Whales

Let’s All Focus our Love of Whales and Dolphins on Protecting Them in the Wild…Together

The heart-tugging Sea of Shadows documentary details the compassionate effort to save the world’s most endangered marine mammal: vaquita porpoises. Found only in Mexican waters, the population of this tiny animal is dwindling sharply as they die in illegal gillnets. People volunteered their time and donated funds to the project because they care.

Historically considered voracious and merciless predators, the shooting of killer whales was once accepted and even encouraged by governments. No one cared then. But they care now.

The public’s love and will to protect marine mammals would not be what it is today if not for the contributions and shared goals of marine parks. Yet, some groups are attempting to take advantage of that love to compel parks and aquariums to give up the whales and dolphins in their facilities, most of which were born there and would not survive in the wild.

They argue that animals in parks and aquariums don’t live as long as those in the wild. Wrong. Check the research. They argue that habitats are too noisy. Wrong. Check the research. They allege that dolphins in interactive programs are forced to participate. Wrong. They argue that the animals in these programs are stressed. Wrong. Check the research. After these programs end, the dolphins’ play behaviors increase and they voluntarily continue to interact with visitors. Check the research.

For many species, the “wild” has become an increasingly life-threatening place. Scientists frequently underscore how devastating changes to our oceans are happening faster and with greater severity. Whales and dolphins are suffering from deadly pollution, fishing gear entanglement, underwater noise, boat strikes, oil spills, rising ocean temperatures, ingesting plastic debris, and lack of food. These animals need our help, evidenced by the growing number of species and populations that are now endangered or threatened.

The more people learn about these animals, the more they care about them and the need to conserve them in the wild. The more they care about the environment. Without these animals in parks and aquariums, gone will be numbers of educators who present programs daily that illustrate how human activities impact the health of whales, dolphins, and their ocean habitats and inspire life-changing attitudes and values in those they teach.

Gone will be the veterinarians and caregivers with exhaustive knowledge of the animals’ physiology, cognition, behavior, and reproduction; knowledge important to understanding and overcoming the challenges facing whales and dolphins in the wild.

Conservation research critical to ensuring the health of wild marine mammal populations and informing government policies will be greatly impeded. Gone will be partnerships with universities and research organizations whose studies rely on whales and dolphins in parks and aquariums. These studies include testing and calibrating techniques and equipment aimed at saving wild populations. Scientists use indispensable, baseline parameters and knowledge gained from these animals when evaluating the health of marine mammal populations in the wild. Decades of marine mammal research, which has led to scientific advances and the adoption of life-saving human medical technologies, will come to an end.

Gone will be facilities that respond to marine mammals stranded on our beaches, nurse them back to health and return them to our oceans, or provide a welcoming home to those unable to survive in the wild. Gone will be the veterinarians and caregivers who save those animals’ lives. A survey by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums indicates that, over a five-year period, its member facilities responded to almost 6,000 marine mammal strandings, 5,000 sea turtle strandings, and over 6,000 bird strandings. Alliance members contributed over $16.6 million to these humane efforts, which involved more than 260,000 volunteer hours.

Don’t be misled by your love for these animals. Don’t let your love wrongly jeopardize the whales and dolphins in human care that helped motivate that love.

Yes, we all love whales and dolphins. None more than the caregivers in parks and aquariums who strive daily to ensure and improve their health and welfare. Nothing can replace the impact of seeing these magnificent animals up close. We learn to love them by watching, hearing, and learning about them, and that love promotes a greater appreciation for wildlife conservation efforts so essential to protecting them in our oceans.

Never before have the threats to marine life in our oceans been so staggering. Now is the time to work together to ensure that whales, dolphins, and their habitats survive. Together, we can make a significant difference.

