Fisheries - Enviro Dynamics Namibia

F I S H E R I E S , M A M M A L S A N D S E A B I R D S S P E C I A L I S T S T U D Y
There is a low likelihood that Fin whales will pass in or near the MLA
Sei whales (B. borealis) : Harmer (1929) found sei whales particularly numerous off the Cape
Colony, although he suggests that some confusion between sei and Bryde’s whales may have
occurred. Best and Lockyer (unpublished, in Horwood 1987) note that such confusion may have
continued up until 1962. Best (1967) found catches of sei whales in the Saldanha Bay whaling
grounds to show an annual peak over the period of August and October, and although a second
peak was reported from sightings between March and April, Best (op cit.) suggests that these
may have been Bryde’s whales. Best (1967) suggested that sei whales off the southern African
west coast are mainly found in waters of 16º-18º C, 60 to 100 nautical miles offshore.
Sei whales could be encountered in the MLA.
Minke whales : There is little information on the distribution or seasonal abundance of minke
whales off the west coast of southern Africa, although Stewart and Leatherwood (1985) note
their presence in these waters. Possibly two forms of minke whales, the dwarf minke whale
(Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and the larger Southern Hemisphere minke whale (possibly
(Balaenoptera bonaerensis) may be found off the coast of southern Namibia. Findlay
(unpublished 1989) reports incidental sightings of minke whales inshore off Lüderitz, which may
well correspond to the dwarf form.
There is a low likelihood that Minke whales will occur in or near the MLA
Bryde’s whales : There is little information on the distribution and seasonal occurrence of Bryde’s
whales in southern Namibia. Two forms of Bryde’s whales are recorded from southern African
waters (Best 1977, Best 2007, Rice 1999). The smaller resident form (of which the taxonomic
status is uncertain) is found year-round along the southern Cape coast between Algoa Bay and
Lamberts Bay. A larger offshore form (B. edeni) appears to migrate along the African west coast,
being most abundant in the Saldanha Bay whaling grounds between March and May and in
October, and possibly migrating northwards along the African west coast in winter.
No information on the distribution of Bryde’s whales in southern Namibia could be located. As it
is the larger migratory form that is found in these waters it is assumed that the distribution would
be off the continental shelf.
There is a likelihood that Bryde’s whales will pass in or near the MLA
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) : Humpback whales utilise coastal waters of
southern hemisphere continents as migratory corridors during annual migrations between
summer Antarctic feeding grounds and breeding grounds in coastal tropical and subtropical
waters. It appears that some humpback whales remain off the southern African west coast
throughout summer (Findlay and Best, 1995), possibly taking advantage of upwelling productivity
to feed within the Benguela System (as suggested for other upwelling areas by Papastavrou and
van Waerebeeck 1997).
There is a likelihood that humpback whales will pass in or near the MLA
Final Report
Namibian Marine Phosphate (Pty) Ltd.
Page 38