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Three Occurrences of Solitary, Sociable Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Eastern Canada
Frohoff, T.G.¹, Kinsman, C.², Rose, N.A.³, and Sheppard, K. ª
¹TerraMar Research/Whale Stewardship Project, 321 High School Road, NE, PMB 374, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA.
²Whale Stewardship Project, P.O. Box 36101, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3S9, Canada
³The Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
ªWhale Stewardship Project, R.R. #1, Goldboro, Nova Scotia B0H 1L0, Canada
Solitary, sociable beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) were observed on three separate occasions in Eastern Canada. These animals were considered 'solitary' because they were never seen in the company of conspecifics and 'sociable' because they frequently initiated close contact with humans. Each of the whales demonstrated varying degrees of sociability and habituation. This represents the first study of solitary, sociable beluga whales and demonstrates that this phenomenon, documented most commonly in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), exists in other families of odontocetes. We observed a sub-adult female beluga whale, referred to locally as 'Wilma', in the region of Chedabucto Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada from 1993 to February 1999 when she was last sighted. This animal exhibited a high degree of sociability marked by frequent and prolonged visual and physical interaction with both swimmers and boaters. The second animal, a juvenile male referred to as 'Kuus', was reported in Green Bay, Newfoundland from mid-June 1999 until he was last sighted in late September 1999. This animal exhibited comparatively moderate sociable behavior toward humans with physical interaction occurring infrequently and exclusively with boaters. The third whale, a juvenile of undetermined gender referred to as 'Leni', arrived mid-June 2000 in Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland where, as of 1 September 2000, he continues to remain. To date, we are aware of this animal exhibiting only occasional and limited proximity to boaters in the absence of physical contact. The degree of sociability in these animals appears to be a function of increased habituation over time.
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