Cetacean occurrence in the Santa Marta region, Colombian Caribbean, february-may 2007

Abstract

Until recently, cetacean presence in the Santa Marta region of the Colombian Caribbean was poorly documented and limited to incidental reports (Cuervo et al., 1986; PrietoRodríguez, 1988; Vidal, 1990; Flórez-González and Torres, 19945 ; Flórez-González and Capella-Alzueta, 1995; FlórezGonzález et al., 2004). Continued presence and interest by researchers in the area since the early 2000’s has resulted in significant new information, including a better understanding of species occurrence, environmental influences, and human impacts on the local populations (Pardo and Palacios, 2006; Jiménez-Pinedo and DomínguezGarcía, 2007; Lozano, 2007). With the aim of providing continuity to the study of cetaceans in the region, this study reports on the cetacean community around Santa Marta during the first months of 2007. We evaluate our methods and results in the context of these recent studies and provide recommendations for future research in the region.