. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1993 DOIDGE AND FINLEY: STATUS OF THE BAFFIN BaY BeLUGA 535. WEST GREENLAND Figure 2. Distribution and migration routes of Baffin Bay Belugas. Greenland coast and the population there in summer is considered small (Reeves and Mitchell 1987). It is unclear what the relationship is between the Greenlandic and Canadian summering groups or between the Northwater and Davis Strait wintering groups of whales. Because these seasonal ranges are connected by the migration route (see below), there is no reason to suspect that these groups are segre- gated during the breed
. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1993 DOIDGE AND FINLEY: STATUS OF THE BAFFIN BaY BeLUGA 535. WEST GREENLAND Figure 2. Distribution and migration routes of Baffin Bay Belugas. Greenland coast and the population there in summer is considered small (Reeves and Mitchell 1987). It is unclear what the relationship is between the Greenlandic and Canadian summering groups or between the Northwater and Davis Strait wintering groups of whales. Because these seasonal ranges are connected by the migration route (see below), there is no reason to suspect that these groups are segre- gated during the breeding season in spring. Based on differences in body size, Sergeant and Brodie (1969) proposed discrete populations of Belugas in the eastern Arctic. Although the sample size from EUesmere Island was very small. Sergeant and Brodie (1969) suggested that they were transi- tional in size between Canadian and the larger Belugas found in West Greenland. In a re-analysis of the data, Doidge (1990b) showed the difference in body size between Beluga populations was not as great as previously thought. Migration A few hundred Belugas overwinter in flaw leads at the entrances of Lancaster and Jones Sounds (Finley and Renaud 1980), but the bulk of the migrants from wintering grounds in Davis Strait do not arrive in the Baffin Bay "Northwater" until late June (LGL 1983). Belugas cross Baffin Bay north of 76°N, then move southward along ice edges to the entrance of Lancaster Sound. In most years, when not covered by fast-ice, the peak migration of Belugas through Lancaster Sound occurs between mid-June and mid-July. Whales follow the south coast of Devon Island westward toward their sum- mering grounds (Johnson et al. 1976; LGL 1983). In years when the entrance to Lancaster Sound is obstructed by ice into July, large numbers of Belugas congregate along the ice-edge. In such ice-barrier years, Belugas may cross Lancaster Sound along the ice-edge to the northern Baffin coast (LGL 198
Size: 2062px × 1211px
Photo credit: © Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorottawafi, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1919
