This paper describes song production by the eastern North Pacific right whale (NPRW, Eubalaena japonica) in the southeastern Bering Sea. Songs were localized in real-time to individuals using sonobuoys.
Little is known about the winter distribution of the critically endangered eastern population of North Pacific right whale but it has been proposed that the eastern Aleutian Islands, specifically Unimak Pass, be a possible migratory route for individuals.
The eastern population of the North Pacific right whale is one of the most endangered baleen whale populations in the world numbering in the tens of individuals due to historical whaling followed by illegal catches in the 1960s.
During dedicated surveys for the Critically Endangered eastern stock of North Pacific right whales (Eubalaena japonica) in the Bering Sea, focal follows (FFs) were combined with passive acoustic monitoring to correlate vocal activity with dive behavior.
The North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) was heavily exploited by both nineteenth century whaling and recent (1960s) illegal Soviet catches. Today, the species remains extremely rare especially in the eastern North Pacific.
Re-examination of sighting and catch records in or near the southeastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska over the past two centuries to help define areas and ecological limit critical to the survival of the eastern population of North Pacific right whales.
