Northern Bottlenose Whales

Northern Bottlenose Whale Fast Facts

Scientific name: Hyperoodon ampullatus (roughly translates to "excessively toothed bottle/flask")
IUCN conservation status: Data deficient
Currently listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) in Canada, composed of two distinct sub populations: the Scotian Shelf and Labrador Davis Strait designated units.
One of two species of beaked whale in the genus Hyperoodon (the other is the southern bottlenose whale)
Sexually dimorphic, where mature males have large melons (foreheads) and two teeth that emerge from their bottom jaw.

The Whitehead Lab and Northern Bottlenose Whales

Since 1988, t he Whitehead Lab northern bottlenose whale research program has collected acoustic, visual, genetic and photographic data focused on the endangered Scotian Shelf population residing in the area of the Gully submarine canyon, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the northwest Atlantic. Our long term research program has been acknowledged as contributing information vital to the conservation and management of the Gully MPA and northern bottlenose whales in Canada.

Current Projects

Laura Joan Feyrer (Ph.D. Student): My PhD research is examining the distribution, connectivity and persistence of northern bottlenose whale populations along the slope of the Canadian continental shelf in the northwest Atlantic. In 2016 we discovered a population of bottlenose whales off Newfoundland that has not yet been formally recognized. Given the pressures from anthropogenic threats in the Sackville Spur this is a potential conservation concern for bottlenose whales in Canada. To address this knowledge gap I am using multiple streams of evidence from habitat models, photo-identification studies, stable isotopes, genetics, fatty acids and trace elements to create a picture of population and habitat structure for the species.

Amy McAllister (Undergraduate Honours Student): Northern bottlenose whales rely on acoustics for foraging and echolocation below the surface, and consistent acoustic clicking patterns can be observed during their dives. While at the surface however, acoustic clicks are still present, and have been observed to show patterns that appear to differ from deep-water foraging clicks. The goal of this research is to take a closer look at the surface clicks to see if they are potentially being used as a means of social communication between northern bottlenose whales. I am currently analyzing the acoustic properties and patterns observed in these surface clicks, and comparing them to the deep-water foraging clicks.

Jasmine Yeung (Undergraduate Honours Student): I am looking at sexual dimorphism in northern bottlenose whales and refining the method of sexing these whales by the shape of their melons. Using this method and photos of northern bottlenose whales from 1988-2017, I will examine the melon development of male whales. From this, I will be able to approximate the sex ratios of northern bottlenose whale populations over space and time.