Go Big Blue!
By Thomas Wiley
Is that a cheer for the Duke Blue Devils basketball team? No? Is it an advertisement for IBM’s next super computer? Wrong again.
Then it must be a long awaited Hooray for the recovering population of Blue Whales in our oceans. Based on sightings and studies conducted in the Eastern Pacific (along the California coast), Blue whales (Balaenoptera Musculus in Latin) have made a remarkable population recovery. This comes as good news amid projections such as the one that foresees more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.
As with most environmental fixes, the blue whale population recovery has been long in coming. The world’s largest animal has roamed the oceans for millions of years. It can grow to 100 feet in length and weigh as much as 200 tons – the weight of 30 elephants and longer than the longest jumbo jet. Its body parts and eating habits are astounding as well with a tongue that weighs 2 tons, a heart as big as a small car and an esophagus only 4 inches in diameter which manages to swallow 7,900 pounds of food (krill) per day. A blue whale’s life begins as a 4,000 pound calf who, at 7 months, is 50 feet long and weighs 46,000 pounds. Needless to say, don’t tangle with one of these giants on your surfboard.
Like all populations of whales, the estimated pre-whaling population of Big Blue at 350,000 was decimated from the mid 19th century until 1920, when only 1,000 existed. That’s when the International Whaling Commission and the Marine Mammal Protection Act took protective measures. Better late than never, I guess.
Today, only three nations continue to hunt whales, and, in spite of some cheating, whale populations are rebounding. Respecting the blue whale, a 2014 entry in Earth Island Journal titled, “Blue Whale Recovery Report Leaves Room for Caution” notes progress along the Eastern Pacific, but cites continued casualties caused by ocean shippers, ocean pollution and cheating in other parts of the world as problematic. Read the article here:
Fast forward 9 years to an entry posted by Nice News, in August 2023 titled, “Whale Wonder: How Blue Whales Made a Big Comeback off California’s Coast” wherein cooperation among stakeholders in the fishing industry, offshore drillers, transoceanic shippers, environmental and animal rights groups has led to steady increases in blue whale populations. Current estimated world blue whale population is now 15,000 – 25,000, with 2,000 near California. Read this article for more information and how you can help here:
https://nicenews.com/animals/how-blue-whales-made-comeback-california/
The key is cooperation among disparate but interested groups – everyone compromises so the whales can benefit – win/win.
GO BIG BLUE!
How You Can Help
Recycle and dispose of unwanted materials in the proper method. If you’re getting rid of a lot of organic material, try composting!
Participate in beach cleanups to minimize levels of ocean pollution! Lots of coastal cities will have local cleanup events that you can participate in.
Make sure to check your vehicle for any potential leaks, as during rainstorms, oil runoff will flow into storm drains that lead to major water sources.
Find and sign petitions to stop the whaling business.
