Abstract

SIMOES, Diana Gonçalves; MACEDO, Regina Helena Ferraz  and  ENGEL, Márcia H.. Whale-watching as a tool to study humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) behavior. Rev. etol. [online]. 2005, vol.7, n.1, pp. 3-14. ISSN 1517-2805.

Humpback whales behavior was observed to determine the existence of differences between observations occurring from research vessels vs. whale-watching vessels. A total of 256 groups were observed from research vessels and 122 groups from whale-watching vessels during the breeding seasons from 2001 through 2003 in the northern coast of the state of Bahia, Brazil. A Bayesian network analysis yielded greatest probabilities of occurrence of the behavioral conducts traveling, socialization and aggressive. Significant behavioral differences between cruise types were not obtained through comparative analysis. Given the probability of occurrence of resting conducts in calf pods and the possibility of the interruption of suckling caused by vessels, it is suggested that a more conservative distance and shorter visits be adopted by whale-watching groups.

Keywords : Observation methods; Cetacea; Humpback whales; Megaptera novaeangliae.

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