Blue Whales: Save nature’s most magnificent and graceful beings!!

Blue whales are the largest known animal ever to have lived on Earth, reaching around 30m in length and weighing up to 180 tons. A blue whale’s heart is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle car. Louder, larger, longer and heavier than any other creature, it’s a multi-record breaker and a totem of conservation for all whales and dolphins.

We must ask ourselves: if we can’t save the blue whale, what hope is there?

Appearance

The gentle giant of the sea, the blue whale is instantly recognisable with a long, streamlined shape, mottled blue or grey back and pale underbelly. They each have huge heads that are broad, long and have a unique U-shaped arch, and can reach up to a quarter of their body lengths in size. Famous for their sheer mass, blue whales glide effortlessly through the ocean, dwarfing all else in their path. Commanding awe, they grow to over 33 meters long (around 100ft) – twice as along as a T-Rex dinosaur. Even their calves are a whopping 7 meters in length, weighing in the same as an adult African elephant.

Antarctic blue whales are generally larger than other blue whale subspecies. For example, in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, blue whales can grow up to about 90 feet, but in the Antarctic, they can reach up to about 110 feet and weigh more than 330,000 pounds. Like other baleen whales, female blue whales are generally larger than males.

What’s life like for a blue whale?

Life for a blue whale should be quite long. A normal life span is up to 90 years, though one famous whale lived for 110 years.

Reproducing once every two or three years, female blue whales carry their young for 12 months before giving birth. Maintaining a strong bond, young calves stay close to their mother’s side for around seven to nine months before being weaned. Learning and growing is thirsty business for a baby blue whale, they can drink up to 250 litres of milk every day.

Blue whales are also great travellers and pods undertake an endless cycle of migration, heading to cold waters to feed and then warmer waters to breed and look after their young. They eat very little en route and survive mostly on their blubber reserves, for up to four months at a time. Whether they are travelling or not, blue whales like to communicate with each other.

Behaviour and Diet

Blue whales sometimes swim in small groups but are more often found alone or in pairs. They generally spend summers feeding in polar waters and undertake lengthy migrations towards the Equator as winter arrives.

Blue whales typically swim at about 5 miles an hour while they are feeding and travelling but can accelerate to more than 20 miles an hour for short bursts. They are among the loudest animals on the planet, emitting a series of pulses, groans, and moans, and it is thought that in the right oceanographic conditions, Sometimes, they talk to each other over hundreds of miles producing songs and sounds of up to 188 decibels. That’s louder than a jet plane!

Ironically, the largest animal on the planet survives by eating one of the smallest. Feasting mostly on krill – a tiny shrimp like creature found in great clouds in the ocean – blue whales can eat up to 40 million of them a day! Scooping them up in huge mouthfuls of water, they filter out the krill from the seawater through curtain-like teeth known as baleen, releasing the water back into the sea.

Where do blue whales live?

Although once upon a time there may have been over 350,000 blue whales in our oceans, pre-industrial hunting decimated their populations and now there are only between 10,000 and 25,000 left.

Preferring to live in deep ocean, blue whales are rarely seen close to shore. In the Northern Hemisphere, they can be seen in the northeast Pacific, from Alaska to Costa Rica, and migrate towards the northwest of the Pacific too. In the North Atlantic Ocean, blue whales can be found near Greenland, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. In the Southern Hemisphere, small populations remain in the Antarctic, as well as parts of the Indian Ocean.

Blue whales are found in all oceans except the Arctic. They generally migrate seasonally between summer feeding grounds and winter breeding grounds, but some evidence suggests that individuals remain in certain areas year-round. Information about distribution and movement varies with location, and migratory routes are not well-known. In general, distribution is driven largely by food availability—they occur in waters where krill is concentrated.

The main threats...

Hunting – The whale is one of Earth’s most magnificent creatures. But over the last two centuries, they were hunted mercilessly for their meat and oil. Whalers are constantly pushing for reprieve and pose a constant risk, trying to wrangle so-called sustainable hunting. Pirate whaling is also a threat.

By the turn of the ’80s, rampant, uncontrolled whaling had pushed several species to the point of extinction. The world’s great whales, including blue, fin, sei and humpback whales, had been almost totally wiped out.

But although there is a ban on commercial whaling, some governments have bent the rules by killing whales for “scientific research” – with the meat from these “scientific” catches going straight to the supermarket. Around 1,000 whales are killed for “scientific research” annually.

Pollution – increasingly plagued by the buildup of toxic chemicals from plastic, litter and oil spills in their systems, the health and fertility of large whales could be seriously comprised by pollution. Dumping 80 million tons of plastic every year into the Ocean.

Noise pollution – blue whales rely on sound to navigate and communicate. Noise from military sonar, oil and gas drilling and exploration and shipping can seriously disrupt them and even cause them to strand.

