West Coast Cetacean Distribution and Abundance Survey on the Ellen Kuzwayo Voyage 126, October 2014

This West Coast Cetacean Distribution and Abundance Survey was conducted on the Ellen Kuzwayo Voyage 126, from 28 October to 10 November, 2014. The survey was planned for the region between Dassen Island and Groenriviermond up the west coast. The cruise track of the Ellen Kuzwayo is closely linked to that of the Algoa and while the latter was engaged in offshore and onshore parallel tracks up to the 250m isobaths, the former ran a saw tooth grid survey starting inshore Dassen Island (moving progressively northwards) in-between the parallel grids of the Algoa up to the 150m isobaths (unless concentrations of whales were sighted further offshore by the Algoa). Surveys will be conducted at 10 knots unless weather conditions and safety required a reduction in speed. In such cases all the sightings will be recorded as secondary sightings. The data are currently being analysed and the authors will be publishing a paper on it once that is completed, after which it will be made available. Contact Mduduzi Seakamela to request access to the data: smseakamela@environment.gov.za.