PHOTO-IDENTIFICATION OF GRAY WHALES (ESCHRICHTIUS ROBUSTUS) OFF THE NORTHEAST COAST OF SAKHALIN ISLAND IN 2014

Transcription

1 PHOTO-IDENTIFICATION OF GRAY WHALES (ESCHRICHTIUS ROBUSTUS) OFF THE NORTHEAST COAST OF SAKHALIN ISLAND IN 2014 Photo by Yu. M. Yakovlev Yu. M. Yakovlev, O. Yu. Tyurneva, V. V. Vertyankin and Peter van der Wolf Prepared for Exxon Neftegas Limited and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company VLADIVOSTOK March 2015

2 Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION THE AREAS OF STUDY STUDY OBJECTIVES MATERIAL AND METHODS METHODS FOR FIELD STUDIES LABORATORY PROCEDURES WORK RESULTS FIELD WORK RESULTS IDENTIFICATION OF WHALES AND THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS FREQUENCY OF SIGHTINGS AND MOVEMENT OF IDENTIFIED WHALES BETWEEN KNOWN FEEDING AREAS OFFSHORE SAKHALIN ISLAND OFFSHORE AREA PILTUN AREA COW/CALF PAIRS BODY CONDITION BODY WEIGHT SKIN CONDITION DISCUSSION MOVEMENT OF WHALES BETWEEN SAKHALIN FEEDING AREAS WHALE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SOUTHEAST KAMCHATKA AND SAKHALIN ISLAND WHALE MOVEMENT BETWEEN OTHER AREAS AND SAKHALIN COW/CALF PAIRS BODY CONDITION CONCLUSIONS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES APPENDIX... 36

3 Figures FIGURE 1. THE NUMBER OF GRAY WHALES RECORDED IN THE CATALOGUE AND IDENTIFIED IN OFF THE NE COAST OF SAKHALIN ISLAND FIGURE 2 THE RATIO OF WHALES SIGHTED IN THE PILTUN AND OFFSHORE FEEDING AREAS VS. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF KNOWN WHALES IN FIGURE 3 THE NUMBER OF WHALES SIGHTED IN THE MAIN FEEDING AREAS NE OFF SAKHALIN FROM 2002 THROUGH FIGURE 4. THE RATIO OF GRAY WHALES SIGHTED IN THE OFFSHORE AND PILTUN AREAS OVER ALL YEARS OF RESEARCH ( ) FIGURE 5. PERCENTAGE OF PHOTO IDENTIFIED GRAY WHALES WITHIN EACH BODY CONDITION (BC) CLASS RELATIVE TO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF WHALES RECORDED DURING THE 2014 FIELD SEASON OFFSHORE SAKHALIN ISLAND AND COUNTED OVER 9-DAY PERIODS Tables TABLE 1. THE VOLUME OF PHOTO-ID WORK OFF SAKHALIN ISLAND IN 2014 EXPEDITIONS TABLE 2. SCOPE OF PHOTO ID OPERATIONS (NUMBER OF MISSIONS AND TOTAL DURATION) PERFORMED OFF SAKHALIN ISLAND IN 2014 BY THREE TEAMS TABLE 3 GRAY WHALES 2014 IDENTIFICATION NORTH-EAST OFF SAKHALIN BY THREE RESEARCH TEAMS TABLE 4. FREQUENCY OF REPEAT SIGHTINGS OF IDENTIFIED GRAY WHALES (IDW) PHOTOGRAPHED BY THREE TEAMS OFF SAKHALIN ISLAND IN TABLE 5. FREQUENCY OF REPEAT SIGHTINGS OF IDENTIFIED GRAY WHALES (IDW) OFFSHORE SAKHALIN ISLAND IN TABLE 6. SIGHTING FREQUENCY OF COW/CALF PAIRS AND CALVES ENCOUNTERED WITHOUT COWS OFFSHORE SAKHALIN ISLAND IN 2014, WITH THE ASSIGNED CONFIDENCE INDICES TABLE 7. NUMBER OF WHALES WITH A POOR BODY CONDITION (BC) SIGHTED OFFSHORE SAKHALIN ISLAND IN TABLE 8. BODY CONDITION OF SAKHALIN ISLAND GRAY WHALES IN TABLE 9. INTER-YEAR COMPARISON OF THE BODY CONDITION OF COWS AND CALVES OFFSHORE NORTHEASTERN SAKHALIN,

4 PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION OF GRAY WHALES OFFSHORE NORTHEAST SAKHALIN ISLAND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Since 2002, a monitoring program funded by Sakhalin-1 (ENL) and Sakhalin 2 (SEIC) oil and gas projects has been conducted annually to study a small Western gray whale population (Eschrichtius robustus) which use waters north-east off Sakhalin as their summer feeding grounds. Study area consists mainly of the two traditional summer-fall feeding regions of gray whales - Piltun area (52 40'-53 30'N), extending along the coast of the Piltun Bay where the whales feed mainly at depths less than 20 m, and the Offshore area located about km from the Chayvo Bay (51 50'-52 25'N) at depths of m. The main objectives of the study include updating photo-identification catalog of western gray whales; assessment of the general condition and health of the whales; assessment of the fidelity of each western gray whale to feeding areas on the shelf of NE Sakhalin; study of the change and population structure of the western gray whales; study of the environment (i.e., move the gray whale during the year within each feeding area, as well as between the Piltun feeding area, Offshore area and other areas (e.g., West Kamchatka), and estimation of the numbers, status, habitat, the time of the break-up of the mother-calf pairs. Currently Sakhalin catalog of the Okhotsk-Korean population of gray whales includes 243 fully identified individuals. Fifteen new whales were found in the expedition in 2014, three of them were adults and one of them was recorded in previous years in Olga Bay (Kamchatka Peninsula). In 2014, only 137 whales were registered within the feeding areas off the coast of Sakhalin: 106 individual whales were observed by the IMB FEB RAS team. Onshore teams in Piltun area registered 75 species; 31 whales were sighted only by onshore teams, 7 were identified only by the offshore team. Thus, 82 individual whales were encountered in Piltun area. 74 whales were identified in Offshore area, 19 of them were encountered in Piltun area at the early stage of the expedition. Cow-calf pairs were recorded only in the Piltun feeding area. The number of the calves varies from year to year. Minimum observed number was 3 in 2004, and the maximum number was 17 calves in In 2014, offshore Sakhalin Island, 9 cow-calf pairs and three unassociated calves (a total of 12 calves) were registered. All calves observed in all the years of the study were

5 in good physical condition. According to long-term observations, the break-up of cow-calf pairs usually begins in mid-august and continues until mid-september. Research indicates that the state of the population is stable, and the population grows. 1. INTRODUCTION Since 2002 photo identification has been conducted as part of the joint monitoring program in order to study the population condition and develop relevant measures mitigating potential impact on the Western Gray Whale population. Study of individual animals provides information on population trends and demography, social structure, and life histories. On the longer term it also provides information on population status and health. The photo-id is a major element of the monitoring, which substantiates the necessity in and arrangements for the impact mitigation measures and enables control of such measures efficiency. More detailed objectives of the Joint Monitoring Program photo-id studies are summarized in the section below. This report summarizes the results of gray whales photo-id studies obtained in 2014 off Sakhalin Island. For discussion of 2014 materials, the team used previous years data (Yakovlev et al., 2013) The areas of study The studies off Sakhalin Island encompass the two traditional whale feeding areas Piltun area (52 40 N N), stretching 120 km along the shore of Piltun Bay, where the whales primarily feed at depths of less than 20 m, and the Offshore area, located further offshore from Chayvo Bay (51 50 N N), with depths of m (Maminov and Yakovlev, 2002; Yakovlev et al., 2009). 2. STUDY OBJECTIVES The objectives of the western gray whale photo-id study in northeastern Sakhalin were as follows: 1. Update the photo-id catalog by photo and video-shooting of each individual WGW; 2. Assess body and skin condition of individual WGW; 3. Assess fidelity of individual WGW visiting feeding areas north-east off Sakhalin; 4. Characterize WGW population demographics and structure;

