UNCW Right Whale Aerial Surveys 2008

Original provider:
University of North Carolina, Wilmington

Dataset credits:
William A. McLellan, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Abstract:
These surveys were designed to monitor North Atlantic right whales (<i>Eubalaena glacialis</i>) in the south Atlantic Bight and mid-Atlantic, from the North Carolina (NC)-South Carolina (SC) border, north across the Chesapeake Bay mouth, to the southern tip of Cape Charles, Virginia, United States. The contract period began in January 2008 with surveys flown from February to June 2008.
A total of 14 North Atlantic right whales were observed during this aerial survey period, with 12 of the 14 whales sighted between the SC-NC border to Cape Hatteras, NC. Two of the 14 right whales observed were just north of Cape Hatteras, NC. In addition to right whales, two other endangered large whale species were observed. Two humpback whales (<i>Megaptera novaeangliae</i>) in two separate sightings during early March, and 20 sperm whales (<i>Physeter macrocephalus</i>) in 12 separate sightings were observed during these aerial surveys. Unidentified beaked whales (Family Ziphiidae), short-finned pilot whales (<i>Globicephala macrorhynchus</i>), common dolphins (<i>Delphinus delphis</i>), spotted dolphins (<i>Stenella frontalis</i>), bottlenose dolphins (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>), and unidentified delphinids (Family Delphinidae) were also observed during the aerial survey period. An unconfirmed beaked whale was observed in early February, and a confirmed beaked whale (species ID is still being debated) was observed in mid-June, both offshore near Cape Hatteras, NC. The threatened loggerhead sea turtle <i>Caretta caretta</i> (1,455 individuals in 937 sightings), the endangered leatherback sea turtle <i>Dermochelys coriacea</i> (4 individuals in 4 sightings), and unidentified sea turtles (615 individuals in 187 sightings) were also observed in this study.