Diversity and distribution of marine mammals in Tun Mustapha Park, Kudat, Sabah, during the Tun Mustapha Park Scientific Expedition 2017

Ponnampalam, L.S., Kuit, S.H. and Ng, J.E. 2018. Diversity and distribution of marine mammals in Tun Mustapha Park, Kudat, Sabah, during the Tun Mustapha Park Scientific Expedition 2017. Sabah Parks Nature Journal 11:35 – 46.

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ABSTRACT

A 7-day survey for marine mammals in Tun Mustapha Park (TMP), Kudat, Sabah, was held 11-17 May 2017 during the Tun Mustapha Park Scientific Expedition 2017. Search effort totaled 27.3 hours and 424.9 km, and yielded a total of four sightings across three genera and three species of cetaceans. These were Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) (n = 2 sightings), Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) (n = 1 sighting) and Indo-Pacific finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) (n = 1 sighting). Dugongs were not sighted, despite their known presence around Pulau Banggi and Pulau Balambangan. The encounter rates of sightings for all species sighted were low. Most of the cetacean groups that were sighted exhibited evasive behaviour. The sighting of humpback dolphins during this survey confirms the presence of this species in TMP where it had not been previously reported. Other marine megafauna that were sighted are green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), mobulid rays (Mobula spp.) and a marlin (Family Istiophoridae). The paucity of marine mammals within TMP are likely due to a combination of impacts from anthropogenic activities (e.g., overfishing, fish bombing) in the many years prior to the gazettement of TMP. However, with TMP now gazetted, there is hope and opportunity for marine mammal populations to recover over time.