6 5. Characterize habitat use (i.e., intra- and interannual parameters of movements of individual whales within each feeding area and between the Piltun feeding area, Offshore feeding area, and other areas (e.g., coastal waters east off Kamchatka); 6. Assess the number, status, health, habitat use, and the observed annual dates of separation of cow/calf pairs. This chapter provides a brief overview of the learning s originating from the photo-id efforts. The data and results cited in this chapter were taken from photo-identification reports under the auspices of the Joint Monitoring Program submitted annually to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, the Federal Natural Resources Use Inspection Service, and the Federal Fisheries Agency (Yakovlev and Tyurneva, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008; Yakovlev et al, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013). One can examine more detailed data in these reports and the documents and presentations listed in Appendix A (see Appendix A). 3. MATERIAL AND METHODS 3.1. Methods for Field Studies The material for the photo-identification of the gray whales E. robustus was collected in two areas off Sakhalin Island from June 31 through October 8, 2014 (Figure 1). The 2014 materials were collected by three photo-id teams. One team was based on vessels chartered by the SEIC and other two teams were based at permanent camps located at Piltun Bay mouth. The first onshore team used inflatable boats and the second moved along the shore on vehicles taking shots of the whales it encountered. The details of the field studies methods applied by the offshore photo-id team are described in the annual report (Yakovlev et al., 2013). The acquisition of this material was based on the coordinated efforts of shore-based and marine observers conducting planned surveys of gray whale distribution. Upon spotting groups of whales, the vessel observers reported the location, number, and behavior of the animals to the photo-identification team. If the weather and schedule permitted, a zodiac with researchers was launched and dispatched to the aforementioned areas. In the process of WGW photo and video survey the team recorded the coordinates of the mammals encounters, the time of the survey, the location of the boat (whale) according to the satellite navigation instrument (GPS), the gray whales behavior, depths, and several other characteristics of the environment (rough seas, the presence of other mammal species and all vessels in the area, the presence of mud plumes left by feeding whales, and so

7 forth). The Ikaluk base vessel located north-east off Sakhalin was used in Piltun feeding area within the period from July 4, 2014 through September 28, 2014 for WGW photo-survey from the vessel s boat. Due to the base vessels navigation limitations, all photo-id activities in the nearshore Piltun area were only conducted in its central part within the following coordinates: N on south, N on north, E on west and E on east (Figure А2). The Pacific Endeavour base ice-breaker located north-east off Sakhalin was used in Offshore feeding area within the periods from September 13 through September 16 and from September 28 through October 4, 2014 for WGW photo-survey from the vessel s boat. The studies encompassed the area within the following coordinates: N on south, N on north, E on west and E on east* (Figure А3). The methods of the onshore team which worked from boats were developed during photo-id in Olga Bay south-east off Kamchatka Peninsula and are described in detail in annual reports (Yakovlev et al., 2011, 2012). In 2014 season for work near Sakhalin Island the team used two 5.3 m long Zodiak inflatable boats with hard deck equipped with Yamaha-50 outboard 4-stroke motor with steering control. One boat was used for WGW photo-survey itself and the other always kept 800-1,000 m distance to the first one as a safeguard. The team followed all safety precautions described in the Protocols developed by the Company specialists. The boats cold move maximum up to 5 km from the shore and up to 20 km to the south and north from the Piltun Bay connecting channel. The places of the whales concentration were determined based on data received previously from the counting teams or on visual observations from the vehicle that transported the photo-id team to the boats base. The onshore team studied the waters of Piltun area within the following coordinates: N on south, N on north, E on west and E on east. 1 During simultaneous operation of several boats, in order to avoid work in areas near other teams, the onshore team stopped work and returned to the boat base. All photo-id teams supervisors kept regular contact with each other to coordinate actions of all three teams and avoid repeated data. For photo-survey the teams used the procedure applied by the offshore team (Yakovleb et al., 2012). 1 The boat position coordinates recorded at the outmost points of the area covered by the studies.

8 The whales photographs were taken by Canon 7D camera equipped with Canon EF мм F 1:4-5,6 L IS USM telephoto zoom lens (with image stabilization). The photographs were recorded at a high resolution setting in large DSC format. All digital photos of whales were transferred from CF SanDisk 4Gb 30 Mb/s memory cards to a computer and then backed up on external disks (minimum 3 digital data storage media). The information recorded on data sheets was entered into Microsoft Access and archived in Microsoft Excel. All data were recorded on waterproof data sheets and entered into a laptop computer at the end of each photo-id mission. During implementation of the 2014 joint western gray whale monitoring program, onshore vehicle-based photo-id was conducted from August 1 through September 25, Before, in 2011 and 2013 the researchers conducted pilot survey to check feasibility and efficiency of such approach. As a result, a full-scale program was developed for 2014 onshore vehicle-based photo- ID. Onshore vehicle-based photo-id was performed in the south of Piltun Spit and encompassed the Piltun area within the following coordinates: from N on south to N on north and from E on west to E on east (Figure А3). 2 Onshore vehicle-based photo-id team accommodated in a temporary WGW observation camp located on the south of Piltun Bay from which the team worked almost every day. The team included a driver, a photographer and a data recorder and used Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 Jeep. The team also had a VHF radio, Iridium satellite phone and GSM mobile phone for communication with the camp, the onshore teams that studied the whales distribution and the team which worked from a boat near the shore. The onshore vehicle-based photo-id missions were conducted in good weather with the mandatory condition of over 500 meters visibility and maximum force 5 wind (Beaufort scale). Each mission started with recording of time, sea state, wind force and direction, water and air temperature, atmospheric pressure and water level (high and low tide) and was tracked by GPS from its beginning till the end. During a mission the vehicle moved as close as possible to water along the coastal line with average speed of 25 km/hour and made stops at the shore at random intervals. The team surveyed the water surface to identify presence of whales, using Fujinon 7x50 and Leica 8x32 binoculars. If the team noticed a whale or a group of whales, they recorded the GPS coordinates of the location where whales were spotted and assessed the distance to them. 2 Estimated coordinate of whales location within the observation range.

9 If whale/whales was/were noticed near the shore (for example, at a distance less than 1,000 meters), the team deployed tele- and photo equipment for photo-identification. The team used Gitzho Studex tripod with Manfrotto 135 Fluid Head. Nikon DSLR D7000 camera was outfitted with Sigma 5.6 APO EX DG AF mm smooth trans focus lens attached to Nikon DSLR D7000 body. In some cases Sigma 2X teleconverter was attached to extend zoom capacity. The team used Nikon DSLR D610 camera with Nikkor mm lens and Nikon DSLR D90 as a second camera and back-up body. Each camera had two back-up batteries. The camera made high resolution (4928 х 3264) photographs that were saved in.jpeg format on Toshiba 32 GB HC1 30 Mb/s class 10 memory card and SanDisk Extreme 32 GB HC1 80 Mb/s class 10 back-up flash drive. Sometimes the team made high-resolution video by Nikon DSLR D7000 camera but only after taking a full series of photos of spotted individuals, groups of whales or cow/calf pairs. When the team noticed a whale not far from the shore, the driver stopped the vehicle at 500 meters distance and shut the engine off. The team approached the whale/whales on foot or waited until an individual or group of mammals came closer. After each mission the team saved all photographs and video on two laptops and two external hard drives. During each mission the team recorded all data on weather conditions, sea state, glare, swells, wind speed, water temperature, DSC photos numbers, time, GPS coordinates, left or right side of the whale, flukes, number of whales in a group, distance to the shore, water depth and typical behavior of whales in a special form. All parameters were also recorded in an e-form for back-up. Moreover, these data were saved on two laptops and two external hard drives. Then the team prepared a field catalogue with photographs of individual whales made during each mission within a day. The catalogue was used to assess the total number of individual whales photographed in coastal waters and perform their preliminary identification Laboratory Procedures In lab processing of the photos, each photo obtained during a season is studied for the purpose of identifying it with a specific individual. In this case, standard photo ID methods were used which are described in Special Issue No. 12 of the International Whaling Commission (Hammond et al., 1990). After all the pictures have been identified and supplied with a detailed description of the animal and whales catalogue number, the best photos for each whale that, if possible, best

