|
Sperm whale caught in the act
Fishermen and scientists have known for at least two decades that sperm whales were snatching small numbers of fish from miles of longline in the world's largest black cod fishery the eastern Gulf of Alaska. For the first time they have caught one in the act.
 A 45-second video begins with the signature rapid-fire clicks of a sperm whale before the animal, most likely a male, swims into view and clamps down gently on a longline. Seconds later, a black cod pops off a nearby hook. The whale releases the line and floats out of sight, followed by the dead fish. The camera was mounted on a longline baited with two black cod. At first, the whales were wary of the device but after scientists camouflaged the device in a tangle of rope and dead fish did the whales approach.
The footage, taken in clear waters up to 350 feet deep, may be the first to document a feeding sperm whale. Usually the animals dine on giant squid and other fish in the pitch-black depths thousands of feet below the surface. The scientists estimate there are 100 mostly male sperm whales feeding from longlines in the study area. Fishermen and fisheries managers say the overall economic loss to the gulf's 410-boat sablefish fleet is probably low, but has increased in the last decade. The National Geographic Society has exclusive rights to the video and has no immediate plans to air it. However the researchers are hoping to collect more footage this summer.
Once a prime target of whalers, scientists suspect sperm whales are recovering in oceans worldwide, although there are no definitive population numbers.
|
