A note on the occurrence of humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) in tropical and subtropical areas: the upwelling link

Information on unusual seasonal presence of humpback whales in (sub)tropical waters worldwide is briefly reviewed. Evidence for the presence of whales out of phase with standard seasonal north-south migratory movements is available for the waters off the Sultanate of Oman, Baja California, Peru/nort...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Papastavrou, V., Van Waerebeek, K.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 1997
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.vliz.be/nl/open-marien-archief?module=ref&refid=223047
Description
Summary:Information on unusual seasonal presence of humpback whales in (sub)tropical waters worldwide is briefly reviewed. Evidence for the presence of whales out of phase with standard seasonal north-south migratory movements is available for the waters off the Sultanate of Oman, Baja California, Peru/northern Chile and Namibia. We suggest that due to the predictable presence of prey which is the direct result of strong coastal upwelling, in respectively the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of California and the Humboldt and Benguela Current systems, variable numbers of humpback whales may be resident year round in these areas.