10 WESTERN GRAY WHALE ADVISORY PANEL describe the whales are selected. Whales encountered for the first time are assigned new catalogue numbers. Afterwards all the data are input into a data base, which makes it possible to extract any information on a specific animal, for any observation period, and groups of animals in each of the studied areas. A catalogue of identified individuals is prepared for each study year and is used as the basis for compiling a master catalogue that is updated yearly. The whale identification procedure is described in detail in Yakovlev et al. (2013a). 4. Work results 4.1. Field work results The offshore team started gray whale photo and video operations on June 31 and continued them through October 8, Onshore WGW photo-id off Sakhalin Island was performed in the area adjacent to Piltun Bay. The activities timeline: August 1 - September 30, The team efforts are summarized in Table 1 and Table А1 in the Appendix. Table 1. The volume of photo-id work off Sakhalin Island in 2014 expeditions. Area Piltun Offshore Total work days Offshore team Onshore team No.1 Onshore team No.2 number of number of number of number of number of number of whales work days missions whales work days missions whales missions The duration of the mission, the number of whale sightings during a mission3, the number of observed whales in a group, the duration of each sighting, etc. were recorded in the respective field (Table 2 and Table A1 in the Appendix). Table 2. Scope of Photo ID Operations (Number of Missions and Total Duration) performed off Sakhalin Island in 2014 by three teams Study area Number of missions Total Gross time Piltun hrs 56 min Offshore hrs 52 min Total hrs 48 min For further analysis the teams applied a different method of the registered whales assessment. If one whale was registered by two teams at a time, that was considered as one sighting. 3

11 WESTERN GRAY WHALE ADVISORY PANEL Detailed descriptions of the study areas are given in past year reports. In total, the two teams which worked from boats photographed in Piltun area 440 whales, considering repeated sightings (field data). The vehicle-based team photographed 556 species considering repeated sightings (field data) (Figures А1, А2 in Appendix). Within 5 days of work in Offshore area, the offshore team registered 183 whales (field data). A total of 41,796 photographs were taken in the In total, the three teams recorded 1,179 whales, including repeated sightings of the same whale during different missions4. * Data on the areas and scope of work, as well as other survey parameters, are given in Table А1 in the Appendix. Depth measurements were taken during boat surveys at the places of whale encounters in the Offshore and Piltun Areas (Table A1) Identification of whales and the number of individuals The photographs taken during the 2014 expedition were processed and compared with the photographs of past years. Of particular interest is not only the information gathered relating to new whales, but also data pertaining to whales that have been identified in previous years, since combining these data amasses more extensive and detailed information about individual animals. Data regarding the number of whales identified offshore northeast Sakhalin Island over are presented in Figure 1 and Table А2 in the Appendix. 250 New IDW (including calves) 200 IDW from previous years, not sighted this year IDW observed in previous years new whales identified in 2014 were not counted as sighted only once. Total number of IDW in Catalogue

12 WESTERN GRAY WHALE ADVISORY PANEL Figure 1. The number of gray whales recorded in the catalogue and identified in off the NE coast of Sakhalin Island Compiling the annual and main gray whale catalogues is one of the tasks of the photo-id operations. The quality of the gray whale identifications in subsequent encounters is contingent upon the thoroughness of the aspects documented in the catalogues. Not every whale in the catalogue contains images of all four aspects (i.e. the right side, the left side, the dorsal fluke and the ventral fluke). The likelihood of obtaining complete coverage of all four aspects of each whale increases each year as more photographs are added to the catalogue. Along with the main catalogues, a record is also kept of the whales whose photographs are not definitive enough to assign a permanent number. This is done so that they can be entered into the catalogues later, after complete data is obtained on these whales, without losing the information on the histories of encounters with them. After the number of a temporary whale is determined, it is added to the catalogue for the year in which it was first encountered. Information on transient whales is given in Table A3 in the Appendix. At present the master catalogue of the gray whales recorded off Sakhalin Island contains photos of 243 whales, including the deceased whale KOGW126 (Table А2 in the Appendix) Frequency of Sightings and Movement of Identified Whales Between Known Feeding Areas Offshore Sakhalin Island Mainly, the same species come to Sakhalin every year for feeding. Some of these whales are recorded for several times during a season and in different years, while others were recorded only once within a long time or are new for the catalogue. When we analyzed data on return of known species, we assumed that due to the fact that researchers cannot register all whales that come here for feeding we should consider as regularly sighted only those species which are registered minimum in three-year intervals. As a result, we distinguished a group of 150 whales that regularly come for feeding to north-east offshore of Sakhalin Island. 21 whales were recorded in this area in over three years intervals, therefore this group was classified as rarely sighted whales. 57 species were recorded only once within the period from 2002 through 2013 (33 of them were recorded as calves)5(table A6). 5 The number of whale sightings does not include temporary whales.

13 WESTERN GRAY WHALE ADVISORY PANEL In 2014 three teams participated in gathering WGW photo materials north-east off Sakhalin Island (Table 3). Table 3 Gray whales 2014 identification north-east off Sakhalin by three research teams Area Piltun Offshore Total Offshore team Onshore team Vehicle-based team identified whales, identified whales, identified whales, Total ID Total ID considering repeated considering repeated considering repeated whales whales sightings sightings sightings A total of 137 individual whales, detected during 682 sightings (including repeat encounters), were identified during the 2014 season by the three teams off Sakhalin Island (Table 4). The mammals were recorded both in Piltun area along the coast at 5-17 m depths (see the area coordinates above) and in Offshore area at m depths (see the area coordinates above) (Figure А2 in Appendix). During whales search in Offshore area, the offshore team noticed that compared to previous years in 2014 the group of whales coming here for feeding drifted to the south-east beyond the mapped area (Figure А2). Table 4. Frequency of Repeat Sightings of Identified Gray Whales (IDW) photographed by three teams off Sakhalin Island in Number of an individual whale sightings (А) Number of whales with this number of sightings (B) Total number of whale sightings (AxB)

14 WESTERN GRAY WHALE ADVISORY PANEL Total The average number of sightings per whale (sighting frequency) for the 2014 season was Table 5. Frequency of Repeat Sightings of Identified Gray Whales (IDW) Offshore Sakhalin Island in Year Number of whale sightings Number of IDW per year Average number of IDW encounters for the season Whale movement patterns between the coastal (Piltun, including Chayvo) and Offshore feeding areas have been studied based on repeat sightings of identified animals in both areas over the entire survey period of (Figure 2, Figure A-2, Tables A5, A6 in the Appendix) Offshore area In 2014, 120 whales (considering repeated sightings) were photographed in Offshore area (Figure 4, Table A5 in Appendix). A total of 74 individual whales were encountered there, and 55 of them were only sighted in the Offshore Area (i.e. were not observed in the Piltun Area in 2014) (Figures 3 and 4). During all years of studies the research teams have never observed any young whales, calves or cow/calf pairs in the Offshore feeding area. 6 See the note above (in Field work results section)

15 Piltun Area In the Piltun Area in 2014, 562 photographed whale sightings (including repeat sightings) were counted. The total number of individual whales sighted was 82, and 63 of these whales were sighted only in this area (Figure 3, Figure 4, Table A5). 137 whales were sighted in 2014 in both the Offshore and Piltun Areas (Figure 3, Figure 4, Table A5). Ratio of whales identified in 2014 vs. the total number of whales in Piltun area Ratio of whales identified in 2014 vs. the total number of whales in Offshore area whales older than 4 years 12% not sighted in the area other 66% whales 22% recorded whales 30% not sighted in the area 70% Figure 2 The ratio of whales sighted in the Piltun and Offshore feeding areas vs. the total number of known whales in Number of whales Years Piltun Offshore Chayvo Piltun and Offshore Figure 3 The number of whales sighted in the main feeding areas NE off Sakhalin from 2002 through 2014.

