Photo-Identification of Humpback Whales · 2012-08-16 · Table 7: June 27,2007-Data compiled by Daniella Ferina and Talia Dominella Fluke up dive. Breaching, pectoral fin, dual pec.

Photo-Identification of Humpback Whales

(Megaptera novaeangliae)

Puerto Lopez, Manabi, Ecuador

Erin Woods, University of Hawai'i at Miinoa Cristina Castro, Daniella Ferina, Pacific Whale Foundation Project Advisors

Jeff Kuwabara, MOP Advisor November 2007

Marine Option Program

Abstract

The marine area of Machalilla National Park, Ecuador, is a breeding and mating

area for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). The Pacific Whale Foundation

conducts research on humpback whales in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador during the austral

winter. During the period of June 18,29,2007, seven research trips were made fiom

Puerto Lopez into the marine area of Machalilla National Park as part of a humpback

whale photo-identification project. Fifty-six whales were observed during this period, of

which only two whales were recaptures. Humpback whales showed aversion towards

whale-watching vessels and changed their behavior when vessels were in proximity.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Methods and Materials

Results

Discussion

Evaluation of Learning

List of Figures

List of Tables

References Cited

List of Figures

Figure 1 : Photo of Puerto Lopez

Figure 2: Study Area

Figure 3: Classification of whale tails

Figure 4: First Recapture identified

Figure 5 : Second Recapture identified

Figure 6: Three other boats surrounding a pod.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos were taken by Erin Woods

List of Tables

Table 1 : Summary of whale activity recorded June 19,2007

Table 2: Summary of whale activity recorded June 20,2007

Table 3 : Summary of whale activity recorded June 2 1,2007






Introduction

Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, is a major breeding ground for humpback whales

(Megaptera novaeangliae), in the Southern Hemisphere. Little is known about

humpback whale breeding patterns or

distributions of these megafauna in the

Southern Ocean.

In 1996, Cristina Castro, an

Ecuadorian marine biologist, and other

researchers from Ecuador and Germany,

began an investigation of the population of humpback whales in the marine area of

Machalilla National Park, Ecuador (Scheidat, et al., 2000). Their objective was to

confirm that the marine waters of Machalilla National Park are a mating and breeding

location for humpback whales. Between 1996 and 1999, photos of tail flukes were taken

for the purpose of photo-identification of humpback whales in the area. When a whale

was sighted, investigators recorded the time, GPS position, behavior, group composition,

group size, and took photos of each whale for identification purposes (Scheidat et al.,

2000). Their study showed that humpbacks arrived in June; the temporary population

peaked from July to August, and declined again in September. They determined that the

area is a breeding ground for humpback whales, because if the marine waters of

Machalilla National Park were only a migratory path, the population would have peaked

in June and September, during the migration period (Scheidat et al., 2000).

Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) came to Puerto Lopez, Ecuador in 2001 where

they supported the ongoing study of humpback whales. PWF has photo-identified 200

whales from the period of 2001 to 2006 (pacificwhale-org). PWF works to re-capture

humpback whales in photos, to ascertain whether the whales are returning to Machalilla

National Park. Photo-identification of whales and determining recaptures helps

characterize the population of whales in Machalilla National Park, and to understand their

breeding and mating patterns.

The purpose of my participation during the 2007 whale research season was to

assist in the ongoing photo-identification project. The object was to gain more

knowledge regarding humpback whales and their use of Machalilla National Park. My

expectations were to learn to work effectively in a research team as well as to have a

working vacation with other members of the research team.

Methods and Materials

The study took place in the marine area of Machalilla National Park, Puerto

Lopez, Manabi, Ecuador, which is located between Isla de La Plata in the west and the

Ecuadorian coast in the east. The project advisors were

the principle investigator Cristina Castro, and her

assistant Daniella Ferina, both of the Pacific Whale

Foundation. Interns included Talia Dominella

(California State University, Channel Islands) and

myself (UHM).

When a pod was s~otted, date, time, '''9 group Fjpre 2; stU& area, www&mm.wg

size and composition (calf, adult, sub-adult), and general activity of the whale(s)

(swimming, milling (where a pod may display a variety of behaviors, without traveling in

a specific direction), traveling, and resting) were recorded (pacificwhale.org). Research

was conducted on 8-meter, fiberglass, commercial whale-watching vessels. For photo-

identification purposes, photos were taken with PWF's Canon Dl0 digital cameras and

my Nikon D70s digital camera.

"Recaptures" were determined by comparing markings, shape, and color

pigmentation of tail flukes. PWF categorizes tail flukes based on a color-scale (Figure

3): all white tails are Category 1, some black pigment is Category 2, center of the tail

colored is Category 3, Category 4 and 5 tails look very similar and were grouped together

in this study, Category 6 tails have a black pigment outline along the fluke, Category 7

tails have more pigment than a 6 and Category 8 tails have more pigment coverage than a

7, Category 9 tails are all black.

