Sightings and Satellite Tracking of a Blue/Fin Whale
Hybrid in its Wintering and Summering Ranges in the
Eastern North Pacific

Dr Jim Clarke

Research Article

Sightings and Satellite Tracking of a Blue/Fin Whale Hybrid in its Wintering and Summering Ranges in the Eastern North Pacific

Jefferson Thomas A¹*, Palacios Daniel M², Calambokidis John³, Baker C. Scott², Hayslip Craig E², Jones Paul A⁴, Lagerquist Barbara A², Jørgensen Morten⁵ and Schulman-Janiger Alisa⁶

¹Clymene Enterprises, Lakeside, USA

²Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, USA

³Cascadia Research Collective, Olympia, USA

⁴Searcher Natural History Tours, USA

⁵NozoMojo Tours and Arts, USA

⁶Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, USA

Corresponding Author

Received Date: March 25, 2021; Published Date: April 23, 2021

Abstract

We report 20 photo-documented sightings of a blue/fin whale hybrid between 2004 and 2020, in its wintering and summering ranges in the Gulf of California, Mexico, and southern California, USA, respectively. The whale was confirmed to be a hybrid by genetic testing using a reference dataset of non-hybrid blue and fin whales. It was also tracked by satellite for 28 days in 2015, showing its feeding range extended to the Big Sur area of central California. Information is presented to assist in field identification of blue/fin whale hybrids.

Keywords: Balaenoptera musculus, Balaenoptera physalus, Cetaceans, Hybridization, California, Mexico, Migration, Tracking, Identification

Article Details

Citation

Jefferson Thomas A, Palacios Daniel M, Calambokidis John, Baker C. Scott, Hayslip Craig E, Jones Paul A, et al. Sightings and Satellite Tracking of a Blue/Fin Whale Hybrid in its Wintering and Summering Ranges in the Eastern North Pacific. Ad Oceanogr & Marine Biol. 2(4): 2021. AOMB.MS.ID.000545.