Southernmost presence of the Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi)in the Mexican South Pacific

Abstract

This note constitutes the first report of the Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) for Oaxaca. This subadult male was found stranded ona beach in Cerro Hermoso, in the Lagunas de Chacahua National Park (PNLC). This record is highly relevant because the normal range for this furseal is farther north, in Guadalupe Island and a recolonization site in the San Benito Archipelago, more than 1,300 km from the stranding location.This is the southernmost report for A. townsendi and the first case for Oaxaca, increasing the number of known marine mammal species for thisarea in the Mexican South Pacific. Because of the current population growth of this otariid, we highlight the necessity of tracking these atypicalsightings over time.

Keywords

• Arctocephalus townsendi
• Atypical distribution
• Marine mammal
• Oaxaca
• Pinniped
• Stranding