FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. Ki. NO. :i 



We do not know whether consistent orientations 

 represented a type of social synchrony, or whether 

 the whales independently reacted to environmental 

 stimuli (such as currents or wave orientations). 

 Norris et al. (1983) and Braham et al. (1984) 

 reported gray and bowhead whales, respectively, 

 that may have been feeding by stationing themselves 

 against a current. Shane (1980) has reported a 

 similar stationing against the current for bottlenose 

 dolphins in Texas. Gray whales in lagoons have been 

 observed to move in the same direction as the tidal 

 current (Norris et al. 1977), but in that case move- 

 ment may have been related to avoiding shallow 

 water as the tide receded. 



Miscellaneous Observations 



Speed of Travel 



In 1980 and 1981, some data were gathered on 

 bowheads visible from Herschel Island. The whales 

 were usually > 3 km from shore, and detailed 

 behavioral observations were infrequent. However, 

 speed was sometimes measurable with a surveyor's 

 theodolite. Whales rarely changed direction within 

 any one 30 s period, so we calculated speeds from 

 theodolite readings taken within 30 s of each other. 

 This criterion was changed to 60 s for 30 August 

 1981 , when a whale was followed at the surface for a 

 long period, and changed direction relatively little. 



For 1980, average speed was 5.1 km/h(w = 18, SD 

 = 2.93) at the surface, and 4.3 knVh {n = 4, SD = 

 0.79) below the surface. The 1980 speeds are com- 

 parable with the most reliable estimates derived by 

 Braham et al. (1979) and Rugh and Cubbage (1980) 

 for migrating bowheads: 4.8-5.9 km/h and 4.7 ± SD 

 0.6 km/h, respectively. However, based on additional 

 data, Braham et al. (1980) estimated the mean speed 

 at Point Barrow in spring to be 3.1 ± SD 2.7 km/h. 

 Speeds during active migration along the coast of 

 Baffin Island in fall were 5.0 ± SD 1.3 km/h (n = 22) 

 based on theodolite observations from a cliff (Koski 

 and Davis''). 



On 30 August 1981, an adult whale traveling east 

 was observed continuously for 1.52 h. Its behavior 

 was unusual- it did not submerge during the entire 

 time. Its mean speed was 2.3 ± SD 1.26 km/h, con- 

 siderably slower than the speeds mentioned above. 

 Its mean blow interval was 10.0 ± SD 13.55 s (n = 



420), significantly lower than the mean for all other 

 undisturbed whales observed from Herschel Island 

 (14.6 ± 9.56; n = 60; t = 2.54, P < 0.02). 



On 8 September 1981, a mother-calf pair was 

 observed by theodolite for 1.8 h. The average speed 

 of the calf was 8.9 ± SD 5.57 km/h (n = 28). During 

 this rapid movement, the calf exhibited breaches, 

 forward lunges, tail slaps, and flipper slaps. 



Associations of Bowheads with Other Species 



We saw several marine mammal species in the 

 same general areas in which we observed bowheads: 

 ringed seals, Phoca hispida; white whales, Delphi- 

 napterus leucas; and a gray whale. There was no ob- 

 vious interaction between these species and bowhead 

 whales. The gray whale was about 500 m from the 

 closest bowhead. The Canadian Beaufort Sea is the 

 extreme northeastern limit of the gray whale's sum- 

 mer range (Rugh and Fraker 1981). 



Flocks of up to 50 phalaropes {Pkalaroptis sp.) 

 were often present near skim-feeding bowheads. 

 These birds often alighted on water that had been 

 disturbed by the whales, sometimes only a few 

 meters from the whales. Phalaropes and bowheads 

 probably feed on some of the same plankton species. 

 The whalers used the presence of phalaropes as an 

 indicator of where "whale feed" was present and, 

 therefore, where whales were likely to be found (J. 

 R. Bockstoce in press). Aside from phalaropes, we 

 noticed glaucous gulls, Lamis hyperboreus; arctic 

 terns. Sterna paradisaea; and unidentified gulls 

 circling briefly over whales on eight occasions. 



DISCUSSION 



Activities of Bowheads in Summer and 

 Other Seasons 



From 1980 through 1982 we observed a steady 

 progression in the August distribution of bowhead 

 whales near Tuktoyaktuk from shallow water near- 

 shore to deeper water farther from shore (Fig. 3; 

 Richardson et al.'^). Such a dramatic difference in 

 distribution over the 3 yr may be due to many dif- 

 ferent ecological and behavioral factors. Disturbance 



"Koski, W. R., and R. A. Davis. 1980. Studies of the late sum- 

 mer distribution and fall mipration of marine mammals in NW Baf- 

 fin Bay and E Lancaster Sound, 1979. I'npubl. Rep., 214 p. LGL 

 Ltd., Toronto, for Petro-C'anada E^xplorations, Caljarary. Available 

 from Pallister Resource Management Ltd., 700 - 6th Avenue S.W., 

 Calgary, Alberta T2P 0T6, Canada. 



'^Richardson, W. J., K. A. Davis. C. K. Kvan.s, and P. Norton. 

 1983. Distribution of bowheads and industrial activity, 1980-82. 

 In W. J. Richardson (editor). Behavior, disturbance responses and 

 distribution of bowhead whales Balnenti ynysticetics in the eastern 

 Beaufort Sea, 1982. Unpubl. Rep., p. 269-3.'J7. L(]L Ecological 

 Research Associates, Inc., Bryan, TX, for U.S. Minerals Manage- 

 ment Service, Reston, VA. Available from Minerals Management 

 Service Alaska CX:S Region, P.O. Box 101159, Anchorage, AK 

 99510. 



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