Satellite tracking reveals distinct movement patterns for Type B and Type C killer whales in the southern Ross Sea, Antarctica

• Published in: Polar biology 2008-11, Vol.31 (12), p.1461-1468
• Main Authors: Andrews, Russel D., Pitman, Robert L., Ballance, Lisa T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal behavior; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Aquatic mammals; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Ecology; Ecotypes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects. Techniques; Life Sciences; Mammalia; Microbiology; Oceanography; Oceans; Original Paper; Plant Sciences; Prey; Satellites; Studies; Teledetection and vegetation maps; Vertebrata; Whales & whaling; Zoology
• ISSN: 0722-4060; 1432-2056
• DOI: 10.1007/s00300-008-0487-z

During January/February 2006, we satellite-tracked two different ecotypes of killer whales ( Orcinus orca ) in McMurdo Sound, Ross Sea, Antarctica, using surface-mounted tags attached with sub-dermal darts. A single Type B whale (pinniped prey specialist), tracked for 27 days, traveled an average net distance of 56.8 ± 32.8 km day −1 , a maximum of 114 km day −1 , and covered an estimated area of 49,351 km 2 . It spent several days near two large emperor penguin ( Aptenodytes forsteri ) colonies, a potential prey item for this form. By contrast, four Type C killer whales (fish prey specialists) tracked for 7–65 days, traveled an average net distance of 20 ± 8.3 km day −1 , a maximum of 56 net km day −1 , and covered an estimated area of only 5,223 km 2 . These movement patterns are consistent with those of killer whale ecotypes in the eastern North Pacific where mammal-eating ‘transients’ travel widely and are less predictable in their movements, and fish-eating ‘residents’ have a more localized distribution and more predictable occurrence, at least during the summer months.