Figure 1.
Hierarchical switching state-space model derived tracks of 12 fin whales and 3 blue whales.
Table 1.
Tracking data for fin and blue whales satellite-tagged off Azores from 2009 to 2012.
Table 2.
Estimates of fin and blue whale residence time and time spent in ARS in the Azores.
Figure 2.
Probability of fin whales not departing from the Azores over time.
Kaplan-Meier estimate (solid line) of the probability of fin whales not departing (1-probability of departure) from the Azores at various days since tagging (DST). The black dots represent the censored observations (whales whose tags stopped transmitting prior to departure). The dotted lines represent the 25% and 75% estimated probabilities of fin whales not departing from the Azores in relation to DST. The median DST to departure (the DST at which half of the whales have departed) is indicated by the gray dashed line.
Figure 3.
Hierarchical switching state-space model derived locations of fin whales showing inferred behavioural modes.
A. Complete tracks. B. Details of the tracks at middle latitudes, showing the location of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) and the Atlantis-Meteor seamount complex.
Figure 4.
Example of the movements and behaviour of fin whales in the Azores in 2009–2011.
Whale #80702 was tagged on April 30 2010 (tagging location shown by a star) and departed on 11 May 2010. The track shows the inshore-offshore movement pattern south of the islands of Faial and Pico and along the shallow banks where the whale was in ARS for 12 days, and the clear behavioural switch associated with the north/northwest trajectory as it resumed migration.
Table 3.
Fin whale movements and behaviour at different stages along the migratory path.
Figure 5.
GAM estimate of transiting speed of fin whales during 24-hours in each geographic area.
A. Azores area. B. area between 40 and 56°N. C. area north of 56°N. Solid line represents the estimate and dashed lines the estimate ±2 SE. Grey areas correspond to sunrise and sunset intervals (mean ± SD).
Figure 6.
GAM estimate of ARS speed of fin whales during 24-hours in each geographic area.
A. Azores area. B. area north of 56°N. Solid line represents the estimate and dashed lines the estimate ±2 SE. Grey areas correspond to sunrise and sunset intervals (mean ± SD).
Figure 7.
Hierarchical switching state-space model derived locations of blue whales showing inferred behavioural modes.
Figure 8.
GAM estimate of ARS speed of blue whales during 24-hours in the Azores.
Solid line represents the estimate and dashed lines the estimate ±2 SE. Grey areas correspond to sunrise and sunset intervals (mean ± SD).