Passive acoustic monitoring and visual sighting survey of cetacean occurrence patterns in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The available data on occurrence patterns of cetaceans in the Red Sea area of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is very limited. The dearth of information is of pressing conservation concern as the coastline is undergoing rapid development as part of the Kingdom's effort to diversify its national economy. To understand how these developments will impact cetaceans in the region, the first large-scale acoustic and visual survey in the Kingdom's part of the Gulf of Aqaba and the northeastern Red Sea was undertaken in 2020. The results of the acoustic surveys reveal 3.6 encounters per 100 km of track line of odontocete species with variable distribution across the study area. No baleen whale vocalizations were detected. Through visual surveys, five odontocete species were identified within the study area: Tursiops truncatus, T. aduncus, Stenella attenuata, S. longirostris, and two opportunistic sightings of a single Grampus griseus.