Species Composition and Distribution of Cetaceans in the Atlantic and Indian Sectors of Southern Ocean

Abstract

The data of accompanying observations of the spatial distribution, species composition and abundance of cetaceans in the southern part of the Atlantic and Indian oceans and in the coastal waters of Antarctica in the southern autumn of 2021 are presented. In total, 3 species of whales (82 sightings–136 individuals), 1 species of beaked (1 sighting–4 individuals) and 6 species of dolphins (15 sightings–324 individuals) were registered in the research area. In total, cetacean were observed 98 times, 464 individuals were registered. As in previous years, humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae predominated (58.82%), they are successfully restoring their quantity, although they suffered greatly during whaling in the XVIII–XX centuries. Antarctic minke whales Balaenoptera bonaerensis made up 21.32%, and fin whales Balaenoptera physalus made up 19.85% of all whales. Southern right whale dolphins (83.33%) prevailed among all dolphins.