Table 1 The depth threshold that various baleen whale species should swim below in order to avoid the impact of wave drag close to the surface
From: A week in the life of a pygmy blue whale: migratory dive depth overlaps with large vessel drafts
Species | Length (m) | N | Girth max (m) | Diameter (m) | Wave drag depth threshold (m) | Wave drag depth-rounded threshold (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) | 24.72 | 3 | 12.19 | 3.88 | 11.64 | 12 |
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) | 13.5 | 29 | 10.08 | 3.21 | 9.63 | 10 |
Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) | 12.29 | 5 | 6.86 | 2.18 | 6.54 | 7 |
North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) | 15.02 | 10 | 10.3 | 3.28 | 9.84 | 10 |
Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) | 8.36 | 2872 | 4.28 | 1.36 | 4.08 | 4 |