Marilee Menard

Executive Director, Retired

Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums

Conservation

How Japan’s Return To Commercial Whaling Might Help Whale Populations

Featured Image: Fox News

In July, Japan resumed commercial whaling for the first time in 31 years. While whaling in all forms is horrible, this could actually be a step in the right direction for Japan. Although Japan has officially left the International Whaling Commission (IWC) after 6 months notice, the transition may result in fewer whale deaths each year.

In 1988, Japan switched to “research whaling” after commercial whaling was banned by the IWC. Even though Japanese whaling boats were pulling in hundreds of whales each year, it was classified under “research” activities. The meat from these “research” whales was sold in the markets of Japan. With that obvious link to commercialism, the “research whaling” faced intense criticism for years. Additionally, it was losing money for the Japanese government.

Most of this “research whaling” took place in Antarctic waters which are a hotspot of biodiversity for whales. It is a region that is absolutely critical to the success of global whale populations.

With the switch to commercial whaling, Japan will be limiting it’s harvest to 227 whales this year and all will be harvested in Japanese waters. Although it is still horrible to kill whales under any circumstances, the new location and decreased number of captured whales may help the overall global whale population, but only time will tell. In the meantime, pressuring for the end of all commercial whaling is all that we can do.

Conservation

Southern Resident Killer Whales Have Disappeared From The Salish Sea

Southern resident killer whales are typically easy to spot in the Salish Sea at this time of year. This year, however, the whales are proving very difficult to find. In fact, researchers think they have disappeared from the area completely. Without a sighting in over 2 months, everyone is wondering where the whales have gone.

According to Michael Weiss, a researcher with the Center for Whale Research, “The lack of Southern Resident in the Salish Sea for the entirety of June reflects a fundamental shift in the behavior of this population. Dramatic changes in the distribution of Chinook salmon, particularly due to the ongoing decline of the Fraser River stocks, have increasingly forced these whales to abandon an area that was once their core habitat.”

Without a stable food source, the orcas are forced to leave their home in search of other food. The director of Whale Scout, Whitney Neugebauer, says, “the absence of Southern Residents tells us that the ecosystem is out of balance. We should be listening and responding appropriately. If the whales can’t make a living in our inland waters, we, too, are in trouble.”

Human activities have rendered the waters unsuitable, leaving the whales no choice but to leave in search of more hospitable environments. It will take drastic action for these whales to return to their home on a regular basis.

Conservation

Regulations Aim To Protect Whales From Getting Entangled In Fishing Gear

Featured Image: Pacific Standard

The Dungeness crabbing industry has a strong presence in Oregon waters. However, the whales that call these waters home are struggling to live in the same environment, with many whales becoming entangled with crabbing gear over the course of the crabbing season.

As of July 16th, 12 whales have been entangled, mostly with commercial fishing and crabbing gear. In response, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission has recommended several options to decrease the number of entanglement cases.

A few of the recommendations include new gear identification tags and equipment removal requirements before the end of the season. The assistant project leader of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife shellfish program says”our primary goal is to have gear in Oregon’s waters marked so we can identify which fisheries may be coming into contact with whales. Right now we’re just in a tracking process of being able to identify which gear may be coming into contact with whales and when.”

If approved, the new regulations will go into effect on January 1, 2020. The goal of the agency is to work with crabbing and fishing industries to create safer waters for the whales without harming the livelihoods of these fishermen.

Conservation

Tour Group Spots Mass Stranding Of Whales In Iceland

Featured Image: Livescience.com

Earlier this month, dozens of pilot whales littered a remote beach in Iceland after a mass stranding. Unfortunately, by the time the animals were spotted they were already deceased. The original sighting was made by tour group in a sightseeing helicopter that happened to pass over the remote area.

The pilot of the helicopter, David , had this to say, “We were flying northbound over the beach and then we saw them. We were circling over it, not sure if it was whales, seals, or dolphins. We landed and counted about 60, but there must have been more because there were fins sticking out of the sand.”

