Incredible Video Captures Humpback Whale Breaching in Mid-Air
Humpback whales are just incredible creatures, aren’t they?
This humpback whale and her calf prove it by just being their normal majestic selves. Their breaches are documented by some snorkelers with a GoPro, and they could not have picked a better time to break it out and start recording.
Humpback whales’ most notable attribute, besides the physical trait the species is named after, is their song. They elicit the most incredible noises on the planet, and scientists who study these amazing animals say that different sounds and pitches are used to communicate with other members of their species. Usually, these conversations are about how to capture prey, to group together against predators or when to go to a certain location together.
There are so many reasons to appreciate these beautiful creatures. We can all play our part to protect these animals by refusing to pay to see them in captivity. Just this one small act can keep more whales wild and beautiful, and free!
Playing Ocean Detective Unraveling the mystery surrounding Alaska’s dead whales. The state of Alaska is huge. With a coastline covering more than 31,000 miles, it can be overwhelming to the trained volunteers, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) agency staff and marine scientists who police it looking for stranded marine mammals. These whales, dolphins, walruses and other animals can strand or wash up on very remote shores. Sometimes they survive, but sadly sometimes they do not. And pinpointing the cause is a challenge.
Unlike with land-based wildlife, we cannot simply travel to
a forest, grassland or other habitat to see if there are any factors that could
be harming the animals. To research whales and other marine mammals, we must
rely largely on what scientists can learn from dead animals to tell us what
happening to them as a species, and to their ocean environment. Every beached
whale, while heartbreaking, can at least provide us some useful information that
may help find a cause and allow us to take action to protect other whales from a
similar fate. As a member of the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network, I personally
know how important the data from stranded marine mammals are to better
understanding what’s impacting these amazing animals.
This May, a number of dead endangered fin whales were reported floating near Kodiak, Alaska. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials launched an investigation into these whale deaths. They examined a number of possible causes, including the Northern Edge military ocean-based exercise conducted in and around the Gulf of Alaska. Yet officials found no evidence connecting the exercise to the deaths of the fin whales. In fact, they were unable to pinpoint any one cause.
As the investigation went on, more dead whales washed ashore. By August 20th there were 30 reported dead whales: 11 fin
whales, 14 humpbacks, one gray whale and four unidentified cetaceans. At this
point, it was clear that the problem was larger than the incident in May. NOAA
has officially declared what’s known as an UME – an Unusual Mortality Event. That’s the term for a
situation like this – where large numbers of dead marine mammals are washing
ashore, and scientists can’t easily identify why. There have been 61 formally
declared UMEs since the program began in 1991, giving experts resources to
investigate these incidents and discover not only what factors are responsible,
but what insight they can give us into the state of our oceans. Because when
large numbers of animals start washing ashore, it’s a safe bet that there’s
something larger happening that we just can’t see yet.
There have been only two other UMEs in Alaska – one in 2011 involving pinnipeds (seals), and one in 2006 involving sea otters. But this is the first involving large whales. Could these unexplained whale deaths in our region be linked to changes in the ocean? Some suspects include a developing El Nino, or the high Pacific Ocean surface temperatures being blamed on a persistent warm water mass nicknamed “The Blob”. Warm ocean water conditions can fuel large, persistent, and harmful algal blooms in Alaska and California waters – and experts believe the current warmer conditions could continue. So far, all the identified whales have been filter feeders. Could they be ingesting toxic algae? NOAA’s records show that UMEs traced back to biotoxins from harmful algal blooms have become more frequent since the mid-90s. Combined with the current warm water conditions, it’s certainly a possibility. As experts continue to investigate this UME, hopefully we’ll learn more about what’s responsible.
So what can you do to help? The most important thing is that if you live in or visit Alaska and see a dead or stranded marine mammal, please contact the Marine Mammal Stranding Network hotline immediately (877-925-7773). Only specially trained responders should approach marine mammals in distress. Getting the word to the right people as quickly as possible can save an animal’s life, or provide vital information to the scientists working to discover the cause of this UME.
As the investigation continues, it’s vital that we also work to face the changes that we know for certain are already happening in our oceans, impacting species from fish to birds to marine mammals. The world’s oceans are a sink for carbon from fossil-based fuels – leading to ocean acidification, which impacts small ocean prey with shells. Acidification and warming waters (which increase biotoxin incidents) are a double whammy for ocean animals like these whales. You can help by reducing your carbon footprint and by electing officials at all levels of government who address climate change now instead of kicking the can down the road for future leaders to grapple with. The post Playing Ocean Detective appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.
