SC/69A/SH/12  

Document Number

SC/69A/SH/12

Full Title

Report of a Blue Whale Sighting in Ecuadorian Waters

Author

Castro C., Félix F., Barragán-Tabares L. And J. Castrillón

Authors Summary

A blue whale was recorded 36 km off Ecuador's central coast on 22 January 2023. Its size was estimated at 18 m by eye. Although whaling records demonstrate that the coast of Ecuador is part of its distribution range, there is only one previous report of the species in recent years. It is not clear if this is because of the low research effort on the species, little knowledge of the distribution and habitat use in coastal waters of Ecuador, that the species is slowly recovering, or a combination of them. Photographs of the body and dorsal fin, as well as a tissue sample taken during the encounter, would help to define population identity, among other aspects of its ecology. More research effort is needed to understand how important Ecuadorian coastal waters are for the species.

Publisher

IWC

Keywords

Publication Year

2023

Abstract

A blue whale was recorded 36 km off Ecuador’s central coast on 22 January 2023. Its size was estimated at 18 m by eye. Although whaling records demonstrate that the coast of Ecuador is part of its distribution range, there is only one previous report of the species in recent years. It is unclear if this is because of the low research effort on the species, little knowledge of the distribution and habitat use in coastal waters of Ecuador, that the species is slowly recovering, or a combination of them. Photographs of the body and dorsal fin, as well as a tissue sample taken during the encounter, would help to define population identity, among other aspects of its ecology. More research is needed to understand how important Ecuadorian coastal waters are for the species.