Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) occurrence and foraging behaviour along the east coast of Australia
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Date
2024-10-09
Open Access Location
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Group
Rights
(c) 2024 The Author/s
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Abstract
Despite their global occurrence in warm-temperate waters and their suspected non-migratory lifestyle, Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera edeni spp.) are considered the least-known large baleen whale species. In Australian waters, information on their distribution, ecology and behaviour is scarce. This study documents Bryde’s whale occurrence and foraging behaviours along the Australian East Coast using opportunistic citizen science sightings via drone aerial photography, vessel and land-based observations. We observed foraging in both shallow (seafloor visible, beach and breaking waves present) and deep waters. We observed a range of foraging behaviours including lunge feeding (exhibited by individual whales and in pairs), sub-surface and surface skim feeding (shallow waters only) and described multispecies associations. We describe a potentially novel feeding behaviour in shallow waters, where Bryde’s whales are feeding directly within or behind the surf break (shallow water surf feeding). We quantify the presence of mother-calf pairs in Australian waters, highlighting the use of these waters for potential calving. This study provides insights into Bryde’s whale occurrence and foraging behaviour in both shallow and deep waters of eastern Australia.
Description
Keywords
Bryde’s whale, Balaenoptera edeni, citizen science, cetacean, SDG14 Life Below Water, feeding, drone, New South Wales, Social media, Australia
Citation
Pirotta V, Cagnazzi D, Dixon B, Millar S, Millar J, Pickering G, Butcher PA, Stockin KA, Peters KJ. (2024). Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) occurrence and foraging behaviour along the east coast of Australia. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. Ahead of Print.