Abstract

This study provides the first description of the feeding aggregation recently formed by humpback whales in the Senyavin Strait, off eastern Chukotka. A total of 143 individuals were identified during the two summer and fall seasons of 2017 and 2018. More than half of the whales recorded in the first year were encountered again in the following year. The spatial distribution of feeding whales varied substantially between years, which may be explained by a shift in prey use. The structure of the feeding aggregation remained relatively stable, with a slightly higher number of new animals observed in the 2018 season. The estimated size of the aggregation was from 84 (±1.5) to 90 (±6.4) individuals in 2017 and from 105 (±3.7) to 109 (±6.2) individuals in 2018. A comparison of the whale photographs we took with the catalogues from other feeding grounds yielded matches with individuals recorded from the Chukchi Sea, Gulf of Anadyr, and waters off the Commander Islands and the eastern Aleutian Islands. Among the breeding grounds, matches were found only with catalogues of images collected from the waters off the Hawaiian Islands. Thus, we hypothesize that the feeding aggregation in the Senyavin Strait is relatively stable between seasons and within one season. There is some exchange of individuals with some other feeding grounds. This aggregation is formed mainly by whales of the Hawaiian subpopulation.

中文翻译：

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根据光识别数据，座落于东部楚科奇海岸的Senyavin海峡，由座头鲸（Megaptera novaeangliae，Borowski，1781年）形成的捕食聚集体的特征

摘要

这项研究首次描述了楚科奇东部沿海Senyavin海峡由座头鲸最近形成的摄食聚集。在2017年和2018年的两个夏季和秋季，总共鉴定出143个人。在第一年记录的鲸鱼中，有一半以上在第二年再次遇到。喂食鲸鱼的空间分布在数年之间变化很大，这可以用猎物用途的变化来解释。饲料聚集体的结构保持相对稳定，在2018年季节观察到的新动物数量略高。聚集的估计大小在2017年为84（±1.5）至90（±6.4）个人，在2018年为105（±3.7）至109（±6.2）个人。将我们拍摄的鲸鱼照片与其他觅食地的目录进行比较，得出的结果与楚科奇海，阿纳迪尔湾以及指挥官群岛和阿留申群岛东部海域记录的个体相匹配。在繁殖场中，只有从夏威夷群岛附近海域收集的图像目录才找到匹配项。因此，我们假设Senyavin海峡的饲料聚集在每个季节之间和一个季节之内相对稳定。个人与其他觅食地有一些交流。这种聚集主要是由夏威夷亚群的鲸鱼形成的。仅在从夏威夷群岛附近海域收集的图像目录中找到匹配项。因此，我们假设Senyavin海峡的饲料聚集在每个季节之间和一个季节之内相对稳定。个人与其他觅食地有一些交流。这种聚集主要是由夏威夷亚群的鲸鱼形成的。仅在从夏威夷群岛附近海域收集的图像目录中找到匹配项。因此，我们假设Senyavin海峡的饲料聚集在每个季节之间和一个季节之内相对稳定。个人与其他觅食地有一些交流。这种聚集主要是由夏威夷亚群的鲸鱼形成的。