West Coast Cetacean Distribution and Abundance Survey on the Algoa Voyage 219, October 2015

The West Coast Cetacean Distribution and Abundance Survey was conducted on the Algoa Voyage 219, 28 October to 06 November 2015. The cruise operated on the shelf and slope regions off the west coast of South Africa, between Dassen Island and Groenriviermond. This cruise was undertaken for data collection as part of a collaborative project led by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) in collaboration with the Whale Unit, Mammal Research Institute of the University of Pretoria, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (USA), Aqualie Institute (Brazil) and Oregon State University (USA). The greater programme is titled "The ecology of Humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae in South Africa" and has two components, the east coast and west coast components. This cruise focused on the west coast humpback whales.