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A case study of a lone humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) inside Baía de Todos os Santos, Bahia State, north-eastern Brazil, with implications for rescue procedures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2009

Elitieri S. Neto ,
Marcos R. Rossi-Santos ,
Clarêncio G. Baracho ,
Sérgio R. Cipolotti ,
Cláudio L.S. Sampaio ,
Raquel Sá Velozo  and
Luciano R.A. Souto
Elitieri S. Neto*
Affiliation:
Instituto Baleia Jubarte (IBJ), Avenida do Farol, s/n, CP 92, Praia do Forte, Mata de São João, Bahia, 48280-000, Brazil
Marcos R. Rossi-Santos
Affiliation:
Instituto Baleia Jubarte (IBJ), Avenida do Farol, s/n, CP 92, Praia do Forte, Mata de São João, Bahia, 48280-000, Brazil
Clarêncio G. Baracho
Affiliation:
Instituto Baleia Jubarte (IBJ), Avenida do Farol, s/n, CP 92, Praia do Forte, Mata de São João, Bahia, 48280-000, Brazil
Sérgio R. Cipolotti
Affiliation:
Instituto Baleia Jubarte (IBJ), Avenida do Farol, s/n, CP 92, Praia do Forte, Mata de São João, Bahia, 48280-000, Brazil
Cláudio L.S. Sampaio
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Museu de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Rua Barão de Geremoabo, s/nº, Ondina Salvador, Bahia, 40170-290, Brazil
Raquel Sá Velozo
Affiliation:
Instituto Mamíferos Aquáticos, Rua dos Rádioamadores, 73, Pituaçu, Bahia, CEP 41741080, Brazil
Luciano R.A. Souto
Affiliation:
Instituto Mamíferos Aquáticos, Rua dos Rádioamadores, 73, Pituaçu, Bahia, CEP 41741080, Brazil
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Elitieri S. Neto, Instituto Baleia Jubarte (IBJ), Avenida do Farol, s/n, CP 92, Praia do Forte, Mata de São João, Bahia 48280-000, Brazil email: [email protected]
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Abstract

We report the occurrence of a lone humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calf inside Baía de Todos os Santos, north-eastern Brazil, encountered swimming near the shore at a busy beach of the city of Salvador. The calf was monitored for over six hours during which time it was photographed performing an unusual behaviour, interpreted by the authors as a sign of stress and disorientation. One week later, a dead humpback whale calf was found 14 km north-east, on the island of Itaparica. Due to the similar size and the oceanographic currents of the area, we considered it to be the same animal. Finally, we discuss considerations to improve conditions for the rescue of cetaceans in the future.

Keywords

humpback whalelone calfBaía de Todos os SantosBrazil
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 1 , January 2008 , e97
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2007

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