Undersøkelser av vågehval i Barentshavet og ved Øst- og VestGrønland i 1973

Abstract

Observations of marine mammals were recorded and are tabulated. Observations of humpback whales indicate an increasing number in the eastern part of the North Atlantic. Material and data from minke whales were sampled from 120 whales (30% males) in the Barents Sea in May—June, 38 whales (66% males) off East Greenland in July—August and 81 whales (15% males) off West Greenland from May to September. The mean length of the minke whales in the Barents Sea was smaller than of those caught off West Greenland. Differences in length group frequencies and sex composition, between these two areas indicate separate stocks of minke whales in the Northeast and Northwest Atlantic. The stomack contents of whales examined in the Barents Sea and off East Greenland mainly consisted of capelin. At West Greenland sandeels and krill were the chief food items, and only one whale had fed on capelin Four humpback whales and ten fin whales weremarked during the cruises.