Feeding success of sperm whales and sea-surface temperature off the Galapagos Islands

• Published in: Marine Ecology Progress Series
• Main Authors: Whitehead, H., Papastavrou, V., Smith, S. C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Inter-Research 1989
• Subjects: Galapagos; Physeter macrocephalus
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/36584/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/36584/7/2111.pdf; https://doi.org/10.3354/meps053201

Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus were observed off the Galapagos Islands between late February and April 1985, a year of cool sea-surface temperatures (SST), and January to June 1987, an 'El Nino' year of warm SST Distribu- tlon, abundance and diet of sperm whales were similar in both years. However, in 1987 they appeared to have a lower feeding success, as ind~cated by a reduced rate of observing faeces, and dived to shallower depths. Excretion rates were negatively correlated with sea-surface temperatures.