3.4 Predicted distributions
The maps of the predicted distributions of the sperm whales reflected a
pronounced seasonal pattern (Fig. 6). Small differences were observed
between both approaches, with similar spatial patterns and globally
higher probabilities for the stacking method. During the wet season, the
potential distribution was widely spread around Mauritius and between
59-62°E, which coincides with the migration of the eight individuals
that left the coastal areas of the island (Fig. 6a,b). In contrast, the
favourable habitats during the dry season were mostly confined close to
Mauritius (mostly west and south-west) and also north of Reunion Island.
Some high probabilities of sperm whale presence were also identified on
steep sloping habitats during both seasons, i.e. south of Mauritius
(Fig. 6c,d). The most important covariates were the SSH and bottom
temperature for the wet and dry season (for the tuned RF), respectively
(SI Fig. 1). The coefficients of variation were globally low
(<3.2%), confirming the low variability between the ten
simulations for both approaches (SI Fig. 2).