Featured Image Credit: worldwildlife.org
By Natalie Helbling
The California Current is a popular place for not only animals to hitch a ride and forage for food, but also for ships and vessels to use. San Francisco and Los Angeles are very active ports in California and often use the California Current as a travel route, however, so do blue whales.
Blue whales, one of the biggest animals ever… are classified as an endangered species. Many of the threats to blue whales are often caused by humans. Due to the large bodies of these whales, roughly 100 feet, there is a greater chance of a ship striking one of the graceful giants as it passes by. Although blue whales can reach up to about 30mph in short bursts, they are not capable of dodging a ship, and by the time they attempt to, it is too late.
In an attempt to prevent any more blue whales from being struck by vessels, WhaleWatch was created by NOAA researchers, the University of Maryland, and Oregon State University. The system predicts potential areas where the whales may congregate or swim through. By compiling 10 years of satellite footage of the whales and using tracking devices, the researchers were able to mark where they thought the whales would be active during each time of the month.
Although the system is a prediction and not based off of actual whale sightings, it will still alert captains of potential whales and allow them enough time to avoid that certain area. While using the device aboard a ship, the vessel can plan ahead and if they are scheduled to pass through a whale “hotspot” they will have time to alter their route and avoid striking any whales. This system is not perfect quite yet, but it will definitely assist in decreasing the number of whales stuck by ships in the California Current.
If WhaleWatch is successful in this area of the ocean, there are high hopes that other prediction tools can be used for other species of whales. We are on the right current to saving our whales!!