Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, song during the breeding season in the Gulf of Tribugá, Colombian Pacific

A key feature of humpback whale behavior, documented primarily on the breeding grounds, is the repertoire of the males’ song. Song is made up of single units combined together into phrases, which are repeated to make up themes. A song consists of several themes sung in succession. This study qualitatively investigates the presence and structure of song recorded in the Gulf of Tribugá in the Colombian Pacific. Data were collected between June and September 201 3, from which approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes of song were analyzed from five individual whales. Three distinct themes, always sung in the same order (theme 1 -theme 2- theme 3) were identified. Theme 1 was the most predominant theme overall, and was present in each song session that was analyzed. The structure of each theme is described with accompanying spectrograms, and specific acoustic parameters further illustrate theme progression and characterize differences between whales. This study serves as the first published descriptive analysis of the song of stock G in this area, and suggestions are made for future directions of investigation. Research on humpback song is used as a part of the overall efforts of Macuáticos Colombia Foundation to educate the communities of the Gulf of Tribugá about the importance of conservation, and to advocate for stricter guidelines for safe whale-watching practices.RÉSUMÉLes baleines à bosse ont été observées dans le monde entier et elles migrent chaque année entre leurs zones de nourrissage dans les latitudes élevées et les aires de reproduction aux latitudes basses. Le chant des baleines à bosse est l’un des comportements lié à l’accouplement qui a été documenté sur les aires de reproduction. Ce chant est composé d'unités simples combinées dans des phrases et qui sont répétées pour composer des thèmes. Les chants sont composés de plusieurs thèmes et sont principalement émis par les mâles. L'étude actuelle a porté sur la présence et la structure du chant des baleines à bosse du G-stock enregistré dans le golfe de Tribugá dans le Pacifique colombien. Les données ont été recueillies entre juin et septembre 201 3 à l'aide d'un hydrophone SQ26-08 au cours d’excursions en bateau qui se sont déroulées 3 fois par semaine. La structure du chant a été codée en utilisant Raven Pro 1 .4. Environ 4 heures et 30 minutes de chant ont été analysées et les chercheurs ont identifié trois thèmes distincts qui ont toujours été entendus dans le même ordre. Le thème 1 dominait dans tous les enregistrements et était composé de répétitions de légères variations de l'expression ‘ABABABAA’. Le thème 2 était composé de répétitions des unités ‘F’ et ‘Bl’, avec des variations de la phrase de multiples unités répétées dans une rangée. Le thème 3 était composé de phrases répétées d'une unité longue ‘upsweep’ tonale 'LU' , suivie par une unité courte ‘upsweep’ tonale ‘SU’, parfois avec une unité ‘downsweep’ dans le motif. L'unité ‘S’ a été entendue pendant les transitions du thème 3 au thème 1 . Le thème 1 a été entendu beaucoup plus fréquemment que les autres thèmes et le thème 3 était le moins fréquemment enregistré. La structure changeante de chaque thème a été décrite avec des spectrogrammes d'accompagnement et les paramètres acoustiques ont été utilisés pour différencier les unités. Cette étude est la première analyse descriptive du chant du stock G dans ce domaine et des suggestions sont proposées pour les orientations futures de l'étude. Les enregistrements sonores ont été utilisés pour soutenir les efforts déployés par la Fondation Macuáticos Colombie pour sensibiliser éduquer les communautés du golfe de Tribugá sur l' importance de la conservation et pour renforcer les directives portant sur les pratiques sécurisées d’observation des baleines et de la pêche

Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, song during the breeding season in the Gulf of Tribugá, Colombian Pacific

