Possible signs of recovery of the nearly extirpated Spitsbergen bowhead whales: calves observed in east Greenland

Outi M. Tervo; Marie Louis; Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding; Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen; Rikke G. Hansen

doi:10.33265/polar.v42.8809

Outi M. Tervo Department of Mammals and Birds, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Mammals and Birds, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
Marie Louis Department of Mammals and Birds, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland; and Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mikkel-Holger Strander Sinding Department of Mammals and Birds, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland; and Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen Department of Mammals and Birds, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Mammals and Birds, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
Rikke G. Hansen Department of Mammals and Birds, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Mammals and Birds, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v42.8809

Keywords: Balaena mysticetus, calf, Spitsbergen population, endangered

Abstract

The Spitsbergen population of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) was harvested to near extinction during the whaling era. Here, we show possible signs of recovery of the population by reporting observations of two calves in the Scoresby Sund polynya in East Greenland on 2 and 4 May 2022, and it is the first observation of this kind in this area since the early 1900s.

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