16 During the 13-year study period ( ), of the total number of whales currently included in the IMB catalogue, 119 were recorded that have used the Piltun and Offshore feeding areas in one or more years. (Figure 5, Table А6). not sighted in the area 3% Ratio of whales identified in Piltun area calves 36% other whales 61% Соотношение Ratio of whales идентифицированных identified in Offshore area китов М орском рай оне incl. из них уникальных не встречено unique not sighted in ones 2% 2% в the районе area 49% 49% Piltun area зарегистрировано китов 49% Offshore area not sighted in the area 6 not sighted in the area 118 recorded whales 149 including unique ones 5 including calves 88 recorded whales Figure 4. The ratio of gray whales sighted in the Offshore and Piltun Areas over all years of research ( ) From 2002 to 2014, 237 whales were sighted in the Piltun Area, 118 of them were never sighted in Offshore Area. This figure includes calves and young whales. Only 5 whales were sighted exclusively in the Offshore Area. One whale was photographed north of Cape Elizabeth in 2005 and has not been seen since. In all the years of the study, 12 whales have been encountered near Okha, and all of them have also been seen in other areas. For this reason we believe that the whale movements between the shallow and deepwater feeding areas are a common occurrence and depend on the presence of available food o, as well as on the physical abilities of the whales. Calves and young whales apparently cannot feed at great depths and have always been observed in the nearshore zone at depths of 5 to 15 meters Cow/Calf Pairs Nine cow/calf pairs and three calves without cows were sighted in 2014 (Table 6). The first cow/calf pair was sighted in July 26, while the last was sighted on September 30. Calves without cows were encountered on several occasions (Table 6), both in the company of other calves mothers and in calf groups, which is why they could be more confidently identified as calves. As

17 stated in Yakovlev et al (2013a), all mothers and calves were assigned confidence indices. Table 6 summarizes the results of this classification. Seven of the nine identified cows came here with claves in previous years. Two cows came with calves for the first time (Table А7). Table 6. Sighting Frequency of Cow/Calf Pairs and Calves Encountered without Cows Offshore Sakhalin Island in 2014, with the Assigned confidence indices 7. Number of calf in main catalogue KOGW### Number of survey days Reliability grade The mother s number in the master catalogue KOGW### Number of survey days (mother with calf) А I А I A I B A I A I A I B A I A I B III A I Reliability grade From past data we know that cow/calf pairs start to break up in approximately mid-august and continue to break up until mid-september survey confirms these data, most cow/calf pairs separated in the second 10-day period of September. According to Table A7, for cows the interval between births varies from year to year, ranging from two to three or more years. From 2002 through 2014, 26 females recorded in the Sakhalin Catalogue of the Institute of Marine Biology sighted with calves in feeding areas off the coasts of Sakhalin and Kamchatka were sighted (Yakovlev et. al. 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Tyurneva et. al 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). 18 of these females were sighted with calves 2 or more times. Because we have regularly observed calves without mothers, someall females who had calves in the current year were not observed. 7 The grading system is described in Section in Volume I of the 2013 report (Yakovlev et al, 2013). 8 The cow was sighted once and the degree of reliability of her classification as mother is low.

18 WESTERN GRAY WHALE ADVISORY PANEL 4.5. Body Condition Body Weight In 2014 we sighted 20 whales in poor body condition (underweight), including 9 nursing cows we could identify (Table 7). This amounts to 14.6 % of the total number of animals sighted in 2014 (Table 8). All of the calves sighted in 2014 were well nourished, as in earlier years. Table 7. Number of Whales with a Poor Body Condition (BC) Sighted Offshore Sakhalin Island in Year Total Identified Whales Total Whales with Low BC Class Percentage of Total Recorded Whales with Low BC Class Number of Nursing Cows Recorded in Given Year % % % % % % % % % ,7 % % % 9 Table 8. Body Condition of Sakhalin Island Gray Whales in 2014 BC Class Number of Whales in Each BC Class in 2014 Percentage of Whales in Each BC Class Recorded in Note: Classes II, III, and IV, i.e., whales with a poor body condition, are highlighted in green. If a whale was in good physical condition in the first encounter but its condition had improved in subsequent sightings, we used the condition data observed during the most recent sighting. The whales identified in Offshore feeding area from September 13 through October 3 had very good body condition. Only three of the identified whales had BC Class 2. Two of them were mother-cows of 2014 year, which had BC Class 4 during their earlier sightings.

19 Over the entire 2014 field season, improvements in physical condition were observed in 31 whales, including two cows recorded as feeding mothers (Figure 6). 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% Body condition class % 10% 0% 26 июл - 06 авг 07 авг - 17 авг 18 авг - 30 авг 31 авг - 14 сент 15 сент - 03 окт Figure 5. Percentage of Photo-identified Gray Whales within Each Body Condition (BC) Class Relative to the Total Number of Whales Recorded during the 2014 Field Season Offshore Sakhalin Island and counted over 9-day Periods. In 2014, we were able to track the body condition of animals that were identified in 2013 as cows with calves (Table 9). Table 9. Inter-year Comparison of the Body Condition of Cows and Calves Offshore Northeastern Sakhalin, Number of cows with calves in 2013 Number cows/calves in deficient physical condition in 2013 Number of sighted cows/calves in 2014 from Changes in BC observed in 2014 vs Improvement in BC Worsening BC Cows Calves Skin Condition One of the WGW health parameters is their skin condition. In a number of years we observe all cases of deviations.

20 In 2014 eight whales, including one calf, were observed to have skin sloughing. These whales were identified in the period from August 6 through August 10. Later these mammals were sighted without any signs of skin sloughing. 5. DISCUSSION 5.1. MOVEMENT OF WHALES BETWEEN SAKHALIN FEEDING AREAS Photo-ID methods of whale populations are often used to determine habitat utilization by individuals. Tracking the movements of gray whales during their feeding period can broaden the understanding of their feeding ecology. The analyses of Photo-ID data collected offshore Sakhalin indicate that interand intra-year movements of gray whales occur both within the Piltun and Offshore areas and between these areas. From 2002 to 2014 a total of 237 whales were recorded in the Piltun area, 118 of them were not recorded in the Offshore area. 124 whales were recorded in the Offshore area within all years of studies, five of which were sighted only in Offshore area, 119 whales were identified in both the Offshore and Piltun areas. One whale was photographed near Cape Elizabeth in 2005 and has not been seen since. Whale movements have also been discovered to more northern and more southern regions offshore Sakhalin, as well as to areas offshore Kamchatka (Yakovlev and Tyurneva, 2008; Tyurneva et al., 2010; Tyurneva et al., 2010, 2011; Yakovlev et al., 2012). Continuous long-term monitoring [of whales and their movements] is needed to identify these geographical movements (Meier et al., 2007; Vladimirov, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008а,b). As shown above, information about the whales movement between areas over the course of a single season can only be provided by repeat sightings with individually recognized whales in that season. There were also sightings of lone gray whales in the same area during the season. Similarly, lone gray whale sightings in one area during a season with re-sightings of the same animal in another area in subsequent years provide information about inter-year movements. The frequency of sightings over the entire survey period is an important factor in studying whale movement among different areas. In 2014 three teams collected a significant volume of materials and the average value of individual whales sightings (4.98) was higher than in previous years. This enabled us to assess in more detail the way adults and cow/calf pairs use the feeding grounds. The benefit of a long-term monitoring program is that with increasing duration of the study, the same individuals continue to be photographed over time, resulting in more sighting