The gruesome scene was hard to see and it was too late to call for help. It is still unclear why the whales stranded. According to Edda Eliabet Magnusdottir, a marine biologist, “the most important thing to look at is that these are deep sea whales common at the continental margin. They mainly feed on s quid, which is why they’re good at diving deep. When they enter shallow waters, most of them have a tendency to become disoriented. They use echolocation for orientation, for finding one another, estimating the depth, and so on. But a sloping, sandy bottom appears to increase their disorientation. There are numerous examples of them having beached where there is such a sandy, sloping bottom. ”

In a similar incident, dozens of pilot whales stranded on St. Simon Island in Georgia this month.

Conservation

Clipper The Whale Killed By Boat Strike Off The Coast Of Canada

Featured Image: Andersen Cabot Center For Ocean Life

In 2016, Clipper the whale was spotted with her calf by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The healthy female had given birth to a calf but the pair was struggling to leave the shallow water. As they drifted closer to shore, everyone was worried that the calf would not survive. However, the pair eventually made it back out to sea and continued their journey.

Unfortunately, Clipper died in the Gulf of St. Lawrence earlier this year after being hit by a ship. Clipper is one of six North Atlantic Right Whales that have died in Canada this summer.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials, say, “given the vulnerability of the North Atlantic right whales to extinction, recent news from Canada on the deaths of six North Atlantic right whales along with two new entanglements has alarmed conservation leaders. With fewer than 100 breeding females left in the population, and only 7 right whale calves sighted during the 2019 calving season, preventing right whale deaths is of vital importance.”

The total population of North Atlantic right whales continues to dwindle each year, bringing the species perilously close to complete extinction. Their plight stems from decades of unrestrained whaling operations that left the population in shambles. Although Canada has speed regulations and fishing management strategies in place to protect the whales, researchers and activists hope that more stringent regulations will be put in place to further protect the endangered species.

News

Two Beluga Whales Transported to Iceland Natural Sanctuary

Little Grey and Little White are two very lucky whales. The pair of 12 year old females have been living in a Shanghai aquarium for entertainment for years, but now they are headed towards retirement. Instead of slowly dying inside their enclosure, they are being transported to a marine sanctuary in Iceland to live out their days.

Each whale weighs around 2,000 pounds and will be flown to Iceland in special containers. The project has been spearheaded by the Sea Life Trust charity. The charity strives to “provide a more natural sub-Arctic environment and wilder habitat for these amazing whales to call home.”

Releasing animals in captivity into the wild is typically not a good idea. Usually captive animals have become dependent on humans for their food. Without the skills to hunt for themselves, they can starve to death in the wild. However, this new concept of marine sanctuaries may be the best possible solution.

The head of Sea Life Trust, Andy Bool, says, “we have been working with Little White and Little Grey for the last 18 months to make sure that they will be prepared and ready for the long journey.” Once in their new pen of 32,000 square meters, the belugas will be cared for to ensure their survival in the semi-wild.

Conservation

North Pacific Right Whale Song Recorded for First Time

Featured Image: us.whales.org

Like their counterparts in the Atlantic, North Pacific right whales are extremely close to extinction. The animals were hunted by whalers for decades, leaving the population permanently damaged. It is extremely rare for scientists to encounter these whales, but one group was able to record the song of the North Pacific right whale through moored acoustic recorders. According to NOAA fisheries marine biologist, Jessica Crance, this is the first time this whale’s song has ever been recorded.

Back in 2010, Crance and other scientists thought they had recorded a North Pacific right whale but were unable to confirm it. Crance says, “We thought it might be a right whale, but we didn’t get visual confirmation.” Seven years of recordings later, the crew was out at sea as a right whale sang over the moored recorders. At that point, the crew was able to get a confirmation of the right whale’s identity. Crance says, “it was great to finally get the confirmation when we were out at sea that yes, it is a right whale, and it’s a male that’s singing.”

The male sings to attract a mate, however with just 30 total whales remaining, it is likely difficult for these animals to find each other.