414
Another stretch of coast, named North Coast, encompassed the northeast states
of Bahia and Sergipe, from the touristic and fisherman village Itacaré (14° S, 38° W)
to Aracaju (11° S, 37° W), capital of Sergipe, with main departing location at Praia
do Forte, (13° S, 38° W) placed in the center of this area (Fig. 15.6). The main
oceanographic characteristic for this area is a narrow continental shelf, with
approximately 15 km of extension, with average depth of 40 m and the tide amplitude
varying between 0.1 and 2.6 m (DHN 1995; Ekau and Knoppers 1999).
This region is characterized by two remarkable environments, being the presence
of large bays and estuaries from Itacaré to Salvador, capital of Bahia state, and by
long sand beaches, with large dune formation fringing the coast line, between Praia
do Forte and Aracaju (Hatge and Andrade 2009).
15.2.2 Data Collection
We carried out boat based surveys (Fig. 15.7) searching for whales in a determined
route, approaching animals when sighted to collect data (Fig. 15.8) such as number
of individuals, composition of the groups, behavior observed before and after
Fig. 15.5 Study area, named North coast, located between Itacaré and Aracaju, Northeastern
Brazil. For reference, southwards it is located the Abrolhos Bank, core area of humpback whale
(Megaptera novaeangliae) distribution in Brazil. The line represents the 200 m isobath, demarking
the Brazilian continental shelf
M.R. Rossi-Santos
Another stretch of coast, named North Coast, encompassed the northeast states
of Bahia and Sergipe, from the touristic and fisherman village Itacaré (14° S, 38° W)
to Aracaju (11° S, 37° W), capital of Sergipe, with main departing location at Praia
do Forte, (13° S, 38° W) placed in the center of this area (Fig. 15.6). The main
oceanographic characteristic for this area is a narrow continental shelf, with
approximately 15 km of extension, with average depth of 40 m and the tide amplitude
varying between 0.1 and 2.6 m (DHN 1995; Ekau and Knoppers 1999).
This region is characterized by two remarkable environments, being the presence
of large bays and estuaries from Itacaré to Salvador, capital of Bahia state, and by
long sand beaches, with large dune formation fringing the coast line, between Praia
do Forte and Aracaju (Hatge and Andrade 2009).
15.2.2 Data Collection
We carried out boat based surveys (Fig. 15.7) searching for whales in a determined
route, approaching animals when sighted to collect data (Fig. 15.8) such as number
of individuals, composition of the groups, behavior observed before and after
Fig. 15.5 Study area, named North coast, located between Itacaré and Aracaju, Northeastern
Brazil. For reference, southwards it is located the Abrolhos Bank, core area of humpback whale
(Megaptera novaeangliae) distribution in Brazil. The line represents the 200 m isobath, demarking
the Brazilian continental shelf
M.R. Rossi-Santos