Abstract
Understanding the distribution, habitat preference, and social structure of highly migratory species at important life history stages ( e.g ., breeding and calving) is essential for conservation efforts. We investigated the spatial distribution and habitat preference of humpback whale social groups and singers, in relation to depth categories ( 50 m) and substrate type (muddy and mixed) on a coastal southeastern Pacific breeding ground. One hundred and forty‐three acoustic stations and 304 visual sightings were made at the breeding ground off the coast of Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Spatial autocorrelation analysis suggested singers were not randomly distributed, and Neu's method and Monte Carlo simulations indicated that singers frequented depths of