Fishing nets and gear - trawl nets are pulled by boats; static nets hang in the water; both catch everyone and everything in their path and are a massive threat to blue whales.

Blue whales can become entangled in fishing gear, either swimming off with the gear attached or becoming anchored. Blue whales can become entangled in many different gear types, including traps, pots, and gillnets. Once entangled, whales may drag and swim with attached gear for long distances, ultimately resulting in fatigue, compromised feeding ability, or severe injury, which may lead to reduced reproductive success and death.

Vessel strikes – the number of boats on the ocean is increasing all the time. Though they are large, blue whales are relatively slow and are vulnerable to strikes by many kinds of vessels. Vessel strikes can injure or kill blue whales. Vessel strikes have killed blue whales throughout their range, but the risk is much higher in some coastal areas with heavy vessel traffic.

Irresponsible whale watching – their size and fame make blue whales very popular with whale watchers, but unfortunately in some parts of the world boats are getting too close and interfering with their lives and natural behaviours.

Facts and stats

Around 35,000 –  whales killed since the 1986 international moratorium on commercial whaling came into effect.

130 – number of western north Pacific gray whales in existence. Only around 30 are females of breeding age, making this one of the world’s most endangered whale species.

330,000 – blue whales killed in the Southern Ocean before the ban on commercial whaling. Today, there are thought to be only 2,300 blue whales left in the whole Southern Hemisphere.

What next?

Today, some great whale populations are recovering, especially the humpback. But 6 of the 13 great whale species including the immense blue whale are still classed as endangered or vulnerable.

How you can help?

It may be the flash of a tail, a plume of vapour or, if you’re lucky, the giant body breaching the surface. Anybody who’s ever seen a whale will tell you it’s an unforgettable experience. For some, the fascination with these intelligent and majestic creatures is enough to want to save them.  For others, the desire to save whales may result from the desire to save … ourselves.

Whales are facing major obstacles in oceans around the globe. Everyday whale populations are affected by climate change, pollution, human-created noise in the ocean, and over-fishing. You can help save whales by –

1.     Speak out against seismic and sonar testing. 

Sonar and seismic testing threaten whale populations in coastal areas. Much of this testing is done by oil and gas companies or by federal agencies, like the United States Navy. Urge your government to stop sonar and seismic testing.

Try writing a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service and urge them to protect whales from seismic and sonar testing.

2.     Sign a petition to stop whaling. 

One way to take direct action is by signing a petition to stop whaling in countries like Japan, Iceland, or Norway. You can add your name to a growing list of global citizens who oppose the continuation of whaling practices.

You can find global and local petitions on websites like change.org.

3.     Organize a letter writing campaign.

One letter is powerful, but ten, twenty, or even a hundred letters can have a larger impact. Get together a group of friends, family, colleagues, or classmates and ask them to all write letters to governments representatives on a particular issue concerning whales.

Try having a group of people work with the organisation Save the Whales to send a flurry of letters to the Norwegian Embassy asking the Norwegian government to stop supporting the whaling industry.

4.     Host a community event. 

It is important to inform others in your community about the threats faced by whale populations around the globe. Consider organising a community event where attendees can learn about threats to whales like Japan's black-market whale meat trade, the effects of climate change on whales, and government loopholes that allow whaling to continue.

Try screening a movie, hosting a dance party, or facilitating a round table community conversation about whales.

Consider taking donations at the event and giving them to an organisation with an active anti-whaling campaign, like Greenpeace.

5.     Support efforts to curb climate change. 

Warming oceans and diminishing sea ice are affecting whale habitats around the globe. Contact your government representatives and tell them to support international, national, and local efforts to curb carbon emissions and fight global warming.

6.     Research Avoid products that contain whale meat. 

Japan is free to ignore the statutes of the International Whaling Commission, and thereby sets its own quotas and standards for whaling. Meat from Japan's so-called “research whaling” is then packaged and sold on international markets. Avoid consuming whale meat or buying products made from whales.

 7.     Join a conservation organization. 

One of the most effective ways you can help save whales is by joining an organisation that is actively working to stop practices that harm whales. You can become a member of a conservation organisation with a small donation. Students can usually join for a reduced fee.

Support an organisation like the World Wildlife Fund or Greenpeace, which are both working to help save whales.

8.     Consider an ongoing monthly gift. 

One of the most important ways you can help whale populations is with a continuing donation to a conservation organisation. Instead of making a one-time gift, consider setting up a monthly donation in a smaller amount.

Try making a monthly donation to a conservation organisation like the Natural Resources Defence Council.

9.     Adopt a whale. 

Some organisations allow individuals to make a symbolic whale adoption. For a donation to the organisation, you can symbolically adopt a whale while donating cash to the cause. Many organisations will give you a personalised adoption certificate commemorating your adoption.

Try adopting a whale through an organisation like Defenders of Wildlife.