Acoustic Foraging Behavior of Beluga Whales Via Combined Technology: Satellite Telemetry, Passive Acoustics, Accelerometry, and Stomach Temperature Sensing
January 01, 2017
Acoustic foraging behavior of beluga whales, a poster for a Marine Mammal Symposium.
Main findings:
- Feeding episodes occur during flooding and ebbing tide periods.
- Preference for shallow waters (mud flats) or river channels.
- Terminal buzzes are related to prey capture like in other odontocetes.
- Buzzes are longer and emitted more often than other odontocetes.
- Inter-click interval can be used to identify feeding events.
- Body rotation might facilitate prey capture in shallow water.