Figure 3: Classification of whale tails, @om Pacific Whale Foundation, 2007

PWF pre-departure information indicated that a typical day in the field would include the following schedule:

6:00 am-wake up, breakfast, assemble equipment, equipment check. 7:00 am-leave research house, weather permitting, drive to the boat and launch the

research vessel. 7:30arn-2:30pm-conduct field observations. 2:30pm-4:30pm-unload equipment, clean and service equipment, organize data records

for daily summary and computer entry.

However, a typical day in the field during the time I spent with the research project was:

8:00 am-wake up, breakfast, equipment management. 9:OO-10:OO am-leave research house, launch research vessel. -9110:OO am-4:00 pm-conduct field observations. -4:OO pm-unload equipment, equipment management -5:OO pm-7:00 pm-Spanish class -7:OO pm--dinner and free time - 10:OO pm- 1 1 :00 pm--organize data records for daily summary and computer entry

Daily Schedule:

June 18: arrive in Puerto Lopez, orientation June 19: research observations onboard Lobo Marino, attend evening meeting with

Cristina June 20: visit Isla de La Plata June 2 1 : research observations onboard Cherry Sea June 22: visit local private school June 23: free day, went surfing June 24: photo comparison of tail flukes June 25: research observations conducted on Machalilla National Park boat, sleep on Isla

de La Plata June 26: research observations onboard Machalilla National Park boat June 27: research observations onboard Mantaraya June 28: visit Isla de La Plata June 29: photo comparison of tail flukes, leave Puerto Lopez

Results

Over the two week period, a total of seven days were dedicated to photo-

identification research on the water. Observations were recorded to the best of the

researchers' abilities, but the results were inconsistent. There was usually only one

research team, but on June 27,2007, research was conducted by two research teams on

different boats. Fifty-six whales were seen during the seven days of research. Of the 56

whales observed, 50 were adults, 4 were sub-adults, and 2 were calves. Although every

whale behaved differently, behavior had a tendency to change with the presence of boats.

Tables 1-8 below show the data recorded along with activity of the whales.

Begin Sighting

1 1 :45 am

12:06 pm

12:38 pm

1 :40 pm

2:37 pm

Table 2: June 20,2007

Table End Sighting

12:03 pm

- -- 12:20 pm

1252 pm

2:00 pm

Being Sighting

10:32 am

Longitude

1 : June Total time with whale(s)

18 min.

14 min

14 min.

20 min.

End Sighting

Pod I # of I # of I # of I Activitv

UTM98345 14 17M05 15202 I

19,2007

Total time with whale(s)

1 1 :02 am 1

Latitude

17M05 16585

17M0516641

Latitude

30 min. 2

Longitude

UTM985 1325

UTM9858408

Swimming slowly-2-3 mph or slower

Pod Number

1

2

3

4

5

# of Adults

(AD)

2

1

3

2

4

# of Sub-

adults (SA)

# of Calves

(CA)

1

Activity Information

Medium Swim- 2-3 mph. Possible escort. Little surface activity. Resting. Little surface activity. Pectoral Fin Slaps. Tail Slaps and fluke up dives. Lots of surface activity. Fluke up dives. Only seen in the distance. We did not follow this pod. Lots of surface activity

Table 3 : June 2 1,2007

Table 5: June 26.2007


Tried to swim away from boat. Several tail slaps, breaching, fluke extensions. Whales swam faster and dove more as we pursued the pod.


Seen from about 300 meters away. Adult with calf. Adult was pregnant Very active. Tail slaps, head riselspy hop, breaching, peduncle slap, fluke up dive. They tried to swim away from us. This group appeared while we were following the third pod.

# of Calves

(CA)

# of Calves

(CA)

1

# of Sub-

adults (SA)

# of Sub-

adults (SA)

# of Adults

(AD)

5

# of Adults

(AD)

2

1

5

3

# of Sub-

adults (SA)

1

Pod Number

1

Pod Number

1

2

Pod Number

1

Longitude

Longitude

080.51.141

080.56.808

080.56.938


# of Calves

(CA)

# of Adults

(AD)

Latitude

01.19.724


- - - -

Latitude


Milling active. Several tail slaps

Longitude

080.57.440

Begin Sighting

10:49 am


45 min

Begin Sighting

3:45 pm

Latitude

01.19.307

01.18.036

01.17.309

End Sighting

End Sighting

4: 30


4 min.

45 min.

Begin Sighting

1:02 pm

152 pm

3:15 pm

3:27 pm

End Sighting

1:06 pm

2:37 pm

Table 6: June 27,2007-Data compiled by Cristina Castro and Erin Woods

080.53.634

080.52.713

080.50.847

11:30 am

11:43 am

12:58 pm

Table 7: June 27,2007-Data compiled by Daniella Ferina and Talia Dominella

Fluke up dive.

