Southeast Gulf of Mexico Sperm Whale Study

Large vessel surveys were conducted during the summers of 2012 and 2014 in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico north of the Dry Tortugas. Data were collected on the abundance and spatial distribution of sperm whales and other marine mammals in this region. Satellite telemetry tags were deployed on sperm whales occupying these waters to examine residency and movement patterns. This aggregation of sperm whales may be distinct from those occupying the rest of the northern Gulf of Mexico and are associated with unique physical oceanographic features in this area. These data were used to evaluate the residency and habitat use patterns of this aggregation of sperm whales.