Cetacean community off French Guiana

Although human activities are developing in French Guiana Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and surrounding countries, knowledge on diversity and ecology of cetaceans in the region is scarce. This study aimed to collect new information on the cetacean species occurring year-round in the entire French Guiana EEZ by combining visual and acoustic data obtained from three boat-based campaigns conducted by local NGOs. The GEPOG campaign was conducted from July 2011 to June 2012, four days every two months; the COHABYS campaign was performed five days per month from January to May 2018; the OSL campaign consisted in four 10-day surveys conducted in June, July, September and October 2018. The visual observation effort conducted when Beaufort sea state < 5 was 1,961 km, 1,491 km and 3,243 km respectively. Acoustic records were done when Beaufort sea state < 5 during daylight and/or nighttime, depending on the survey. A total of 132 cetacean sightings were done. Five cetacean families and 15 species were identified. Delphinidae was the family most frequently sighted (91% to 100% of groups and 99% to 100% of individuals per campaign). The most frequent species in the area were identified, along with their distribution and phenology: Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) was found in the coastal area (0-20 m), the long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) was sighted on the shelf (20-100 m), along with the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) that were also common on the upper slope (100-1,500 m). Finally, the spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris), the melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra) and the pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) were frequent on the slope (100-3,500 m). The results suggest these species may be found in French Guiana waters all year round and mother and calf pairs, as indicator of reproduction, were observed for all of them except the long-beaked common dolphin and the Guiana dolphin. Mother and calf pairs of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), that potentially belong to the “A” stock, were also sighted twice, as well as two groups of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) with calves. Hence, these results showed that French Guiana bears a particular responsibility for the conservation of cetacean biodiversity, but a lot remains to be done to strengthen knowledge and conservation of these species in the territory.

First records of the pantropical spotted dolphin Stenella attenuata, within groups of common dolphins Delphinus delphis in northern Peru

Although dolphins are mostly known to form single species groups of varying size, occasionally they aggregate in mixed-species groups. The presence of mixed-species delphinid groups along the Peruvian coast is unknown. Herein, we report the presence of a single pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) within large groups of the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) at Los Organos in the northern coast of Peru. Sightings occurred on October 10th, 2016, January 7th, 2018 and September 21st, 2019. In one sighting the mixed group was feeding, while during the other two sightings the group was travelling. These records add new evidence about mixed-species delphinid groups in coastal waters of Peru.

Challenges of Whale Watching and Swim With Dolphins in Mexico

Mexico is one of the top 10 whale-watching destinations in the world. The target species for “whale watching” (WW) are the gray whale, blue whale, humpback whale, and fin whale; the target species for “swim with dolphins” (SWD) are the bottlenose dolphin, spotted dolphin, spinner dolphin, and killer whale. WW has an increment of 666% income, 94% of trips, and 51% in the jobs generated in the last 11 years. Although Mexican legislation to regulate WW appears to be well designed, the great challenge is applying this normative in the field. In particular, it has been observed that surveillance and enforcement of normative differ significantly whether WW has carried out within a Marine Protected Area (MPA) or area without such designation. WW of gray and blue whales in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve and Bahía de Loreto National Park, respectively, is developed within the MPAs. They are considered examples of acceptable WW practices. In contrast, in places without protected status as Puerto Vallarta, Jal., and Los Cabos, Baja California Sur (BCS), the WW practices have different problems related to boats’ presence without permission as sport fishing boats, private boats, and jet skis that do not respect WW guidelines. On the other hand, creating normativity or policies to regulate SWD in Mexico represents a current challenge. It is also a challenge to promote that local communities are involved in carrying out WW and SWD and are included in granting permits and the jobs and benefits of the economic spillover that these tourist activities generate.