Behavioral choices of male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) on the Hawaiʻian wintering grounds

Date
2004
Authors
Hakala, Siri
Contributor
Advisor
Department
Instructor
Depositor
Speaker
Researcher
Consultant
Interviewer
Annotator
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Volume
Number/Issue
Starting Page
Ending Page
Alternative Title
Abstract
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are a migratory species, feeding in high latitude, cooler waters during the summer, and then traveling to low latitude, warmer waters during the winter months to calve and presumably, though it has never been documented, to mate. The North Pacific has three main wintering grounds: Hawaii, Mexico/California, and Japan (Dawbin, 1966, Darling and Jurasz, 1983; Baker, Herman, Perry, Lawton, Straley, Wolman, Kaufman, Winn, Hall, Reinke, and Ostman, 1986). Currently, approximately 4,500 humpback whales migrate down to Hawaiian waters, primarily from Alaskan waters, between the months of November and April (Calambokidis et al., 2001). According to whaling records and field observations, humpback whales do not feed during this time; their blubber layer decreases in thickness from January to April as their energy is directed towards reproductive efforts and their fat reserves are metabolized for energy (Nishiwaki 1959, Dawbin 1966, Chittleborough, 1965). The objective of this thesis is to advance our understanding of the behavioral choices available to, and made by, adult male humpback whales on the Hawaiian wintering grounds.
Description
Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-68).
vi, 68 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm
Keywords
Humpback whale -- Sexual behavior -- Hawaii
Citation
Extent
Format
Geographic Location
Time Period
Related To
Theses for the degree of Master of Arts (University of Hawaii at Manoa). Psychology; no. 3166
Table of Contents
Rights
All UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.
Rights Holder
Local Contexts
Email libraryada-l@lists.hawaii.edu if you need this content in ADA-compliant format.