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Record of a new northern range of Sowerby's beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens)

Abstract:

Two beaked whales identified as Sowerby's beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens) were observed in sea state 0 1 on 16 July 1995 at 71°30'N 04°00'E in the Norwegian Sea. A number of morphological features, such as dentition, were clearly seen during the encounter. The Sowerby's beaked whale's core distribution is in the North Sea and the previous northernmost sighting was made at 63°06'N 00°41'E. According to the literature, the species has never been recorded in the polar zone. The sighting in the Norwegian Sea suggests that the current data on the species distribution is uncertain, and that its range may include the polar waters of the Norwegian Sea.