First record of common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in Canadian Pacific waters

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Abstract

Background: Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are distributed globally in tropical and warmtemperate waters with coastal and offshore ecotypes known. In the eastern North Pacific Ocean, common bottlenose dolphins are typically found in offshore waters as far as 41° N and in coastal waters as far as 38° N. Despite considerable survey effort, the species has not been previously recorded in Canadian Pacific waters. Results: On 29 July 2017, a group of approximately 200 common bottlenose dolphins were observed together with approximately 70 false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in waters of 16.5° C at 50° N during a pelagic seabird and marine mammal survey off the west coast of northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Conclusions: This sighting represents the only occurrence of common bottlenose dolphins recorded in Canadian Pacific waters and, to our knowledge, is the most northerly record for this species in the eastern North Pacific. It is also the first sighting record of false killer whales in non-coastal waters in British Columbia, Canada. The occurrence of both species may be associated with a prolonged period of warming in offshore regions of the eastern North Pacific.

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Halpin, L. R., Towers, J. R., & Ford, J. K. B. (2018). First record of common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in Canadian Pacific waters. Marine Biodiversity Records, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41200-018-0138-1

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