(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1978-08)
Watkins, William A.; Johnson, James H.; Wartzok, Douglas
Two finbacks (Balaenoptera physalus) and three humpback whales
(Megaptera novaeangliae) were tagged and tracked in Prince William
Sound, Alaska (1 - 30 June 1978) with 27 and 30-MHz radio tags. The
implantation of the tag was found to be essentially identical for the two
species. The whales returned to apparently normal routines within a short
time of tagging. The 1978 radio whale tags remained in place for only
two to three weeks, generally protruding more and more with time.
There was no evidence of infection. The radio signal provided positive
identification of the tagged whales and permitted tracks of the whales
movement as well as detailed studies of their behavior.
