Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus Leucas) Use of the Nelson River Estuary, Hudson Bay PDF Download

Author: Alexander J. Smith
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Author: Thomas G. Smith
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Collection of 14 articles representing a cross-section of current research on beluga whales, Delphinapterus leucas, in North American waters.

Author: Kristin Westdal
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) are an Arctic cetacean with circumpolar distribution. They are known to have distinct, lengthy and consistent migration paths to and from summer and wintering grounds. The Western Hudson Bay beluga population, the largest summering aggregation in the world, inhabits three main estuaries in the summer season. Little protection is afforded to them here, and little is known of the specific details of their summer distribution and factors affecting that distribution. Using a combination of satellite telemetry, aerial photos, satellite data, and visual observations and historical reports, investigations into factors affecting beluga distribution in Western Hudson Bay were conducted. An examination into beluga age class distribution near the Churchill and Seal River estuaries, using aerial survey imagery, suggested that belugas may not be segregating by age in summer, however the Seal River estuary may be more important from a calf-rearing perspective. Belugas use a greater home range than we would expect, based on historical range data, in the face of predation by their main predator, the killer whale (Orcinus orca). Killer whales are sighted more frequently in Hudson Bay than historically, and results presented here show that ice entrapments, occurring with higher frequency in the future, may impact distribution of beluga as killer whales expand their range and occurrence in Hudson Bay. Finally, an assessment of beluga behaviour in the presence of whale-watching vessels showed that beluga response to vessels varied but the probability of travelling behaviour was significantly greater with distance from vessels; belugas also appear to be spending more time interacting with vessels now, as compared to 15 years ago when there were fewer whale-watching vessels. The results found through this research are useful in informing climate change implications, marine-protected area boundaries, policy and marine spatial planning, and subsistence harvest management.

Author: Donald J. Hansen
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : White whale
Languages : en
Pages : 92

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Author: Tammy Kennington
Publisher: Cherry Lake
ISBN: 1624316271
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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This book takes readers on a journey under the sea to discover the fascinating facts about beluga whales, including physical features, habitat, life cycle, food, and more. Photos, captions, and keywords supplement the narrative of this informational text, while additional search tools--including a glossary and an index--help students locate and review important information.

Author: Tony Martin
Publisher: Voyageur Press (MN)
ISBN: 9780896583061
Category : House & Home
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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This top-selling series introduces readers to the wild creatures of the world and has been expanded to include the wonders of the natural world, too.

Author: Randall R. Reeves
Publisher: Fisheries and Oceans, Information and Publications Branch
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 56

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One objective of the present paper was to provide a more complete account of the catch history and to use all available data in making a new estimate of initial population size. A second objective relates to ongoing field work in the Eastmain region by other researchers. Census surveys, observations of behavior, and biological sampling might be accomplished and interpreted more efficiently if the following historical facts were known: (a) which river mouths were traditionally visited by white whales; (b) approximate dates of arrival at and departure from the river mouths by the whales; (c) routes followed and pattern of movement between rivers; (d) relative age- and sex-compositions of populations or parts of populations using the different river mouths; (e) year-to-year or within-year changes in "condition" of whales (e.g. gauged by their reported oil yield or by the qualitative comments of those who caught and flensed them); and (f) observations of social structure and behavior of whales, as observed and noted by early visitors to the Eastmain coast.

Author: Ruth Owen
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN: 1477702393
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 34

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Describes the physical characteristics, life cycle, and natural environment of beluga whales, and the ways in which they have adapted to their frigid environment.

Author: Randall R. Reeves
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Author: Emma Ausen
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Western Hudson Bay is undergoing habitat changes associated with increased anthropogenic activities including vessel traffic from shipping and whale watching ecotourism. These river estuaries are habitat for the Western Hudson Bay (WHB) beluga whale, the largest know beluga population. This thesis addresses two important questions, which environmental conditions contribute to critical beluga habitat in the western Hudson Bay, and what is the response of beluga to tourism vessel traffic in the Churchill River estuary. Beluga were identified in nadir imagery from a 2018 summer aerial survey of the Nelson, Churchill and Seal River estuaries, and oblique images taken of the Churchill River estuary in August 2020. The location of beluga within each survey area was modeled with respect to remotely sensed environmental data. Beluga habitat use was found to be associated with rivers as well as the concentration of total suspended sediments, and colored dissolved organic matter. Using environmental characteristics, a previously unidentified important habitat unit for beluga was discovered in the Knife River estuary. Distance measurements between belugas and tourist vessels were obtained from oblique images using trigonometric equations and georeferencing points taken in the Churchill River estuary. Through distance analysis, it was found that beluga showed attraction to kayaks, avoidance to paddleboards, and independence from motorboats and Zodiacs. Results from this thesis should inform management decisions for the WHB beluga population, including the establishment of a National Marine Protected Area which is currently under consideration.