Influence of water temperature, body size, condition and gull-inflicted lesions on heat loss in southern right whales in Península Valdés, Argentina

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) migrating from cold feeding grounds to warmer breeding grounds in Península Valdés, Argentina, experience reduced heat loss during early lactation by 26%, but this migration offers limited thermoenergetic benefits overall. The study found that body condition is a critical regulator of heat loss, with poor condition increasing heat loss beyond field metabolic rate (FMR), threatening survival. Gull-inflicted lesions significantly increase heat loss in small or poorly conditioned calves but have no effect on larger or better-conditioned whales. Researchers used unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry to measure body size, volume, and condition, combined with blubber-mass modeling and necropsy data, to estimate sensible and respiratory heat loss. This work highlights the complex interplay between environmental factors, body condition, and external stressors in whale thermoregulation.

Christiansen, F., Sironi, M., Lewin, N., Marón, C. F., & Uhart, M. M. (2026). Influence of water temperature, body size, condition and gull-inflicted lesions on heat loss in southern right whales in Península Valdés, Argentina. Journal of Experimental Biology, 229(1). https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.250925