Breaching, pectoral fin, dual pec. fin and tail slaps. Whales began traveling fast as we approached them. Head rise. Possibly the same sub-adult fi-om before.

2

3

4

Being Sighting

10:31 am

1 l:18 am

1 1 :52 am

12:13 pm

1 : 1 1 pm

2:05 pm

Being Sighting

10:39 am

11:39 am

12:OO pm


Longitude

UTM983 1263

UTM9853396

UTM9855 170

UTM9856878

UTM9853443

UTM9835844

Being Sighting

11:08am

1

3

01.19.466

01 .I 8.580

01.19.058

11:40 am

12:35 pm

I : 04 pm

End Sighting

10:35 am

1151 am

12:OO pm

1 :3 1 pm

2: 12 pm

End Sighting

10:45 am

1153 am

12:11

1

10 min.

48 min.

6 min.

End Sighting

ll:17am


4 min.

33 min.

8 min.

20 min.

Pod Number

1

2

3

4

5

6


6 min.

14 min.

p m - r

Latitude

17M05 14623

17M0514353

17M05 15691

17M05 15667

17M05 18072

17M05 1924 1

# of Adults

(AD)

2

2

2

2

# of Sub-

adults (SA)

1


9min.

Latitude

01.30.880

01.19.381

001.17.790 pp

# of Calves

(CA)

Latitude

01.22.184


Resting

Traveling fast; more than 5 mph Traveling fast; more than 5 mph

Traveling slow; less than 2 mph

Longitude

80.49.953

80.5 1.275

80.51.234

Longitude

080.58.225

Pod Number

1

2

3

Pod Number

1

# of Adults

(AD)

1

4

2

# of Adults

(AD)

1

# of Sub-

adults (SA)

# of Sub-

adults (SA)

# of Calves

(CA)


Milling, resting.

Fluke slaps

Only the dorsal fins were visible

# of Calves

(CA)


Swimming slowly

4:18 pm 4:40 pm 22 min. 01.17.916 081.01.057 2 1 Milling active. Fin slaps. Two other boats joined us. Whale's behavior began to change. Several tail slaps. Breached. Dove for 15 minutes, then did more tail slaps. Head rise and another breach.

Discussion

The marine area of Machalilla National Park, Puerto Lopez, Manabi, Ecuador, is a

potential mating zone for humpback whales. The first whales arrive at the end of May

and abundance peaks in July (Felix et al., 2001). Humpback whale sightings decline by

the end of September, with whales occasionally seen around Isla de La Plata (Felix et al.,

2001 and Scheidat et al., 2000).

It was difficult to take quality photographs when many tourists were in the

researchers' way and the boat was moving side to side. Also, several tourists asked

questions while the researchers were trying to record observations, which led to more

inconsistencies in the records. Recaptures rates were extremely low. Of the 56 whales

seen, only two were recaptures. During the study conducted by Scheidat et al2000., only

five whales were re-sighted although one individual was seen every year from 1996 to

2000. Photo comparison was difficult due to photos being taken at different angles and

the various quality of photos. The first recaptured whale was seen on June 21. This adult

whale had a category 4 or 5 tail. The second recapture was a sub-adult seen on June 26

and displayed several different behaviors, including slaps. A tail slap may serve as a

warning sign, although the whale-watching boat continued to stalk the whales after

several slaps. All boats surrounding the pod, including the "research vessel" were whale-

watching tour boats. The "research vessel" stayed with the pod for 45 minutes; it is

unknown for how long the other three vessels stayed with the pod. The whales in the

group also did several pectoral fin slaps, which may have been a communication signal

between members of the pod (http://hawaiianhumpbackwhale.noaa.gov). Other activities

included a head rise, so the whale could see activity on the surface and breaching

(http://hawaiianhumpbackwhale.noaa.gov). As the whale-watching vessel continued to

follow the whales, an action discouraged by the International Whaling Commission

(IWC), they continuously changed their behavior

(http:/ /www.iwcofEce.org/conservation/ww). The whales swam in zig-zag

motions, swam faster, and dove for longer periods of time with the boat's presence.

The sub-adult recaptured whale was milling actively when seen, performing

several peduncle slaps. A peduncle slap is when

the tail is thrown out of the water, so the peduncle

slaps on the surface, and fluke is shown

(http://hawaiianhumpbackwhale.noaa.gov). As

the boat followed the whale, the sub-adult did

several tail slaps. The research boat was the first boat with the whale, but three other

boats were also following the whale. The longer the vessel was with the pod, the more

frequent and violent the slaps became.

