Evidence of molting and the function of "rock-nosing" behavior in bowhead whales in the eastern Canadian Arctic.

• Published in: PLOS ONE
• Main Authors: Sarah M E Fortune, William R Koski, Jeff W Higdon, Andrew W Trites, Mark F Baumgartner, Steven H Ferguson
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2017
• Subjects: Medicine; R; Science; Q; Arctic; Nunavut; Canada; Cumberland Sound; Balaena mysticetus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186156; https://doaj.org/article/ac64b17e4f4e4ae3ba725b77b84e9465

Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) have a nearly circumpolar distribution, and occasionally occupy warmer shallow coastal areas during summertime that may facilitate molting. However, relatively little is known about the occurrence of molting and associated behaviors in bowhead whales. We opportuni...