21 data allowing more robust analyses of patterns regarding whale movement and feeding area utilization Whale Movement between Southeast Kamchatka and Sakhalin Island Of all whales identified in the surveyed areas offshore SE Kamchatka in 2004 and 2006 to 2012, about 54.8 % (85 out of 156) were also photographed offshore Sakhalin. It is likely that these whales are part of one feeding congregation. The question as to the congregation affiliation of the other 45.2 % (71 animals) sighted only offshore Kamchatka remains uncertain Whale Movement between Other Areas and Sakhalin In 2006 in the Kekurny Bay and Babushkin Bay in the north part of the Sea of Okhotsk, three gray whales were identified and were assigned catalogue ID numbers starting with NOGW (Vladimirov et al., 2007). In 2007 one of these, whale NOGW003 was sighted in the Piltun area (five sightings) and was given catalogue ID number KOGW160 (Tables А5, А6, A8 in the Appendix). In 2011 whale NOGW001/KamGW024, which was recorded for the first time in Kekurny Bay (Sea of Okhotsk) and in subsequent years was encountered in Olga Bay (Kamchatka), was identified on the Sakhalin shelf and was given catalogue ID number KOGW190. In 2008 in the Zakatny Bay offshore Shiashkotan Island, located near the center of the Kuril Islands chain, a joint survey between the Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry (PIBC FEB RAS) and IMB FEB RAS produced photographs of one whale that had been recorded in 2007 in Olga Bay off Kamchatka. Subsequently it was encountered in Olga Bay during the same season in A gray whale that was recorded earlier in Olga Bay and off the coast of Sakhalin Island in 2007 was identified next to Medny Island (Komandor Islands). Before 2012, whales were recorded as visiting both the Sakhalin and Kamchatka areas during the same season and/or during previous seasons (Yakovlev et al., 2011). Over all the survey years, 85 gray whales have been identified (38.8 % of all known Sakhalin whales and 54.8 % of all known Kamchatka whales) that have visited both the Sakhalin and Kamchatka offshore areas, both in different years and in the same season. This proves that gray whales relocate between NE Sakhalin and Kamchatka both within one feeding season and between seasons. Satellite tagging of whales performed by a team of Russian and foreign scientists in the Piltun area, showed that some whales moved toward the western shores of North America (Rozhnov et al., 2011). A comparison of the gray whale catalogues of Sakhalin Island and the catalogues of the west coast of the United States and Mexico showed that up to 17 western gray

22 whales photographed on Sakhalin were also seen in the offshore areas historically occupied by eastern gray whales along Mexican coast (Urban et al., 2012, 2013). The reasons that induce some animals from the small western stock of gray whales to cross the Sea of Okhotsk and move into areas in the immediate vicinity of the northwestern feeding borders of the eastern (California-Chukotka) gray whale population are still unclear. Seasonal changes in the whale distribution have been described in numerous studies and are considered a reaction to seasonal variations in habitat and movement of whale prey (Payne et al., 1986, Calambokidis et al. 1989, Calambokidis et al. 1990, Calambokidis and Quan 1997, Weinrich et al.1997, Wilson et al. 1997, Forney and Barlow 1998, Karczmarski et al.1999). For example, eastern gray whales feeding along the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada, rotate feeding grounds and prey types both within and between the summer feeding seasons as a function of the distribution and abundance of their prey (Bass, 2000; Dunham and Duffus, 2001, 2002; Meier, 2003; Nelson et al., 2008). The distribution of eastern gray whales along the west coast of North America is variable both within and between years with whales using areas from northern California to the Beaufort Sea from spring to autumn, involving significant interchange of animals between areas within and between years (Calambokidis et al. 2002). In recent years, gray whales have begun to be sighted more frequently in the Beaufort Sea, where encounters were rare as far back as 20 years ago (Stafford et al., 2007). Northeastern Sakhalin and Kamchatka are two parts of the historical feeding range of the western gray whale population. According to historical records, the range of the western gray whale population in the Sea of Okhotsk included Sakhalin Bay (to the west of the northwest tip of the island), the Akademiya and Tugursk Bays south of the Shantar Islands (at the far west end of the Sea of Okhotsk, west of the Sakhalin Island northwest coast), offshore Northeast Sakhalin, the Shelikhov Bay, Gizhiga Gulf and Penzhina Gulf in the southeast corner of the sea, as well as waters offshore western Kamchatka (Sleptsov, 1955; Krupnik, 1984; Yablokov and Bogoslovskaya, 1984; Reeves et al., 2008). The affiliation of whales sighted along Kamchatka shores with one or the other population was never discussed to any significant extent since it was always. Until these data were obtained, it was believed that the vastness of the Pacific separating the coast of Mexico Seas from the Seas of Okhotsk and Japan was sufficient to consider these whale populations as separate (Vladimirov, 1994). The new data indicate that this common perception may need to be revised, although the degree to which the two populations may mix remains to be investigated.

23 5.4. Cow/Calf Pairs Our observations indicate that calves are weaned in the period from July to September. According to the data obtained by Bogoslovskaya (1966) for gray whales in the offshore waters of the Chukotka Peninsula, demographic grouping starts in July and August, when calves leave their mothers and gather in groups in the shallowest waters that are rich in prey. Shore vehicle counts conducted in 2005 (Vladimirov et al. 2006) indicated that separation of cow/and calf pairs had been completed by early September, with the last cow/calf pair observed from the shore on 11 September. In 2009, data provided by the vessel-based and shore-based photo identification teams indicate that the last pair recorded on the shelf of Sakhalin Island was encountered on 19 September. In 2014 one cow/calf pair was sighted until September 30. Before 2008, the shallow-water Piltun area on the shelf of Sakhalin Island was considered to be the only feeding ground for the cow/calf pairs. But in 2008 the first cow/calf pair was found in Olga Bay on the eastern shelf of the Kamchatka Peninsula. This mother was recorded with calves on the shelf of Sakhalin Island in previous years (Tyurneva et al., 2010). Research conducted off the Kamchatka Peninsula in earlier in the season compared to previous years demonstrated that mothers with calves also used Olga Bay for feeding (Yakovlev et al., 2011;). These identified females included both individuals seen on Sakhalin and not seen there. Some calves and cow/calf pairs swam from Olga Bay to the Piltun Area off the coast of Sakhalin in one season (Yakovlev et al, 2012; Tyurneva et al, 2012) Body Condition The presence of undernurished gray whales remains unexplained. Duringduring wintering gray whales fast and then on migration they cover great distances and probably exhaust their reserves of energy by the end of the spring migration, which might be a factor in the presence of skinny whales, especially at the beginning of the season. Studies of the food supply of the gray whales that feed off the coast of Sakhalin revealed that the Piltun Area and in particular the Offshore Feeding Area are rich sources of forage (Fadeyev, ). Benthic data acquired as part of this program also indicate that year-toyear variations in food biomass exist; however, this topic requires further study. It is also possible that some other factor(s), such as diseases or anthropogenic impacts, during winter migration and/or the summer feeding period may have affected both gray whale populations. Some whales that showed signs of emaciation in previous years failed to exhibit such signs in subsequent years. This seasonal ability of skinny whales to regain their physical condition was