Welcome to the World, New Orca Calf! We know
you’ll be thrilled by this news! This week, the highly endangered population of
southern resident orca living off of the Washington and Oregon coasts welcomed a
new calf to one of their pods, L-pod. Researchers spotted the calf “L122” on Monday this week swimming
next to its mother L91, a 20 year old orca. It’s wonderful to see this orca
population continue to expand, but this group remains highly imperiled by two
major threats: high levels of pollution in the waters in which they live and in
the species they eat, as well as a dramatic reduction in available food. Their
primary food source, the Chinook salmon, has declined by over 80 percent from
historic numbers. Put simply, we can’t continue to restore this orca population
without also without also restoring the salmon. Defenders is working to protect this endangered orca population by reducing
toxins in the orca’s home waters and food sources, increasing or restoring
Chinook salmon habitat so that more fish can spawn and thrive, and making sure
orca watching regulations are enforced to keep orcas in Puget Sound healthy and safe!
This humpback whale and her calf prove it by just being their normal majestic selves. Their breaches are documented by some snorkelers with a GoPro, and they could not have picked a better time to break it out and start recording.
Humpback whales’ most notable attribute, besides the physical trait the species is named after, is their song. They elicit the most incredible noises on the planet, and scientists who study these amazing animals say that different sounds and pitches are used to communicate with other members of their species. Usually, these conversations are about how to capture prey, to group together against predators or when to go to a certain location together.
There are so many reasons to appreciate these beautiful creatures. We can all play our part to protect these animals by refusing to pay to see them in captivity. Just this one small act can keep more whales wild and beautiful, and free!
Playing Ocean Detective Unraveling the mystery surrounding Alaska’s dead whales. The state of Alaska is huge. With a coastline covering more than 31,000 miles, it can be overwhelming to the trained volunteers, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) agency staff and marine scientists who police it looking for stranded marine mammals. These whales, dolphins, walruses and other animals can strand or wash up on very remote shores. Sometimes they survive, but sadly sometimes they do not. And pinpointing the cause is a challenge.
Unlike with land-based wildlife, we cannot simply travel to
a forest, grassland or other habitat to see if there are any factors that could
be harming the animals. To research whales and other marine mammals, we must
rely largely on what scientists can learn from dead animals to tell us what
happening to them as a species, and to their ocean environment. Every beached
whale, while heartbreaking, can at least provide us some useful information that
may help find a cause and allow us to take action to protect other whales from a
similar fate. As a member of the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network, I personally
know how important the data from stranded marine mammals are to better
understanding what’s impacting these amazing animals.This May, a number of dead endangered fin whales were reported floating near Kodiak, Alaska. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials launched an investigation into these whale deaths. They examined a number of possible causes, including the Northern Edge military ocean-based exercise conducted in and around the Gulf of Alaska. Yet officials found no evidence connecting the exercise to the deaths of the fin whales. In fact, they were unable to pinpoint any one cause.
As the investigation went on, more dead whales washed ashore. By August 20th there were 30 reported dead whales: 11 fin
whales, 14 humpbacks, one gray whale and four unidentified cetaceans. At this
point, it was clear that the problem was larger than the incident in May. NOAA
has officially declared what’s known as an UME – an Unusual Mortality Event. That’s the term for a
situation like this – where large numbers of dead marine mammals are washing
ashore, and scientists can’t easily identify why. There have been 61 formally
declared UMEs since the program began in 1991, giving experts resources to
investigate these incidents and discover not only what factors are responsible,
but what insight they can give us into the state of our oceans. Because when
large numbers of animals start washing ashore, it’s a safe bet that there’s
something larger happening that we just can’t see yet.There have been only two other UMEs in Alaska – one in 2011 involving pinnipeds (seals), and one in 2006 involving sea otters. But this is the first involving large whales. Could these unexplained whale deaths in our region be linked to changes in the ocean? Some suspects include a developing El Nino, or the high Pacific Ocean surface temperatures being blamed on a persistent warm water mass nicknamed “The Blob”. Warm ocean water conditions can fuel large, persistent, and harmful algal blooms in Alaska and California waters – and experts believe the current warmer conditions could continue. So far, all the identified whales have been filter feeders. Could they be ingesting toxic algae? NOAA’s records show that UMEs traced back to biotoxins from harmful algal blooms have become more frequent since the mid-90s. Combined with the current warm water conditions, it’s certainly a possibility. As experts continue to investigate this UME, hopefully we’ll learn more about what’s responsible.
