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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 157 / Wednesday, August 18, 2021 / Notices
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found in the Southern hemisphere and feed throughout the waters off Antarctica. In the Southern Hemisphere, humpback whales feed in circumpolar waters and migrate to breeding grounds in tropical waters to the north. Seven breeding populations are recognized by the International Whaling Commission in the Southern Hemisphere, and these are linked to six feeding areas in the Antarctic. Bettridge et al., 2015
identify the southeast Pacific breeding stock as feeding in waters to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula where Palmer station is located. These animals breed in the Pacific-Central America waters.
Humpback whales are considered generalists, feeding on euphausiids and various species of small schooling fish.
They appear to be unique among large whales in their use of bubbles to corral or trap these schooling fish.
Humpback whales are the most common whale seen within a few miles of the station Ari Friedlander, personal communication. From January 21, 2019
through March 31, 2020, marine mammal sightings have been recorded during bird observation studies at Palmer Station. On January 23, 2019, three humpback whales two adults and one juvenile were observed feeding off Torgersen Island, and one adult and one juvenile were observed feeding in Arthur Harbor on January 26, 2019.
Several groups of up to four individuals likely adults and juveniles were observed feeding in Arthur Harbor in early February 2019. No humpbacks were observed after February 12. At the end of May 2019, two humpback whales were again observed near Bonaparte Point, with no other sightings until the end of December 2019 when one humpback was observed feeding in Arthur Harbor. In late December 2019
through early February 2020, individual whales or groups of two adults and possibly a juvenile feeding in Arthur Harbor were recorded on 10 separate occasions. A large group of five whales four adults and a juvenile was observed in Arthur Harbor on March 3, 2020. This was the last sighting recorded.
Killer Whale The killer whale is found in all the worlds oceans and most seas. It is the largest member of the family Delphinidae and has very distinctive black-and-white coloration. Antarctic killer whales make periodic rapid longdistance migrations to subtropical waters, possibly for skin maintenance Durban and Pitman 2011; as referenced in Wursig et al., 2018. Killer whales are social animals that are usually observed traveling in groups containing a few to
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20 or more individuals. Reports of larger groups usually involve temporary aggregations of smaller, more stable social units.
Currently only one species of killer whale is recognized O. orca, but it is likely that some of genetically distinct forms found in different regions of the world represent distinct species Wursig et al., 2018. In the Antarctic, five distinct forms of killer whale have been identified: Types A, B1, B2, C, and D.
They differ in coloration, morphology, and in some cases diet Pitman and Ensor 2003. Types B1 and B2 are the most common form observed around the Antarctic Peninsula and Anvers Island Durban et al., 2016.
Killer whales prey on a wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates; they have no natural predators other than humans.
It is the only cetacean that routinely preys upon marine mammals, with attacks or kills documented for 50
different species. Mammalian taxa that are prey of killer whales include other cetaceansboth mysticetes and odontocetespinnipeds, sirenians, mustelids and, on rare occasions, ungulates. A variety of fish species are also important food of killer whales. In the Antarctic, killer whales in open water prey on Antarctic minke whales, seals, and fish.
Killer whales are commonly observed within a few miles of the station Ari Friedlander, personal communication.
Long-Finned Pilot Whale Long-finned pilot whales inhabit the cold temperate waters of both the North Atlantic and the Southern Ocean. They are circumpolar in the Southern Hemisphere and occur as far north as 14S in the Pacific and south to the Antarctic Convergence Olson 2009.
Pilot whales are found in both nearshore and pelagic environments. Pilot whales are generally nomadic, but are highly social and are usually observed in schools of several to hundreds of animals. They also have been observed in mixed species aggregations. Their diet consists mostly of squid and other cephalopods, with smaller amounts of fish. Pilot whales are known to dive deep for prey; the maximum dive depth measured is about 1,000 m.
Arnouxs Beaked Whale Arnouxs beaked whales inhabit vast areas of the Southern Hemisphere, between 24S and Antarctica. They are a deep diving species and can be found in areas of heavy ice cover. Little is known of the diet of Arnouxs beaked whales but one individuals stomach was found to be mostly filled with squid beaks Wursig et al. 2018. Arnouxs
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beaked whales often occur in groups of 610 and occasionally up to 50 or more Balcomb 1989. Arnouxs beaked whales have been observed in the Project area. Because they are heavily ice-associated Arnouxs, beaked whales may be directly affected by loss of sea ice due to climate change.
Southern Bottlenose Whale Southern bottlenose whales are widely distributed throughout the Southern Hemisphere, mainly south of 30S, and are most common between 58S and 62S. Bottlenose whales seem to prefer deeper waters and, like other beaked whales, they make regular deep dives to forage. Stomach content analyses of six southern bottlenose whales show that this species feeds primarily on squid MacLeod et al., 2003. Bottlenose whales are typically observed in small groups of up to 10
individuals, though groups of up to 20
animals of mixed age/sex classes have been reported. Social behaviors have not been studied in southern bottlenose whales.
Southern Right Whale Southern right whales are found between 20S and 60S. Right whales are skimmers Baumgartner et al., 2007; as cited in Wursig et al., 2018.
They feed offshore in pelagic regions in areas of high productivity by swimming forward with the mouth agape. Feeding can occur at or just below the surface, where it can be observed easily, or at depth. At times, right whales apparently feed very close to the bottom, because they are observed to surface at the end of an extended dive with mud on their heads. Typical feeding dives last for 10
20 min. It is likely that krill comprise a high proportion of the diet in southern right whales.
Sperm Whale Sperm whales are widely distributed, but distribution of the sexes are different. Female sperm whales almost always inhabit water deeper than 1,000
m and at latitudes less than 40S, corresponding roughly to sea surface temperatures greater than 15C. Sperm whales dive to about 600 m below the surface where they hunt primarily for squid. Distribution and relative abundance can vary in response to prey availability, most notably squid Jaquet & Gendron 2002.
Large males from high latitudes can be found in almost any ice-free deep water. Therefore, any sperm whales encountered in Antarctic waters are highly likely to be male. They are more likely to be sighted in productive waters, such as those along the edges of
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