Whales

Does Whale Watching Have a Negative Effect On Killer Whales?

Although the quick answer is no, there is more to the story. Most of us are enamored by whales. We want to see them up close and find ways to protect both them, and the ocean they live in. However, it is possible that some may love them too much. Humans’ attempts to get closer to these wild marine animals causes stress and stress related complications for the whales.

In the case of southern resident killer whales, the stress caused by whale watching boats is more pronounced. As the whales struggle to survive each day with increasing human noise pollution and decreasing food supplies, they also have to contend with an army of whale watching boats that seek to find and watch the whales.

With only 75 southern resident killer whales left, it is time to start asking the hard questions. A recent bill introduced by the governor’s task force recommended suspending all boat-based whale watching for the next 3 to 5 years. The goal was to test whether or not whale watching affects these animals. Instead of banning whale watching altogether, the final decision was to set limits on how close the boats could get to the whales. The minimum distance was increased from 100 to 300 yards, however, that distance may not be enough given the ease at which engine motor noise carries under water.

The debate remains strong in Washington State between the whale watchers and the conservationists. For now, the responsible thing to do is give any whales a wide berth. We want to protect and save these whales, even if that means letting them live their lives in peace.

Conservation

Pacific Northwest Killer Whales Spotted in Monterey

Scientists are able to identify killer whales as individuals based on their markings, but a recent sighting of killer whales by whale watchers in Monterey Bay has everyone confused. Based on their markings, the whales are known to be from the Pacific Northwest. It is unclear what they are doing so far south.

Nancy Black from the Monterey Bay Whale Watch, says, “they’ve never been seen down here, even with all our efforts all these years.” As a marine biologist who has worked in the area for 32 years, she is surprised that these whales have appeared here.

Black says, “Those killer whales have been identified previously, but up in the Puget Sound area. It’s been many years since we’ve had new whales, new families to the catalog so they just showed up one day out of the blue.”

It is possible that these whales are simply traveling and will return to the Pacific Northwest soon, however, it is a rare trip. Possible reasons for their movement could be a social gathering, following food sources, or mating.

For now, scientists will just continue watching the whales to see what happens next.

News

Orca Conservancy Speaks Out Against The Whale Sanctuary Project’s Plan For A Permanent Sanctuary

After attending a meeting with the Whale Sanctuary Project, Orca Conservancy has spoken out against the Whale Sanctuary Project’s plan for creating a permanent seaside sanctuary.

Orca Conservancy has been a supporter of facilities that recuse, rehabilitate and return whales to their home but are concerned about the value of permanent facilities. Noting that the sanctuary would trade-off increased space for more limited social lives, Orca Conservancy stated that conservation efforts would be better focused on making a difference for wild whales instead of moving a few captive whales into an environment with significant problems.

The WSP’s planned facility would have the capacity for 6-8 whales and would separate males from females. This separation would severely limit non-kin social interaction as well as the family life that is central to the species.

Orca Conservancy notes several other significant issues with the current plan. The facility cannot protect the whales from sewage and oil spills, and the proposed site is likely to have consistent noise levels that will prove stressful to the whales. In terms of disease transmission and escape, Orca Conservancy characterizes WSP’s plan as “naive”. Because of these issues, Orca Conservancy made it clear that they would not support the current WSP plan.

Activists have been vocal about wanting to “save” captive whales but have yet to find a realistic means of doing so. Activists’ plans, like the one proposed by the WSP, center on the use of sea pens, which are essentially cages in the ocean.

Experts agree that the additional space the proposed sea pens claim to offer is negligible in the context of the stress the whales will experience as a result of relocation. Factoring in the issues observed by the Orca Conservancy it’s clear that this solution is not in the best interest of the whales.

Read the Orca Conservancy’s full response here.

News

New Images Show Killer Whale J17’s Dramatic Weight Loss

Featured Image: Seattle Orca Whale Watching

New drone photos show J17, one of the 75 endangered killer whales who frequently visits Puget Sound in Washington, experiencing a worrying amount of weight loss. The photos also show she’s experiencing “peanut head” – a serious condition that makes her head appear indented from above due to a low amount of facial fat deposits.

Just last year, J50, a young orca, also exhibited peanut head before passing. It’s a tell-tale sign of long-term starvation and Dr. Deborah Giles of Wild Orca said “In the past, once the peanut head gets to a particularly bad state, it seems to be inevitable that we’re going to lose that individual.”

Source: Crosscut / Images obtained by Holly Fearnbach (SR3) and John Durban (NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center) using a remotely piloted drone under NMFS Research Permit #19091.

There have been several whale strandings in the area recently and scientists are finding them emaciated. The recent occurance has sparked a scientific investigation and prompted scientists to delcare an Unusual Mortality Event.

However, not all scientists are ready to give up on J17 just yet and think recovery is possible.

Michael Mistien of NOAA says, “I don’t think we are willing to give up on J17 that fast. The point of photogrammetry is to understand whether the whales are prey-limited and how that affects them. Of course, losing weight like this is never a good sign but we want to learn as much as possible about what the contributing factors are and how to unravel and address them. Not all of the animals that have died were emaciated, so there must be other factors at play.”

Scientists are hopeful that they will be able to discover what is going on with J17 so that they can help save her.

