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Autumn movements, home ranges, and winter density of narwhals (Monodon monoceros) tagged in Tremblay Sound, Baffin Island |
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| Authors: | M Heide-Jørgensen R Dietz K Laidre P Richard |
| Institution: | Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, c/o National Marine Mammal Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA, Department of Arctic Environment, National Environmental Research Institute, Frederiksborgvej 399, Boks 358, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark, Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Box 355020, Seattle, WA 98195, USA, Freshwater Institute, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6, Canada, |
| Abstract: | Seven narwhals (Monodon monoceros) were instrumented with satellite transmitters in Tremblay Sound, northeast Canada in August 1999. The whales were tracked for 5-218 days with positions received until 17 March 2000. All whales stayed in the fjord system where they were tagged until the end of August. Three whales went northwest visiting adjacent fjords before moving south, together with the three other whales, along the east coast of Baffin Island. The narwhals arrived on the wintering ground in northern Davis Strait in late October. Speed and range of movements declined once the wintering ground was reached. Dive depths increased from summer to autumn, and reached at least 1,500 m. Late summer and winter kernel home ranges were approximately 3,400 km2 and 12,000 km2, respectively. The relative abundance of whales on the wintering ground was 936 narwhals. Assuming that the home range defines the winter distribution of the stock, an estimated 5,348 narwhals (corrected for perception and availability bias) were present in this area. |
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