Miranda van der Linde

• Master of Science
• Researcher at Futurismo Azores Whale Watching

Kaikōura, New Zealand, is one of the few places worldwide where sperm whales can be routinely found close to the coast. Although whales are present nearly all year round, no individuals are truly resident. In this study, we analyzed photo‐identification data collected over 27 years to investigate long‐term trends in inshore abundance. We contrasted...

Global climate change (CC) affects marine mammals, such as cetaceans, by exposing them to an altered marine environment. Cetaceans are indirectly influenced by CC (e.g. through their prey, warmer environment). They are indicator species, significant to marine ecosystems and one of the most endangered vertebrate groups on this planet. Since oceanic...

Sightings of false killer whales were recorded during whale watching tours from 1993-present. ID photos were taken with various SLR cameras and lenses. Dorsal fins were cropped and matched manually. For this study, only marked individuals were matched. The letter "A" was attributed to distinctively marked individuals, while "B" was attributed to le...

Cetacean faecal samples have been used to study diet, steroid hormones, exposure to parasites and biotoxins, individual genetic identification and assessment of microplastic ingestion in whales and dolphins. Baleen whale faecal samples are not usually easy to collect. However, as in the Azores whale watching platforms spend long time on the water a...

Female and immature sperm whales form stable social units in tropical to subtropical waters. One such area is the Azores archipelago, where details of their year‐round occurrence and social organization are not well known. We used year‐round sightings data collected from whale watching vessels to assess sperm whale occurrence and social structure o...

In the last 10 years in São Miguel Island, Azores, we have sighted 6 different species of baleen whales (Suborder Mysticeti). Regarding fin whales and sei whales, most of the encounters have been recorded during spring (74.3%, 67.7%), but others have been seen in other seasons too (winter: 7.4%, 1.1%; summer: 15.4%, 22.9%; autumn 2.9%, 8.3%). This...

Little is known about the migration routes and lifestyle of male sperm whales around the North Atlantic. Social structure of sperm whales is characterized by female philopatry; forming stable groups through the year and male dispersal. After dispersal, males live in bachelor groups for a few years, becoming more solitary as they age. Mature males s...

Eight blue whales were photo-identified from coastal waters around New Zealand in 2015: seven from the South Island and one from Raoul Island (of the Kermadec Islands). Our collection of New Zealand blue whale photo-identifications now totals 38 individuals (27 left sides, 25 right sides). The 2015 photos were compared to one another and to 31 iden...

Every year great baleen whales appear around Azores archipelago. We have analyzed data registered from whale watching platforms off São Miguel since 2008 to 2014. We recorded 7597 sightings of 21 different species, and of those, 643 were baleen whales. Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) has been the third most sighted baleen whale (95 sightings), a...

Humpback whales use the Azores as a stopover feeding point on their migration

Photo-identification of female and juvenile sperm whales in the North Atlantic reveals long distance matches

Blue whales are infrequently reported from New Zealand and their taxonomic status is unclear. Here we present new information on the residency, external morphology, and habitat use of blue whales encountered in New Zealand waters. Thirty-one blue whales were photo-identified around the North and South Islands of New Zealand from 2004-2014 in seven...

The archipelago of the Azores is like an oasis in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Surrounded by deep waters, those islands are a “must stop” place for every traveler, including, of course, cetaceans. Around the archipelago more than 24 different species of whales and dolphins can be seen. Some of them are resident such as the common dolphin or th...

The Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) is one of the seasonal species sighted every year in the Azores. We aim to analyze its distribution using data collected between 2009 and 2011 off the south coast of São Miguel during whale watching tours. The Atlantic spotted dolphin was the fourth most sighted species in this study, making up 12.4...

Sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) are migratory baleen whales that pass the Azores archipelago each year. Like other baleen whales they are sighted mostly frequently during the spring months, but generally with a much higher sighting rate than the other species. We analysed data collected along the south coas...

Around the archipelago of the Azores it is possible to see more than 24 species of whales and dolphins. These species can be divided into three groups according to the period and frequency of sightings: residents that are sighted throughout the whole year; seasonal species that occur during specific time periods; and occasional species that are sig...

Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is an endangered species sighted every year around the Azores. They pass by the archipelago during their spring migration, while travelling to their feeding grounds in the North Atlantic. We have analysed blue whale sighting data registered between 2006 and 2012 off the south coast of São Miguel (Azores) during co...