Observation of a humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae with calf in the shallow coastal waters of Suriname

A large whale, accompanied by a calf, was seen in the shallow coastal waters off
Suriname on 20 April 2013. Digital images confirmed the species identification as
humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae. This is the first confirmed record of
humpback whales in Suriname. The observation was made at the extreme
southern limit of the North Atlantic population’s distribution and suggests that the
waters along the northern coast of South America may be used for within-season
movements between the different breeding and calving areas of the Wider
Caribbean Region.