The two recaptured whales were not the

only whales whose behavior changed due to the

presence of whale-watching vessels. On several

days, the whales did tail slaps, which are thought of

as warning they did not want to be followed (hawaiianhumpbackwhale.noaa.gov). Many

whales swam in zig-zagging patterns and dove to elude the vessels. Several of the whale-

watching companies pass out fliers to the tourists. On the fliers, it states that there should

be no more than three boats surrounding a pod. On several occasions, there were more

than three boats around a pod, with five boats being the highest number observed during

my research period.

Puerto Lopez and the whale-watching industry of Ecuador need to develop more

sustainable practices. If the pursuit of whales continues, the whales may change their

behavior and eventually may not breed in those waters. More studies need to be

conducted to fully understand humpback whale breeding and mating in the area, but on

legitimate research vessels. Also, more environmental education should be taught in the

local schools. Currently, PWF speaks to a different class once every two weeks, but

only during the whale season. Environmental education should be a year-round class

taught in the local schools.

I predict that as Puerto Lopez continues to grow, so will the whale-watching

industry. Most of the people of Puerto Lopez understand the value of the whales and

work to prevent their extinction. Puerto Lopez's economy is centered on the whales, as it

is the village's main attraction. Without the whales, Puerto Lopez's economy would

struggle.

Evaluation of Learning

This experience was absolutely wonderful and life changing. I had the

opportunity to travel to a small village in South America, where daily life is very

different from life in the United States. Life in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, is much simpler

and the people there seem more content than in the United States, although they do not

have the same monetary enjoyments. I loved being in a situation that made me realize

how lucky we are in the US for what we have. I preferred working as a team, as opposed

to working alone. One really needs a second set of eyes when comparing whale tails.

The team did not need or prefer close supervision. During the course of the internship,

many things did not go as planned, but I think that made things more exciting. Many

days we had no idea which boat we were using or what time we were leaving and

returning.

Puerto Lopez needs the ocean to survive, and I learned how connected they are to

it. Although the local people may not have college or even high school educations, they

know a great deal about the ocean. I learned many skills through this project. The MOP

project was my first proposal, but it helped me with my proposal for Environmental

Studies. This project also improved my report writing skills. I learned how to use a GPS

device, which will be useful in the future. My favorite part of the internship was taking

photos, and I really enjoyed every moment on the water with my camera. I was glad that

Cristina bent a few of Pacific Whale Foundation's rules and allowed us to take photos.

I would like to thank Cristina Castro for all of her guidance in Ecuador. I hope to

one day return to Puerto Lopez. I would also like to thank Daniella Ferina and Talia

Dominella for being great teammates during the internship. I would like to give infinite

thanks to my parents for paying the internship fees, my plane tickets, and for all of their

support in general. Without my parents, I would never have had this opportunity. I

would like to thank Julie Grass for motivating me to complete my MOP certificate.

During the internship, I expected to see many whales, and I did. I did not expect

to see any recaptures, but we saw two. I thought it was difficult to identify whales based

on photos. I hoped to gain an insight on whale research and gain some experience in the

field, but the internship would have been more effective if it was longer. By the time we

were used to going out on the boats, properly working the GPS, and getting accurate

photos, it was time to leave Puerto Lopez. Also, if I were to do this again or another

student did this project, I would recommend speaking Spanish before you go, bringing

sea-sickness patches, and understanding Ecuadorian time. Ecuadorian time is similar to

Hawaiian time-almost everyone is late. But overall, go to Puerto Lopez having a very

open mind because it is an amazing place.

References Cited

Felix. Fernando & Hasse, B (2001). The humpback whale off the coast of Ecuador, population parameters and behavior. Revista de Biologia Marina y Oceanografia, 36(1), 61-74.

Felix, F, Castro, C., Hasse, B., Forestell, P., Alava, J., & Scheidat, M. New estimate of southeastern humpback whale stock off Ecuador [Online]. Available h t t p : / / w w w . f e m m . o r g / I n f o r m e s / F e l i x % 2 0 e t a e l . p d f [2007, Sept. 211.

International Whaling Commission (2004, May). Whalewatching guidelines [Online]. Available ttp://www.iwcoMice.org/conservation/wwguide1inesShtm [2007, Sept. 201

NOAA (2007, Jan. 12). Humpback whale behaviors [Online]. Available http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/specid~offerings/sp~o~publication~~s/ Behavior-sheet.pdf [2007, Sept. 211

Pacific Whale Foundation (2006). Ecuador research project [Online]. Available http://www.pacificwhale.org/sitecontent/content.php?PageId=26 [2007, Sept. 201

Scheidat, M., Castro, C., Denkinger, J., Gonzalez, J., Adelung, D. (2000). A breeding area for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) off Ecuador. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 2(3): 1 65- 17 1.

Photo-Identification of Humpback Whales · 2012-08-16 · Table 7: June 27,2007-Data compiled by Daniella Ferina and Talia Dominella Fluke up dive. Breaching, pectoral fin, dual pec.

Documents