Spike In Whale Strandings Prompt NOAA Fisheries To Request Homeowners To Volunteer Waterfront Property For Whale Decomposition

Image Source: NOAA/Mario Rivera

Since the beginning of 2019, 30 gray whales have stranded in Washington and more than 70 along the West Coast. The high number of strandings has caused the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to declare an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) and prompted a scientific investigation.

With Washington seeing the most stranded whales they have in almost 20 years, NOAA fisheries are asking residents for help. The UME has caused so many strandings that the whales have nowhere left to decompose so they are asking waterfront property owners to volunteer their property for whale decomposition.

A dead 40-foot gray whale drifted ashore north of Port Ludlow, Washington, on May 28. Image Source: NOAA/Mario Rivera

Mario Rivera and Stefanie Worwag recently decided to volunteer and allowed marine mammal stranding responders to tow a dead 40-foot gray whale to their property. The couple thought it would be an interesting opportunity to see the whale decompose before being recycled back into the marine ecosystem.

The couple who volunteers for the Port Townsend Marine Science Center moved to the Pacific Northwest about three years ago and is hoping other residents will join them in volunteering. Rivera recently told KING5-TV that the smell “isn’t that bad.”

Kristin Wilkinson, the Northwest Coordinator for the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network said the organization was grateful to the couple for their support and is testing ways to help speed up decomposition. The stranding network is experimenting with hydrated lime to help cover the smell and see if it speeds up decomposition.

“The lime appears to be working,” Rivera said.

Having a place for the whale to decompose is important for researchers to understand the cause of death of the whales. Many of the whales that have shown up along the West Coast have been skinny and malnourished. Worwag, a veterinarian, helped with a necropsy on the decomposing whale and found that it was severely emaciated.

Landowners Stefanie Worwag and Mario Rivera volunteered their waterfront property south of Port Townsend, Washington, as a site where the whale can decompose. Stefanie Worwag, a veterinarian, assisted with the necropsy of the gray whale. Image Source: NOAA/Mario Rivera

While Rivera, Worwag and the stranding network understand the hesitancy by homeowners to volunteer their property, they’re hoping others begin to volunteer. The last UME which started in 1999 lasted two years and strandings continued throughout that entire period.

Read more and learn how landowners can volunteer their property here.

Dolphins

Paleontologists Found The Fossil Of A Walking Whale In Peru

Featured Image: Geology

Almost 50 million years ago, whales and dolphins as we know them today did not exist. Instead, their ancestors were busy walking around on solid ground around the continent of Asia. Eventually, these mammals would make the transition from land to water, but newly found fossils help shed some light on that.

The fossil found was around .6 miles inland from Peru’s Pacific Coast. It had front and back legs with potentially webbed feet to carry it around on land. The anatomy of the fossil indicated that the creature could both walk and swim.

According to Oliver Lambert, the lead author at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, “Part of the tail’s vertebrae showed similarities with that of present-day semi-aquatic mammals like otters. This would, therefore, have been an animal that would have started to make growing use of its tail to swim, which differentiates it from older cetaceans in India and Pakistan. This is the most complete specimen ever found for a four-legged whale outside of India and Pakistan.”

The fossil does not give any definitive answers to paleontologists. Jokingly, they admitted to having enough work for the next 50 years. Hopefully, these fossil clues will be able to tell the story of how whales came to be.

Learn more here.

Video

Video Captures A Group Of Humpback Whales Swimming Next To A Lodge In Canada

Video shows a group of humpback whales swimming right near a camping lodge. A group of people were able to witness the extraordinary moment and capture it on camera.

🔥 humpback whales coming up in front of a lodge in Canada from NatureIsFuckingLit

One Reddit user commented that this is how humpback whales trap fish to feed. This type of feeding is called bubble net feeding and is a popular way of feeding among humpback whales; however, it is worth noting that not all humpback whale populations know how to bubble net feed.

During bubble net feeding, the humpbacks will gather in a group and circle around a school of fish trapping them in bubbles and creating a net. Then, one whale will sound a feeding call at which point all the whales will swim northwards with mouths open.

The video was originally posted on YouTube by Great Bear Lodge where the visitors were staying.

Great Bear Lodge is a popular accommodation in Canada. The floating lodge is about 50 miles from Port Hardy, British Columbia.

News

Dead Humpback Found On Scottish Beach

Image Source: Yahoo

Earlier this month, in East Lothian, Scotland, a humpback whale was found dead on the beach. The whale was a juvenile and tangled in a rope which is presumed to have caused its death.

A crew of locals in a lifeboat moved the whale further down the coast. Then, a local farmer helped to move it to a beach site with their tractor. The Scottish marine Animal Stranding Scheme was able to perform a post-mortem on the animal on the remote beach location.

The whale was moved to the remote beach site to keep people away from the body.

The Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme works to collect data from stranded marine animals, including whales, turtles, and seals.

According to a representative for the East Lothian Council, Jill Mackay, “It was found on Tuesday morning and by the level of decomposition, it had died relatively recently-either Monday night or early Tuesday morning. It was nine meters long so it was considered a juvenile whale.”

Based on recent sightings, it appeared that the whale had been in the area for several weeks. A few weeks earlier, it was spotted with a marine buoy attached to it, so it had been battling this entanglement for quite some time.