HALF A CENTURY DATA SIGHTINGS OF SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES IN MAR DEL PLATA (BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA)

GIARDINO, GISELA; DIEGO H. RODRIGUEZ; BASTIDA, JULIÁN; RICARDO O. BASTIDA; MANDIOLA, M. AGUSTINA; MORON, SERGIO

Mar del Plata

Congreso; XVIII CONGRESO LATINOAMERICANO DE CIENCIAS DEL MAR; 2019

Asociación Latinoamericana de Investigadores de Ciencias del Mar (Alicmar)

In Southwestern Atlantic waters, individuals of the Southern Right Whale (SRW) Eubalaena australis travel each year from their southern summer feeding grounds to their northern calving areas: Península Valdés (PV-Argentina) and Santa Catarina (SC-Brazil). The coast of Mar del Plata (MDP) is located between these two main reproductive areas. The purpose of the present study is to report the presence of SRWs on their migratory movement off the coast of Mar del Plata (MDP), based on sighting records during the last half century. We carried out whale observations through systematic weekly coastal marine mammal surveys in different points of the MDP area from 1966 to 2016. We recorded 344 SRW sightings (n= 718) in the MDP coastal area. The first SRW sighting was in 1970; since then, sighting frequency has gradually increased, reaching a peak of 37 sightings (n= 87 whales) in 2016. SRW presence has a clear trend and seasonality; sightings were more frequent between July and mid-October. These are unique long term sighting records of SRWs in Argentina and the first on their journey off the shores of Buenos Aires Province. We expect that these results will help local authorities to regulate tourism and other activities in the area and thereby contribute to the conservation of the species.