- Ethology 98 (1994) 298-311
Diurnal Patterns of Behaviour and Group Membership of Humpback
Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Wintering in Hawaiian Waters
- David A. Helweg
- Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag
92019, Auckland, New Zealand (corresponding author)
-
- Louis M. Herman
- Department of Psychology and Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory,
- University of Hawaii
-
- (C) 1994 Blackwell Wissenschafts-Verlag, Berlin
We examined the behaviour of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
in Hawaiian waters in relation to time of day using visual observations
from shore platforms and acoustic observations using hydrophones.
As humpbacks are not observed to feed in Hawaiian waters, we assumed
that the data were free from the influence of diel cycles of prey
availability. The majority of mothers with calves were likely
to be escorted by one or more male consorts only after 0700 h.
The percentage of pods with three or more adults increased across
the day and the rates of male-male agonistic behaviour such as
breaching that may serve as visual and/or acoustic signals. No
diel variation in the numbers of singers was observed, suggesting
that the number of singers was independent of the late afternoon
peak in male-male competition within the surface active groups.
The results suggest that the whales were resting in the dawn hours,
behaviour related to mating begins shortly after sunrise, and
that male-male competition peaked in the afternoon. (C) 1994 Blackwell
Wissenschafts-Verlag, Berlin.
- ISSN 0179-1613
-
- Helweg, D. A. & Herman, L. M. (1994). Diurnal Patterns of
Behaviour and Group Membership of Huimpaback Whales (Megaptera
novaeangliae) Wintering in Hawaiian Waters. Ethology, 98,
298-311.
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