24 also previously observed (Yakovlev and Tyurneva 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006; Yakovlev et al. 2007; Weller et al. 2004). The energetics of gray whale foraging when combined a fasting and feasting life-cycle of migrating, feeding, and breeding, are a dynamic process. At this point, recovery and deterioration of the body condition of both nursing and non-nursing whales still elude full explanation based on available data. In addition to the poorly understood phenomenon of thin individuals, skin sloughing was observed among some of the whales in Observations of these whales in based on photographs indicate that skin sloughing observed in 2003 and 2014 does not seem to have any noticeable long-term effect on the external body condition of the whales skin. So far, the phenomenon of skin sloughing remains unexplained, but it may be a result of several factors such as suppressed immunity, diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi (Gaydos et al. 2004), internal or external parasites (Dailey et al. 2000), pollution, or excessive exposure to fresh water. The documented examples of skin sloughing showed that the s Our data show that skin recovers quickly after sloughing, and no subsequent pathological consequences were observed on the surface of the whales skin (Tyurneva and Yakovlev 2005c; Tombach Wright et al. 2007). Appearance of white patches, observed on some gray whales since 2005, has yet to be explained. Continued photo-id monitoring of these individuals has not resulted in any obvious conclusions about the effect of white skin patches on gray whales. To date no obvious health effects have been documented, but as this phenomenon is poorly understood, it is essential to continue observation of all known individuals afflicted with white patches.

25 6. CONCLUSIONS Based on the results of photo-identification work carried out in , respectively, the following conclusions can be made. Two main feeding areas have been discovered north-east off Sakhalin: a shallow area adjacent to Piltun and Chayvo Bays and a deeper Offshore area. Every year mainly the same individual whales returned to feed to the coast of Sakhalin. Some of these whales are recorded several times during one season and in different years, whereas others are not seen again for a long time or are new to the catalog (i.e. are sighted for the first time). A group of 150 whales was classified as regularly sighted. 21 whales were recorded in this area in over three-year intervals, therefore this group was classified as rarely sighted. 57 species were recorded only once within the period from 2002 through 2013 (33 of them were recorded as calves). The number of registered whales depends on the volume of study effort, and the number of whales present in the study area, which varies from year to year. Currently Sakhalin catalog of gray whales includes 243 fully identified individuals. 15 new whales were found in the expedition in 2014, one was sighted before in Olga Bay (Kamchatka Peninsula). In 2014, only 137 whales were registered within the feeding areas off Sakhalin. This number is higher than in 2013 but the three teams efforts were also higher than in the previous year. In 2014, 74 individuals were identified in the Offshore area, 55 of them were met only there. In the Piltun feeding area the three teams recorded 82 whales, of which 63 have been recorded only in the Piltun area. 19 species used both areas for feeding. In , 118 gray whales were recorded only in the Piltun area, this amount includes the calves and young whales. Only 5 whales were not recorded anywhere except the Offshore area. One whale was photographed north of Cape Elizabeth in 2005 and since then was never observed. In the area of Okha in all the years of research 12 individuals were registered, all of them have also been observed in other areas. Using all available foraging areas offshore Sakhalin is the usual behavior of gray whales, both within one season, and in different seasons, aimed at optimizing the utilization of the everchanging distribution of food resources. Over the 13-year study ( ), out of the total 243 whales currently included in the IBM catalog, we registered 119 whales that used Piltun and

26 Offshore feeding areas in one season and/or in different years. We established that most whales improve physical condition during the feeding season. In 2014, 20 whales (including 9 lactating females) were identified with inadequate physical body condition (FTC), which accounted for 14.6% of the total number of the whales, i.e., of the 137 whales recorded by the vessel based observers. Cow / calf pairs were recorded on the Sakhalin shelf only in the Piltun area, but never in the Offshore area. Since 2008 we established that Piltun area offshore Sakhalin is not the only place for feeding cow / calf pairs, and at least one other area is located in Olga Bay (Kamchatka). The number of calves varies from year to year. The minimum observed number was three calves in 2004, and the maximum number was 17 calves in In 2014, offshore Sakhalin 9 cow / calf pairs and three unassociated calves were registered (a total of 12 calves). Two cows, identified as mothers with calves, were registered for the first time with a calf. Calves unaccompanied by mothers were seen close to the identified pairs and in groups of calves and young ("kindergartens"). According to long-term observations, the breakup of cow / calf pairs usually begins in mid- August and continues until mid-september. All lactating females have poor physical condition of the body, usually strongly expressed (class 3-4). All calves observed in all the years of studies were well nourished (class 0). In some years gray whales with sloughing skin were registered. Long-term observations have shown that this phenomenon is transient and disappears within a few days. The reasons for this abnormal condition of the skin are unclear. Apart from the two feeding areas north-east off Sakhalin, gray whales were also recorded: near Cape Elizabeth; north of Okha; off the east coast of Kamchatka (Halatyrsky beach, Vestnik Bay and Olga Bay, and near Karaginsky Island); the Commander Islands (Zakatnaya Bight, Medny Island); Kuril Islands (Shiashkotan). Kamchatka gray whale catalog contains photos of whales encountered in the three areas (Khalaktyrsky beach, Vestnik Bay and Olga Bay) in 2004, and To date, this catalog contains 156 identified individuals, of which 85 individuals were also photographed on the shelf of Sakhalin in different areas and in different years of research, and perhaps most of them belong to one feeding congregation of gray whales. The affiliation of the other 71 individuals found at Kamchatka, which do not belong to the Sakhalin catalog, remains unclear. In the same season gray whales can use feeding grounds along the coast of Kamchatka and

27 in Sakhalin offshore. In Kamchatka, the percentage of gray whales recorded with poor physical condition of the body is higher than on Sakhalin. This can partly be explained by the early time of photo-id study in Kamchatka, because the whales had just arrived at the feeding area after a winter of starvation and did not have time to restore the body's fat stores. One whale was photographed in Vestnik Bay in Kamchatka in It was previously sighted in Olga Bay and is registered as KamGW156 in Kamchatka catalog. Based on determined reproductive success, the number of animals observed, their ability to recover after a period of malnutrition, we can conclude that the population is in good condition, and growing.

28 7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are especially thankful to Exxon Neftegas Limited and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company for support and funding of this study. The Photo ID studies were made possible thanks to the participation of the scientific staff and crewmembers of the base vessels of the photo-id team. We would especially like to thank MMO for provision of data on WGW distribution and movements and this information transfer to Zodiak during the photo-id activities, as well as Ye.P. Shvetsov, K.А. Drozdov, A.Yu. Yakovlev, and O.A. Miroshnikova for data processing assistance. We would like to thank Lisanne Aerts (LAMA Ecological), and Christina Tombach Wright (LGL Limited) for project preparation; Sergey Yazvenko and Yury Bychkov (LGL Limited) for technical support; I. Zhmayev (LGL Eco) for the activities coordination; Mike Swindoll (ENL) for providing valuable comments and editing revisions; and other specialists of Exxon Neftegas Limited and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, who have been part of this work from 2002 up to 2014, for their support.

