461
Differently, 60 females have shown some level of site fidelity, returning to Brazil
in three-year intervals for calving and nursing, consistent with successful reproduction
(Groch et al. 2005). One example is whale B082, the female with the highest frequency of return (Fig. 16.18). She was added to the catalog in 1999, and resighted in
four opportunities, all with a newborn calf. She has a series of parallel propeller scars
on the caudal peduncle, resulting from a ship collision, which made her easy recognizable from shore. For this reason, she has become a very familiar whale to the Right
Whale Project team, and received a name: Felicia. The name is a result of the combination of “fe”, from “female” and the word “hélice” (portuguese translation for “propeller”) as she was referred when sighted during land-based surveys. In 2007 Felicia
was honored with a replica of 1 m in length, which is used for educational purposes.
Whales in the catalog can also receive names based on distinct dorsal marks or callosity pattern that looks like some object, therefore becoming familiar whales.
Eight whales identified in the year of birth were resighted one to five years later.
Despite the great number of calves added to the catalog, the number of resightings
is low. Usually calves are difficult to catalog. The establishment of the callosity pattern in right whales occurs during the first months of life (Payne et al. 1983). The
pattern is well established mostly from the seventh month of life (Hamilton et al.
2009). Calves were added to the catalog only if the callosity pattern was relatively
well-established, if they presented distinct dorsal marks or partial albinism. The low
number of resightings can indicate that the waters in southern Brazil are not being
used by young whales. Most calves was added to the catalog from 2002 onwards. If
whales are using this area mainly as a nursery area, the individuals most likely to
return are females that reached sexual maturity and is producing their first offspring.
Therefore, calves identified in southern Brazil have a better chance of resighting
after 2010. Cataloging calves in its year of birth enables the construction of family
trees and monitoring the life history of whale families.
The resighting of individuals between monthly surveys provide information on
how the whales use an area of occurrence. Considering the interval between flights
conducted in southern Brazil, and that during the interval the whales remain in the
area, right whales spend between 25 and 37 days in the region (Groch 2005). The
longest sighting interval was observed for two females with calves sighted in three
consecutive monthly surveys, and may have spent up to 64 days in the region.
Females with calves sighted during shore and boat-based observations in Santa
Catarina have been reported to stay at least 20–25 days in the same bay and as long
as 69 days moving between different bays (Palazzo et al. 1999; Groch 2000, Groch
et al. 2003). There is a tendency for mother-calf pairs to stay longer in Southern
Brazil than unaccompanied whales (Groch 2005; Seyboth et al. 2015), a pattern also
observed in other breeding grounds (Payne 1986; Bannister 1990; Burnell and
Bryden 1997; Best 2000; Rowntree et al. 2001).
One important result obtained from the BRWP Catalog was the finding about the
relationship of right whales that frequent Brazil with other areas of reproductive
concentration. Resighting of calving females in Santa Catarina waters that were previously photoidentified on the breeding area off Península Valdés, Argentina, (Best
et al. 1993, Groch and Rowntree, ongoing research) indicates some degree of rela16 Conservation Advances for the Southern Right Whales in Brazil
Differently, 60 females have shown some level of site fidelity, returning to Brazil
in three-year intervals for calving and nursing, consistent with successful reproduction
(Groch et al. 2005). One example is whale B082, the female with the highest frequency of return (Fig. 16.18). She was added to the catalog in 1999, and resighted in
four opportunities, all with a newborn calf. She has a series of parallel propeller scars
on the caudal peduncle, resulting from a ship collision, which made her easy recognizable from shore. For this reason, she has become a very familiar whale to the Right
Whale Project team, and received a name: Felicia. The name is a result of the combination of “fe”, from “female” and the word “hélice” (portuguese translation for “propeller”) as she was referred when sighted during land-based surveys. In 2007 Felicia
was honored with a replica of 1 m in length, which is used for educational purposes.
Whales in the catalog can also receive names based on distinct dorsal marks or callosity pattern that looks like some object, therefore becoming familiar whales.
Eight whales identified in the year of birth were resighted one to five years later.
Despite the great number of calves added to the catalog, the number of resightings
is low. Usually calves are difficult to catalog. The establishment of the callosity pattern in right whales occurs during the first months of life (Payne et al. 1983). The
pattern is well established mostly from the seventh month of life (Hamilton et al.
2009). Calves were added to the catalog only if the callosity pattern was relatively
well-established, if they presented distinct dorsal marks or partial albinism. The low
number of resightings can indicate that the waters in southern Brazil are not being
used by young whales. Most calves was added to the catalog from 2002 onwards. If
whales are using this area mainly as a nursery area, the individuals most likely to
return are females that reached sexual maturity and is producing their first offspring.
Therefore, calves identified in southern Brazil have a better chance of resighting
after 2010. Cataloging calves in its year of birth enables the construction of family
trees and monitoring the life history of whale families.
The resighting of individuals between monthly surveys provide information on
how the whales use an area of occurrence. Considering the interval between flights
conducted in southern Brazil, and that during the interval the whales remain in the
area, right whales spend between 25 and 37 days in the region (Groch 2005). The
longest sighting interval was observed for two females with calves sighted in three
consecutive monthly surveys, and may have spent up to 64 days in the region.
Females with calves sighted during shore and boat-based observations in Santa
Catarina have been reported to stay at least 20–25 days in the same bay and as long
as 69 days moving between different bays (Palazzo et al. 1999; Groch 2000, Groch
et al. 2003). There is a tendency for mother-calf pairs to stay longer in Southern
Brazil than unaccompanied whales (Groch 2005; Seyboth et al. 2015), a pattern also
observed in other breeding grounds (Payne 1986; Bannister 1990; Burnell and
Bryden 1997; Best 2000; Rowntree et al. 2001).
One important result obtained from the BRWP Catalog was the finding about the
relationship of right whales that frequent Brazil with other areas of reproductive
concentration. Resighting of calving females in Santa Catarina waters that were previously photoidentified on the breeding area off Península Valdés, Argentina, (Best
et al. 1993, Groch and Rowntree, ongoing research) indicates some degree of rela16 Conservation Advances for the Southern Right Whales in Brazil