The observation records from whale and dolphin watching inshore of Hualien, eastern Taiwan｜臺灣花蓮近海賞鯨之鯨豚觀測紀錄

Study Extent

See the data paper for a more detailed description.

Sampling

For each whale-watching tour, each ship accommodates one guide trained by KOEF’s cetacean experts to record cetacean sightings. The boat follows a random path until cetaceans are detected and sometimes we also receive sighting reports from other whale-watching boats. While observing cetaceans, the guide documents the location and time of each sighting with a hand-held GPS device, identifies the cetacean species, estimates the number of individuals and confirms the presence of mother-calf pairs and mixed-species groups in the vicinity. Upon returning, the guide fills in the cetacean record sheet, which contains fields included in this dataset. To avoid collecting duplicate sighting data, when there are trips with more than one vessel in the same area, only the data of one ship is recorded within the same trip. Trained volunteers subsequently input the data into a computer for digital storage.

Method steps

1. While leaving Hualien port, the guide records the departure time using a hand-held GPS.
2. The boat follows a random path until cetaceans are detected and sometimes we also receive sighting reports from other whale-watching boats. When cetaceans appear, the ship slowly approaches. The guide then marks the location and time with a hand-held GPS, identifies the cetacean species, estimates the number of individuals and confirms the presence of mother-calf pairs and mixed-species groups in the vicinity.
3. When leaving the cetaceans, the guide marks the leaving time with a hand-held GPS. When entering the port, the guide uses the GPS to mark the arrival time.
4. After returning to the whale-watching company, the guide fills in the cetacean record sheet, which contains fields included in this dataset.
5. The cetacean record sheets are organised once a month and the information on the data sheets are entered into an Excel spreadsheet file by trained interns, volunteers and guides of KOEF.

This dataset contains cetacean sighting records covering 20 different species. Prior to 2015, beaked whales were only recorded at the family level: Hyperoodontidae (Ziphiidae) and both dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima (Owen, 1866)) and pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps (Blainville, 1838)) were mostly recorded at the genus level: Kogia Gray, 1846.

1. Cetacea
   common name: Whales and dolphins rank: order

All of the cetacean sighting data were collected inshore of Hualien, eastern Taiwan, within an approximate range of 20 kilometres from Hualien Port.