Marine Biology

OBSERVATION METHOD OF MARINE MAMMALS

a. Introduction

Watching whales, dolphins and porpoises in the wild is probably the ultimate wildlife experience. Who can remain untouched by a 30 ton Humpback Whale launching itself high into the air, the sheer size of a Blue Whale, or a school of Common Dolphins riding to a boat?

Based on Shirihai et al., (2007) most marine mammals belong to one of two major groups, the cetacean (cetaceans) and pinnipedia or seals. 

Whale, dolphins and porpoises are known collectively as cetaceans, from the Latin cetus (a large sea animal) and the Greek ketos or sea monster (Carwadine, 1995). Cetacean orders are divided into three sub orders namely (Carwadine, 1995): 1) Baleen Whale (archaeoceti); 2) Toothed Whale (Odontoceti); and 3) Extinct, Primitive Whale (Archaeoceti). The general characteristics of Cetaceans are:

• Variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from tiny dolphins just over 1 m (39 inch) long to the Blue Whale, which is typically 25 m (82 ft.);
• Some Cetaceans are long and slender, other are short and stocky;
• Some have huge dorsal fins, whereas others have no fins at all;
• Live in all the oceans and many major rivers of the world, from the warm waters of the equator to the cold waters of the poles;

Pinnipedia Order consists of three families namely: 1) Seals (Phocidae); 2) Sea lion and fur seals (Otariidae); and 3) Walrus (Odobinidae). The general characteristics of Pinnipedia are:

• Body slender; front and rear legs turned into fins;
• The tail is short; leaves no external ear or almost no peltry;
• The Body temperature ranged from 36,5 – 37,5 °C;
• Body covered with a thick layer of fat;
• Live in groups, known as Rookies; and
•  Semi-aquatic habitat.

There are many ways of watching marine mammals around the world: from the air; from the shore; underwater; and from a host of different vessels. They are really just two golden rules for successful whale watching: the first and most important is to cause as little disturbance as possible; the second is to be patient (Carwadine, 1995).

b. Methodology

The method for Marine Mammal Observation was 2 group systems, which adopted and modified from WWF Hongkong (2003) that is 360˚ observation area is conducted by 2 groups, one group observed 180˚ front part of the vessel and 180˚ back part of the vessel, as show on Figure 1.

Figure 1. Observation Methods of Marine Mammal Modified from WWF Hongkong (2003)

Visual observation conducted as below figure.

Figure 2. Visual Observation

The necessary equipment for observation is:

1. Binocular (up to 10x)
2. Camera with lens
3. Observation from refer to marine mammals observation deck form (JNCC)
4. GPS
5. Range Finder
6. Identification books

When one or two group saw the appearance of marine mammals, then one group was record the characteristic, behavior, time of appearance, location coordinate (estimated based on distance), based on this information from the group who observed by using binocular or bare eyes and camera.

Based on Carwadine (1995), marine mammal identification can be done by see several characteristic, such as:

1. Body size.
2. Unusual features.
3. Dorsal fin position, shape and color.
4. Body and head shape.
5. Color and markings.
6. Blow characteristics (in larger species only).
7. Fluke shape and markings.
8. Surfacing behaviour and dive sequence.
9. Breaching (movement of whales jumping & dropped into the rear, which is one pattern of behavior) and other activities.
10. Number of animals observed.
11. Main habitat (coastal, riverine, etc.).
12. Geographical location.
13. Image capture (photo/video) for further identification.

References

Carwadine, M. 1995. Eye Witness Handbook : Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. The Visual Guide to All World’s Cetacean. Dorling Kindersley Ltd. New York, NY.

Shirihai, H and Brett, J. 2007. Whales, Dolphins and Seals. A Field Guide to the Marine Mammals of the World. A & C Black Publishers Ltd, 36 Soho Square, London.

WWF-Hongkong. 2003. Marine Mammals in Marine Mammals Survey Techniques. Procedding of the Workshop on Cetacean Species Identification, Marine Mammals Survey Techniques and Review of Regional Knowledge, 29-30 January 2003, Jakarta, Indonesia. Departemen Kelautan dan Perikanan dan WWF Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.