differences in dive patterns among individual whales. In 43 days of monitored dives, one 

 adult male dove twice as frequently (with dives that were half as long in duration) as the 

 comparable female with a calf. It was not possible to simply attribute the observed 

 differences in dive patterns to the sex, age, reproductive or behavioral status of a whale. 



One tagged male was equipped with a pressure sensor for 22 days. He dove 

 routinely to the bottom in waters up to 200 m deep and had a maximum dive depth of at 

 least 272 m. We observed whales surfacing with mud on their dorsum in water 200 m 

 deep confirming dives to the bottom. As copepods may be distributed anywhere from 

 the surface to the bottom, this deep diving may be both searching and feeding activity. 



There was little reaction to tagging. Mild swelling at the tag attachment site was 

 seen up to 3 days after tagging. A tagged female with a calf was tracked for 43 days and 

 observed 16 days after tag loss, still with her calf. We saw no evidence of unusual scars 

 or swelling after tag loss. We believe that tagging does not cause serious stress or pose a 

 serious health risk to right whales. 



