Scientists working on the Shantar Islands on a project to study bowhead whales of the Sea of Okhotsk population, during observations, observed a female bowhead whale, which passed Wrangel Bay with a calf. In the video, which was filmed with the help of a drone, it can be seen that the whale is still very small, this year of birth. He keeps close to his mother and is not yet able to live independently. Previously, scientists have met young individuals - calves up to a year old and slightly older - in Ulbansky Bay, where whales come to feed and rest. Animals come to Wrangel Bay for socialization and recreation, and also hide in shallow water from the attack of killer whales, which are natural enemies for whales of this population.
Observing a female with a calf is a great success, because it is still not known for certain where and when the bowhead whales of the Okhotsk Sea population give birth. At the same time, this fact suggests that even more attention should be paid to the problem of the coexistence of whales from a rare population and humans: there is a tourist base in Wrangel Bay where travelers who want to watch whales stop. During the season (from July to September), the number of tourists can reach 300 people.
The project for the conservation and study of the smallest population of the bowhead whale is carried out by the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS in cooperation with the World Fund for Nature.
Source materials:
Indicator: "В бухте на мысе Врангеля удалось зафиксировать присутствие самки гренландского кита с детёнышем"