A key feature of humpback whale behavior, documented primarily on the breeding grounds, is the repertoire of the males’ song. Song is made up of single units combined together into phrases, which are repeated to make up themes. A song consists of several themes sung in succession. This study qualitatively investigates the presence and structure of song recorded in the Gulf of Tribugá in the Colombian Pacific. Data were collected between June and September 2013, from which approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes of song were analyzed from five individual whales. Three distinct themes, always sung in the same order (theme 1-theme 2- theme 3) were identified. Theme 1 was the most predominant theme overall, and was present in each song session that was analyzed. The structure of each theme is described with accompanying spectrograms, and specific acoustic parameters further illustrate theme progression and characterize differences between whales. This study serves as the first published descriptive analysis of the song of stock G in this area, and suggestions are made for future directions of investigation. Research on humpback song is used as a part of the overall efforts of Macuáticos Colombia Foundation to educate the communities of the Gulf of Tribugá about the importance of conservation, and to advocate for stricter guidelines for safe whale-watching practices.RÉSUMÉLes baleines à bosse ont été observées dans le monde entier et elles migrent chaque année entre leurs zones de nourrissage dans les latitudes élevées et les aires de reproduction aux latitudes basses. Le chant des baleines à bosse est l’un des comportements lié à l’accouplement qui a été documenté sur les aires de reproduction. Ce chant est composé d'unités simples combinées dans des phrases et qui sont répétées pour composer des thèmes. Les chants sont composés de plusieurs thèmes et sont principalement émis par les mâles. L'étude actuelle a porté sur la présence et la structure du chant des baleines à bosse du G-stock enregistré dans le golfe de Tribugá dans le Pacifique colombien. Les données ont été recueillies entre juin et septembre 2013 à l'aide d'un hydrophone SQ26-08 au cours d’excursions en bateau qui se sont déroulées 3 fois par semaine. La structure du chant a été codée en utilisant Raven Pro 1.4. Environ 4 heures et 30 minutes de chant ont été analysées et les chercheurs ont identifié trois thèmes distincts qui ont toujours été entendus dans le même ordre. Le thème 1 dominait dans tous les enregistrements et était composé de répétitions de légères variations de l'expression ‘ABABABAA’. Le thème 2 était composé de répétitions des unités ‘F’ et ‘Bl’, avec des variations de la phrase de multiples unités répétées dans une rangée. Le thème 3 était composé de phrases répétées d'une unité longue ‘upsweep’ tonale 'LU', suivie par une unité courte ‘upsweep’ tonale ‘SU’, parfois avec une unité ‘downsweep’ dans le motif. L'unité ‘S’ a été entendue pendant les transitions du thème 3 au thème 1. Le thème 1 a été entendu beaucoup plus fréquemment que les autres thèmes et le thème 3 était le moins fréquemment enregistré. La structure changeante de chaque thème a été décrite avec des spectrogrammes d'accompagnement et les paramètres acoustiques ont été utilisés pour différencier les unités. Cette étude est la première analyse descriptive du chant du stock G dans ce domaine et des suggestions sont proposées pour les orientations futures de l'étude. Les enregistrements sonores ont été utilisés pour soutenir les efforts déployés par la Fondation Macuáticos Colombie pour sensibiliser éduquer les communautés du golfe de Tribugá sur l'importance de la conservation et pour renforcer les directives portant sur les pratiques sécurisées d’observation des baleines et de la pêche

Evaluation of a Developing Ecotourism Industry: Whale-Watching In the Gulf of Tribugá, Colombia

© 2017 International Journal of Comparative Psychology. The ecotour industry continues to grow with a distinct focus on providing the public with up-close encounters with cetaceans. As a result, research focusing on both the effects of ecotourism on cetaceans and the efficacy of conservation-focused educational interventions for whale-watching operators is necessary to monitor and develop industry standards. Each year, whale-watching tours target humpback whales along their Colombian Pacific breeding grounds. There are many benefits to ecotourism in this area, including the use of whale-watching vessels as a platform for scientific research and environmental education. However, some whale-watching operators may lack species-specific knowledge and/or do not follow the suggested industry guidelines. Researchers held educational seminars for whale-watching staff at six hotels that border the Gulf of Tribugá. Seminars focused on whale anatomy, behavior, anthropogenic effects on the species, and sustainable whale-watching protocols. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire aimed to assess constructs related to the conservation of this species. This self-report information was accompanied by implicit measures (e.g., sighting duration, distance from whales) recorded during tours in situ. Behavioral observations aimed at assessing whales\u27 response to ecotour vessels demonstrated that whales increased rates of surface-active behaviors (e.g., tail slashes) with increasing nearness and duration. Whale-watching operators\u27 conduct during sightings demonstrated that positive attitudes toward humpback whales did not translate into adherence to sustainable practices. This relationship between the whale-watching operators\u27 questionnaire results and their behavior in the field demonstrates the need for careful monitoring of this developing industry. This project represents a preliminary evaluation of this budding ecotour industry. Continued efforts to increase knowledge while promoting self-advocacy, positive perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, behavioral intentions, and attitudes towards these animals will enable the safeguarding of near-shore waters essential for breeding and nursing humpback whales

Evaluation of a Developing Ecotourism Industry: Whale-Watching In the Gulf of Tribugá, Colombia

