Occurrence of sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Russian Arctic

Abstract

We report two sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) strandings observed in the south-east corner of the Barents Sea (i.e., Pechora Sea) in 2018, unusually far from the species’ hitherto known distribution. While compiling a comprehensive overview of the occurrence of sperm whale sightings and strandings in the Russian Arctic, we learnt about one further stranding in the Pechora Sea, observed in 2017. All other records were from sites considerably closer to the species’ usual distribution. Reports from the eastern Russian Arctic suggest that sperm whales rarely, if ever, entered the Arctic from the Pacific Ocean. Although observed occurrences in the Russian Barents Sea have been few and sporadic, the occurrence of sperm whales in its south-eastern section appears to be a recent phenomenon, which is possibly related to declining sea-ice cover.