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31 Tombach Wright. Ch., Tyurneva, O.Yu. and Yakovlev, Yu.M Anomalous skin conditions observed on western gray whales Eschrichtius robustus in northeastern Sakhalin, Russia, Abstract of 17 th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Cape Town, South Africa. November 29 December 3, Tyurneva O. Yu., Yakovlev Yu. M, Tombach Wright C. and Meier S.K The North Pacific Western Gray Whales of Sakhalin Island. Trafford Press, Canada. 195 p. Tyurneva O. Yu., Yakovlev Yu. M., Vertyankin V. V. and Selin N. I The Peculiarities of Foraging Migrations of the Korean Okhotsk Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) Population in Russian Waters of the Far Eastern Seas. Marine Biology. Volume 36, 2. С Tyurneva O. Yu., Yakovlev Yu. M., Vertyankin V.V Photographic identification study of the gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) offshore northeast Sakhalin Island and southeast Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia: Report SC/64/BRG22 of the Scientific Committee IWC, Panama City, Panama, June P Tyurneva O. Yu., Yakovlev Yu. M., Vertyankin, V.V. 2011b. Result of photographic identification study of the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) offshore northeast Sakhalin Island and Southeast Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, The article SC/63/BRG12, submitted to the International Whaling Commission, 63 Scientific Committee Meeting, Tromsø, Norway, 30 May 11 June P Tyurneva O.Yu. and Yakovlev Yu.M Skin sloughing of gray whales Eschrichtius robustus in the Sea of Okhotsk. Abstract the 16 biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego, California, December 12-16, 2005, p Tyurneva O.Yu., Yakovlev Yu.M, Tombach Wright C. and Meier S.K The North Pacific Western Gray Whales of Sakhalin Island. Trafford Press, Canada. 195 p. Tyurneva O.Yu., Yakovlev Yu.M., Vertyankin V.V photo- identification study of western gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) offshore northeast Sakhalin Island and southeast Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Report SC/65a/BRG08 of the Scientific Committee IWC, Jeju, Republic of Korea, 3-15 June P Tyurneva O.Yu., Yakovlev Yu.M., Vertyankin V.V., Gailey G., Sychenko O. 2011b. Discovery of a new feeding area for Western Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) cow-calf pairs on the south-east shelf of Kamchatka. Abstracts of the 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Tampa, Florida (USA), November 27- December 2, P Tyurneva, O. Yu., M.K. Maminov, E.P. Shvetsov, V.I. Fadeev, N.I. Selin and Yu. M. Yakovlev Seasonal movements of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) between feeding areas on the northeast shelf of Sakhalin Island. In the book: Marine Mammals in the Holarctic. Collection of scientific papers of International Conference Saint-Petersburg, September 10-14, P Tyurneva, O. Yu., Yakovlev, Yu. M., Vertyankin, V. V., Gailey, G., Sychenko, O. and Muir, J. E d. Photographic identification of the Korean-Okhotsk gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) offshore northeast Sakhalin Island and southeast Kamchatka peninsula (Russia), The article SC/62/BRG submitted to the IWC 62 Scientific Committee Meeting, Agadir, Morocco, June pp. Urbán R.J., Weller D., Tyurneva O., Swartz S., Bradford A., Yakovlev Y., Sychenko O., Rosales H.N., Martínez S.A., Burdin A. and Gómez-Gallardo A.U The report on the photographic comparison of the Western and Mexican gray whale catalogues. Report SC/64/BRG13 of the Scientific Committee IWC, Panama City, Panama, June P. 1-6.

32 Urbán R.J., Weller D., Tyurneva O., Swartz S., Bradford A., Yakovlev Y., Sychenko O., Rosales H.N., Martínez S.A., Burdin A. and Gómez-Gallardo A.U Report on the photographic comparison of the Sakhalin Island and Kamchatka Peninsula with the Mexican gray whale catalogues. Report SC/65a/BRG04 of the Scientific Committee IWC, Jeju, Republic of Korea, 3-15 June P 1-5. Vertyankin V.V., Vladimirov V.A., Tyurneva O. Yu., Yakovlev Yu. M., Andreev A.V. and Burkanov V.N Sighting of gray whales (Eshrichtius robustus) offshore eastern Kamchatka and in the northern Sea of Okhotsk, Scientific Committee Papers International Whaling Commission, 59 annual meeting, Anchorage, USA, electronic version SC/59/WP6, 8 pp. Vertyankin, V.V., V.C. Nikulin, A.M. Bednykh and A.P. Kononov Sighting of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) near southern Kamchatka. In the book: Marine Mammals in the Holarctic. Collection of scientific papers of International Conference Koktebel, Krimea, Ukraine, October 11-17, P Vladimirov V.L Current Distribution and Abundance of Whales in Far East Seas. Marine Biology. V. 20, 1, pp Vladimirov, V. A, Starodymov, S. P., Afanasyev-Grigoryev, A. G, J. Muir Distribution and abundance of gray whales of the Okhotsk-Korean population in the waters of northeastern Sakhalin during June-October Report of the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), Moscow, Russia, the Institute of Marine Biology FEB RAS, Vladivostok, Russia, and LGL Limited, Sidney, Canada for Exxon Neftegas Limited and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Vladimirov, V.A., S.A. Blokhin, A.V. Vladimirov, M.K. Maminov, S.P. Starodymov, and E.P. Shvetsov Distribution and abundance of gray whales of the Okhotsk-Korean population off northeastern Sakhalin, June-November, Report of VNIRO, Moscow and TINRO-Center, Vladivostok, Russia, for Exxon Neftegas Limited and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia 194 p. Available at the site Weller, D.W. and R.L. Brownell Jr Eschrichtius robustus (Asian or Northwest Pacific stock). In: Hilton-Tayler (comp.) 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN/SSC, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Weller, D.W., A.M. Burdin, A.L. Bradford, Y.V. Ivashchenko, G.A. Tsidulko, A.R. Lang, R.L. Brownell Jr Western Gray Whales off Sakhalin Island, Russia: A Joint Russia-U.S. Scientific Investigation July-September Unpublished report for International Fund for Animal Welfare and International Whaling Commission by Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA, Kamchatka Branch of Pacific Institute of Geography, Petropavlovsk, Russia, and the Alaska Sealife Center, Seward, AK. 41 p. Yablokov, A.V. and L.S. Bogoslovskaya A review of Russian research on the biology and commercial whaling of the gray whale. Pages In: M.L. Jones, S.L. Swartz, and S. Leatherwood (eds.) The gray whale Eschrichtius robustus, Academic Press, Orlando, FL. Yakovlev Y.Y., Tyurneva O. Y., Vertyankin V.V Photographic identification of the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) offshore northeastern Sakhalin Island and the southeastern shore of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Report for Exxon Neftegas Limited and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. P Yakovlev, Y.M. and Tyurneva, O.Yu Photo-identification of Korean-Okhotsk gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) off the NE coast of Sakhalin, Russia, in p. Unpublished report under contract for Exxon Neftegas Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia and Sakhalin

33 Energy Investment Company Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. Investment Company website: " (at Sakhalin Energy Yakovlev Yu. M., Tyurneva O. Yu., Vertyankin V. V., Gailey G., Sychenko O., Muir J., and Tombach-Wright C., Photographic identification of the Korean-Okhotsk gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) off the NE coast of Sakhalin Island and SE coast of Kamchatka Peninsula, 2010 Unpublished report for Exxon Neftegas Limited (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia) and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Limited (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia), Chapter 3, pp [at Sakhalin Energy Investment Company website Yakovlev Yu. M., Tyurneva O. Yu., Vertyankin V.V., Gailey G. and Sychenko O Discovering a new feeding area for calf-cow pairs of endangered western gray whales Eschrichtius robustus on the south-east shelf of Kamchatka in 2009 and their utilizing different feeding regions within one season. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research. Vol. 37, 1, P Yakovlev, Y.M. and O.Yu. Tyurneva Photo-identification of the Western gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) off the NE coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia, in 2005, 75 pages. Unpublished report under contract for Exxon Neftegas Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia, and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. (at Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Limited website: Yakovlev, Y.M. and Tyurneva O. Yu Photo-identification of the Okhotsk-Korean gray whale population (Eschrichtius robustus) in pages. Unpublished report under contract for Exxon Neftegas Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia, and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. [Available on the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company website < Yakovlev, Y.M. and Tyurneva O. Yu Photographic identification of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) of the Okhotsk-Korean population off the northeast shelf of Sakhalin Island, Russia, Unpublished report for Exxon Neftegas Limited, Yuzhno- Sakhalinsk, Russia and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia, 75 pp. [Available on the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company website < Yakovlev, Y.M. and Tyurneva, O. Yu Photo-identification of the Okhotsk-Korean gray whale population (Eschrichtius robustus) in pages. Unpublished report under contract for Exxon Neftegas Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia, and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. [Available on the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company website < Yakovlev, Y.M., Tyurneva O.Yu. and Vertyankin V.V Photographic identification of the Okhotsk-Korean gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) off the NE coast of Sakhalin and southeast coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, 2006, p. 99. Unpublished report under contract for Exxon Neftegas Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia (at Sakhalin Energy Investment Company website: Yakovlev, Y.M., Tyurneva O.Yu. and Vertyankin V.V Photographic identification of the Okhotsk-Korean gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) off the NE coast of Sakhalin Island and SE coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, 2008, p. 99. Unpublished report under contract for Exxon Neftegas Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. (at Sakhalin Energy Investment Company website:

