit Killer Whale Nunavut Orca Orcinus orca Sea ice Killer whale |
op_source |
Arctic Science, Vol 6, Iss 1, Pp 53-61 (2020) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2019-0014 https://doaj.org/toc/2368-7460 doi:10.1139/as-2019-0014 2368-7460 https://doaj.org/article/ac202734220d4bd7ad82668ae67097c5 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2019-0014 |
container_title |
Arctic Science |
container_volume |
6 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
53 |
op_container_end_page |
61 |
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1766296113704337408 |