© 2017 International Journal of Comparative Psychology. The ecotour industry continues to grow with a distinct focus on providing the public with up-close encounters with cetaceans. As a result, research focusing on both the effects of ecotourism on cetaceans and the efficacy of conservation-focused educational interventions for whale-watching operators is necessary to monitor and develop industry standards. Each year, whale-watching tours target humpback whales along their Colombian Pacific breeding grounds. There are many benefits to ecotourism in this area, including the use of whale-watching vessels as a platform for scientific research and environmental education. However, some whale-watching operators may lack species-specific knowledge and/or do not follow the suggested industry guidelines. Researchers held educational seminars for whale-watching staff at six hotels that border the Gulf of Tribugá. Seminars focused on whale anatomy, behavior, anthropogenic effects on the species, and sustainable whale-watching protocols. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire aimed to assess constructs related to the conservation of this species. This self-report information was accompanied by implicit measures (e.g., sighting duration, distance from whales) recorded during tours in situ. Behavioral observations aimed at assessing whales\u27 response to ecotour vessels demonstrated that whales increased rates of surface-active behaviors (e.g., tail slashes) with increasing nearness and duration. Whale-watching operators\u27 conduct during sightings demonstrated that positive attitudes toward humpback whales did not translate into adherence to sustainable practices. This relationship between the whale-watching operators\u27 questionnaire results and their behavior in the field demonstrates the need for careful monitoring of this developing industry. This project represents a preliminary evaluation of this budding ecotour industry. Continued efforts to increase knowledge while promoting self-advocacy, positive perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, behavioral intentions, and attitudes towards these animals will enable the safeguarding of near-shore waters essential for breeding and nursing humpback whales

Thunks: Evidence for Varied Harmonic Structure In an Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (\u3ci\u3eTursiops truncatus\u3c/i\u3e) Sound

© 2017 International Journal of Comparative Psychology. McCowan and Reiss first reported the “thunk” sound of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) during separations and discipline behavior of mother-calf dyads. This sound has been previously described as a wide-band, low frequency contact call, however the harmonic structure of this sound is more variable than previously described. Based on preliminary observations of the graded structure of thunks within our data set, we investigated the directionality of thunks with energies at higher frequencies. We recorded a bottlenose dolphin mother with her calf during the first 30-days of life, and analyzed thunk production during separation and discipline contexts. Two classifications of the thunk sound were compared to determine calf response and whether location cues were embedded in the higher harmonics of one of the thunk types. The mother oriented towards the calf significantly more during production of both thunk types during separation and discipline contexts. This sound may have potential directional information within the harmonic structure; however, we could not draw that conclusion based on our findings. Therefore, we present data here that indicates a graded structure to the harmonics of thunk sounds. McCowan and Reiss first reported the thunk sound of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) during separations and discipline behavior of mother-calf dyads. However, since this initial report, no other studies have thoroughly investigated this sound. A bottlenose dolphin mother and calf were observed during the first 30 days of life. Thunk production during separations within the mother-calf dyad and discipline behavioral events were analyzed, as thunks were predominately produced in these contexts during the original report by McCowan and Reiss. We found that variation occurs within the thunk sound, contrary to how this acoustic signal has been previously defined. We report the presence of two different types of thunks primarily present in separation events during the calf\u27s early life: the low harmonic range (LHR) and high harmonic range (HHR) thunk. LHR and HHR thunks varied in harmonic structure, but did not have significantly different peak frequencies. Furthermore, in order to determine the salience of the thunk sound to separation and discipline events, we also report on the presence of burst pulses and signature whistles when compared to thunk production. Thunks were the most produced sound during separation events, while burst pulses were more common during the mother\u27s discipline of the calf. The mother\u27s signature whistle was not as common during the course of the study, suggesting that, at least within this bottlenose dolphin mother-calf dyad, other sounds were more important for dyad communication within separation and discipline events

Thunks: Evidence for Varied Harmonic Structure in an Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Sound

McCowan and Reiss first reported the “thunk” sound of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) during separations and discipline behavior of mother-calf dyads. This sound has been previously described as a wide-band, low frequency contact call, however the harmonic structure of this sound is more variable than previously described. Based on preliminary observations of the graded structure of thunks within our data set, we investigated the directionality of thunks with energies at higher frequencies. We recorded a bottlenose dolphin mother with her calf during the first 30-days of life, and analyzed thunk production during separation and discipline contexts. Two classifications of the thunk sound were compared to determine calf response and whether location cues were embedded in the higher harmonics of one of the thunk types. The mother oriented towards the calf significantly more during production of both thunk types during separation and discipline contexts. This sound may have potential directional information within the harmonic structure; however, we could not draw that conclusion based on our findings. Therefore, we present data here that indicates a graded structure to the harmonics of thunk sounds