34 Yakovlev, Y.M., Tyurneva O.Yu. and Vertyankin V.V Photographic identification of the Western gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) off the NE coast of Sakhalin Island and SE coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, Unpublished report for Exxon Neftegas Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. Volume pp. Yakovlev, Y.M., Tyurneva O.Yu. and Vertyankin V.V Photo-identification of the Western gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) population off the NE coast of Sakhalin Island and SE coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, 2011, 64 pp. Unpublished report under contract for Exxon Neftegas Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. Yakovlev, Y.M., Tyurneva O.Yu. and Vertyankin V.V Photo-identification of the Western gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) population off the NE coast of Sakhalin Island and SE coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, 2012, 66 pp. Unpublished report under contract for Exxon Neftegas Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. Yakovlev, Yu. M. Tyurneva, O. Yu. and Tombach Wright, Ch Seasonal movements of western gray whales Eschrichtius robustus between the feeding areas on the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island (Russia) in Asian Fisheries Science. Vol. 22, N 1, P Available online at Yakovlev, Yu.M. Tyurneva, O.Yu. and Tombach Wright, Ch Seasonal movements of western gray whales Eschrichtius robustus between the feeding areas on the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island (Russia) in Asian Fisheries Science. Vol. 22, N 1, P Available online at Yakovlev, Y.M., Tyurneva O.Yu. and Vertyankin V.V Photo-identification of the Western gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) population off the NE coast of Sakhalin Island and SE coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, 2014, 43 pp. Unpublished report under contract for Exxon Neftegas Limited, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia.

35 9. STUDY PARTICIPANTS Project Aspects Name: Place of Work Field Photography and Videography Offshore Sakhalin Photographer, team leader Video camera operator Data recorder Boat Operator Photographer, onshore team lead Data recorder Photographer, vehiclebased team lead Data recorder Yuri Mikhailovich Yakovlev Kalachev Alexander Vladimirovich Shvetsov Yevgeni Pavlovich Nikolai Ivanovich Prokhorov Vertyankin Vladimir Vasilievich Kuznetsov Vladimir Vladimirovich Peter van der Wolf Drozdov Konstantin Anatolievich Project Management and Technical Support Marine Biology Institute of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Marine Biology Institute of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Marine Biology Institute of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Marine Biology Institute of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Marine Biology Institute of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Kronotsky reserve LLC Geocon Neftegas Services Ltd ТИБОХ ДВО РАН Project Technical Support LGL Limited environmental research Yuri Bychkov and Training associates, Sidney, Canada Project management Igor Zhmayev LGL Eco Analyze data Data processing and analysis, catalogue preparation Image processing, IT and computer support Preparing the report Preparing the report Report Review Olga Yuryevna Tyurneva Yuri Mikhailovich Yakovlev Arseny Yurevich Yakovlev Olga Nikolayevna Miroshnikova Shvetsov Yevgeni PavlovichEvgeniy Pavlovich Shvetsov Konstantin Anatolyevich Drozdov Yuri Mikhailovich Yakovlev Olga Yuryevna Tyurneva Mike Swindoll Photo-identification laboratory of the Marine Biology Institute, Vladivostok Photo-identification laboratory of the Marine Biology Institute, Vladivostok ENL

36 APPENDIX

37 FIGURES

38 Legend Gray whale sitings in 2013 Piltun Lighthouse Oil rigs Safety zones around PA-B, km 5 10 Feeding areas boundaries Ship group work area Ship group encounters with gray whales Vertyankin s group work area Vertyankin s group encounters with gray whales Shore group monitoring area Piltun lighthouse Oil rigs Safety zones around PA-B, km 5 10 Feeding area boundaries Figure A1. Area of encounter with photo-identified gray whales off the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island in 2014

39 Figure A2. Areas of encounter with photo-identified gray whales off the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island in September for all years of research.

40 Figure A3. Conventional borders of gray whales research off the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island

41 TABLES

42 Table A1. Scope of photo-identification work and average sea depth during each mission off Sakhalin Island in 2014 Date Feeding area Mission No. Average depth per mission Mission time

43 Table A2. Number of gray whales identified off the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island in Year Total whales per year Where whales identified last years New whales including calves New whales without calves Whales observed last years but not encountered this year Number of whales in the catalogue Date Feeding area Mission No. Average depth per mission Mission time

44 Table A3. History of encounters with temporary whales History of identification of temporary gray whales (Temp000) in catalogue TempGW1 was first encountered in 2002 and was identified as KOGW139 in 2008 TempGW2 was first encountered in 2003 and was identified as KOGW135 in 2006 TempGW3 was first encountered in 2002 and was identified as KOGW108 in 2008 TempGW4 exists at present TempGW5 exists at present TempGW6 exists at present TempGW7 exists at present TempGW8 exists at present TempGW9 was first encountered in 2005 and was identified as KOGW129 in 2008 TempGW10 was first encountered in 2004 and was identified as KOGW116 in 2008 TempGW11 exists at present TempGW12 exists at present TempGW13 exists at present TempGW14 was first encountered in 2007 and was identified as KOGW158 in 2008 TempGW15 was added in the Temporary Gray Whales Catalogue in 2010 because of poor quality of the right side view TempGW16 was added in the Temporary Gray Whales Catalogue in 2011 because the right side view was not provided TempGW17 was identified as KOGW184 in 2012 upon receipt of the photos of suitable quality

45 WESTERN GRAY WHALE ADVISORY PANEL Table A Movement of whales between known feeding areas off the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island9. Data provided by the onboard group of the Marine Biological Institute of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Science y e a r Number of whales identified in Piltun area (6) Number of whales identified only in Piltun area Number of whales identified in Morskoy area Number of whales identified only in Morskoy area Number of whales identified in Morskoy and Piltun areas Number of whales identified in Chayvo area Number of whales identified in Chayvo+Piltu n/chayv o+morsk oy areas Number of whales identified in the north areas Number of whales identified in Chayvo+Piltu n+morsk oy Number of whale s identified near Okha City 5 (1) 28(7) 20 1(1) 14(6) 19/0 12/0 23(14) 10(3) - 9/ / (4) Values in parenthesis show number of mammals that were recorded only in the specified area and not encountered in other studied areas. Table values can be annually changed according to catalogue update for example resulting from comparison of temporary whales. 10 Table includes data collected by Glen Gailey and Olga Sychenko s onshore team.

46 Table A5. Areas of identified gray whales encountered off the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island based on the results of all expeditions

47

48

49 О Morskoy area Р Piltun area С Chayvo site Oha near Okha El area back of Cape Elizaveta

50 Table A6. Mother-Calf pairs and calves without identified mothers recorded during research