So what can you do to help? The most important thing is that if you live in or visit Alaska and see a dead or stranded marine mammal, please contact the Marine Mammal Stranding Network hotline immediately (877-925-7773). Only specially trained responders should approach marine mammals in distress. Getting the word to the right people as quickly as possible can save an animal’s life, or provide vital information to the scientists working to discover the cause of this UME.
As the investigation continues, it’s vital that we also work to face the changes that we know for certain are already happening in our oceans, impacting species from fish to birds to marine mammals. The world’s oceans are a sink for carbon from fossil-based fuels – leading to ocean acidification, which impacts small ocean prey with shells. Acidification and warming waters (which increase biotoxin incidents) are a double whammy for ocean animals like these whales. You can help by reducing your carbon footprint and by electing officials at all levels of government who address climate change now instead of kicking the can down the road for future leaders to grapple with. The post Playing Ocean Detective appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.
Welcome to the World, New Orca Calf! We know
you’ll be thrilled by this news! This week, the highly endangered population of
southern resident orca living off of the Washington and Oregon coasts welcomed a
new calf to one of their pods, L-pod. Researchers spotted the calf “L122” on Monday this week swimming
next to its mother L91, a 20 year old orca. It’s wonderful to see this orca
population continue to expand, but this group remains highly imperiled by two
major threats: high levels of pollution in the waters in which they live and in
the species they eat, as well as a dramatic reduction in available food. Their
primary food source, the Chinook salmon, has declined by over 80 percent from
historic numbers. Put simply, we can’t continue to restore this orca population
without also without also restoring the salmon. Defenders is working to protect this endangered orca population by reducing
toxins in the orca’s home waters and food sources, increasing or restoring
Chinook salmon habitat so that more fish can spawn and thrive, and making sure
orca watching regulations are enforced to keep orcas in Puget Sound healthy and safe!
A WRONG TURN FOR HUMPBACK WHALES.
Science doesn’t support dividing humpback whale species and removing vital protections.Humpback whales are famous for their distinctive “song” and animated aerial displays. The males sing varied notes intertwined in an elaborate song that can last as long as twenty minutes, sometimes singing on repeat for hours on end. Humpback whales also steal the show with their varied acrobatic routine of leaping out of the water and slapping their tails and flippers against the surface with a resounding splash. Each year people flock to the water for the chance of seeing one of these gentle giants. But although these whales’ numbers have increased in recent decades, they aren’t out of the woods yet.
Initially listed as endangered in 1970, humpback whales have not yet weathered the storm from the decimation wrought by centuries of whaling. Yet this spring, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposed stripping the species of many of its protections under the Endangered Species Act. For management purposes, the agency’s proposal would split the whales into 14 “distinct population segments” around the globe, removing all protections for 10 populations, downlisting two from endangered to threatened, and only retaining endangered status for two populations.
Slicing and dicing the global humpback population into a piecemeal patchwork, where some whales get legal protection and some don’t, makes zero sense. Because humpback whales migrate thousands of miles each year, these proposed 14 populations will be meaningless to the whales themselves. Whales from different populations will inevitably intermingle, making it difficult to determine who’s who to enforce protections. NMFS’s proposal also jumps the gun by declaring the humpback whale a recovery success story. Increasing population numbers do not mean the humpback whale is in the clear: although the species is largely protected from hunting, other threats are increasing, and the risk of extinction still looms.
Like most whales, humpbacks face the threats of increasing underwater noise, entanglements with fishing gear, collisions with large vessels, and the effects of climate change. Warming oceans and changing currents affect where, when, and how much food the whales have, as well as the species’ migration routes, reproductive success, and overall survival. Scientists don’t yet know the full extent to which climate change will affect humpback whales, though it is clear that warming temperatures are altering the ocean’s chemistry and interfering with food webs. In the face of that uncertainty, how can officials declare that humpbacks are recovered? The science does not support either removing protections for humpback whales or breaking the species up into smaller populations with different levels of protection.
Defenders, along with our conservation allies, submitted extensive comments to NMFS detailing all the obstacles to recovery that the humpback whales still need to overcome. Our coalition of experts laid out the reasons why the whales should remain listed as endangered throughout their range, backing up each point with thorough research and substantial scientific data. Now we can only hope that the agency will listen, and these iconic whales will keep the legal protections they need as they face a difficult and uncertain future.
