Summer sightings of dwarf minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) off the eastern coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Twenty-two sightings of dwarf minke whales were made during shore-based surveys for cetaceans conducted from the Pontal do Atalaia headland, Arraial do Cabo, southeastern Brazil, in january 2001. Whales were observed associated with brown boobies, kelp gulls and terns, in apparent feeding behaviour....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals
Main Authors: Hassel, L. B., Venturotti, A., Magalhaes, F. A., Cuenca, S., Siciliano, S., Marques, F. F. C.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Sociedad Latinoamericana de Especialistas en Mamíferos Acuáticos (SOLAMAC) 2003
Subjects:
White Patch
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Online Access:http://lajamjournal.org/index.php/lajam/article/view/174
https://doi.org/10.5597/lajam00030
Description
Summary:Twenty-two sightings of dwarf minke whales were made during shore-based surveys for cetaceans conducted from the Pontal do Atalaia headland, Arraial do Cabo, southeastern Brazil, in january 2001. Whales were observed associated with brown boobies, kelp gulls and terns, in apparent feeding behaviour. The white patch on the flippers and shoulder was clearly visible on most whales as the majority of the sightings were made in close proximity to land. The nutrient rich waters of the Cabo Frio upwelling ecosystem seem to provide a constant food supply for whales and dolphins.

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