Cetaceans of El Salvador, a review and update on their records

Abstract

This work includes the review of different bibliographic sources, personal communications and records of the authors between 2002 and 2019. In addition, the record of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) was reviewed in this regard. With the information collected, the occurrence of 16 species of cetaceans (3 mysticetes and 13 odontocetes) is documented, from the sighting of individuals and groups of these off the coastal departments of the coast of El Salvador. The existence of these species in Salvadorean waters is discussed with authors from the Central American region of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. In general, the species for which there is more information are: humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), which occurrence mainly in front of the coast while species oceanic information is limited. The present work constitutes the first consolidated contribution of documented sightings of cetaceans in El Salvador.