Date: November
22, 2017
Source:
University of British Columbia
Summary:
Aerial drone footage of bowhead whales in
Canada's Arctic has revealed that the large mammals molt and use rocks to rub
off dead skin.
The footage provides one answer to the
mystery of why whales return to Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, every summer, and
helps explain some unusual behavior that has been noted historically by Inuit
and commercial whalers living and working in the area.
"This was an incidental
observation," said Sarah Fortune, a PhD student at UBC's Institute for the
Oceans and Fisheries and lead author of a new study based on the findings.
"We were there to document their prey and feeding behavior, but we noticed
some strange behavior near the shore."
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