HISTORICAL JAPANESE WHALE SIGHTING SURVEYS IN THE CHUKCHI SEA

Abstract

Before the T/S Oshoro Maru surveys in 2007 and 2008, three Japanese research vessels had conducted whale sighting surveys in the Chukchi Sea, in 1937 (R/V Kaihou Maru and Yūki Maru) and 1958 (R/V Fumi Maru No.16). However, their results are not well-known. The author found four references about these voyages and compared the results with T/S Oshoro Maru data from the 2007 and 2008 voyages. Despite the long period separating these surveys (about 20 years and then 50 years), the whale distributions in this region were somewhat similar.