Whales are massive creatures in our seas. We don’t have too many around England’s coasts, but they do sometimes turn up (usually in Cornwall or Devon and more frequently north of the border in Scotland). Not just amazing creatures that migrate huge distances and sing beautiful songs, whales play crucial roles in the health of our oceans.
The sad news is that whales are now critically endangered, due to loss of habitat, pollution, ghost fishing waste (that entangles them), over-fishing (they often are caught as by-catch in fishing nets) and of course hunting (illegal in most places, but it still goes on).
Thanksfully, ancient practices like using whale blubber meat and sperm oil for cosmetics (now replaced by jojoba oil) have gone. But some cosmetics companies still use squalene oil (vegan brands use olive oil based versions) and some perfume companies use ambergris ‘whale poop’).
Baleen whales are the largest and include the blue whale, which is as long as the 100m you ran at school, with a heart the size of a small car. They filter-feed small fish and krill, and the family also includes right whales and bowheads, most of which migrate (a couple don’t).
Toothed whales are good predators and like dolphins, are very intelligent with large brains. Nearly all whales are toothed whales, the largest being the sperm whale.Some whales are so rare, they have never been seen alive (just a few washed ashore). Beluga and narwhal toothed whales live in Arctic waters (the latter known for its long tooth, which looks like a unicorn tusk).
Why Are Whales Endangered?
Whales are now ‘critically endangered’, which means their numbers are dangerously low, and we could lose them forever, if we don’t act soon. Whale populations have dropped by at least 80% of in three generations, and they are not the fastest-breeding creatures.
It’s believed there are only around 70 reproductive female North Atlantic right whales left (same as the vaquita – a porpoise often mistaken for a whale).
The most pressing reasons why whales are endangered are:
- Habitat Loss. Industrial developmenet on coastlines destroys habitats, and this in turn affects migration and feeding patterns.
- Climate change. This warms waters, and forces whales to adapt to disrupted ecosystems.
- Fishing practices. Many whales get injured or drowned in fishing nets. They also get injured from ingesting ghost fishing and other plastic waste.
- Ship Strikes. Busy shipping routes can increase risk of fatal collisions.
- Pollution. From oil spills to plastic waste, even noise pollution makes life in the oceans tougher for marine creatures.
- Hunting. Although commercial whaling has been banned, some countries (Japan, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands) flout the law, and have killed over 40,000 whales since the ban in 1986.
Conservation Efforts for Whales
Internationally, there are many organisations working to protect whales from harm. The main solution would be Ocean Sanctuaries, which are not ‘owned’ by any country, and simply leave the creatures be. But as oil and plastic litter travels, we also have to do our bit.
Educating anglers and fisheries on the perils of over-fishing and using better types of equipment would go a long way to help. Learn more on how to reduce ghost fishing waste.
Beach clean-up operations can help to stop the litter travelling out to sea and harming marine creatures. Get involved in volunteer beach clean-ups.
Ask Michelin to Stop Serving Whale Meat
Whale & Dolphin Conservation is asking people to ask Michelin to stop serving whale meat. The Michelin Guide still recommends restaurants that serve whale meat, and even rewards some with a star. It takes hours for whales to die (some heavily pregnant with calves).
Michelin would not recommend restaurants that serve endangered tigers or rhinos, so why whales? Be careful if you go on a cruise on the Fjords. Whale meat is often served as ‘steak’ to unsuspecting tourists.
How to Help Stranded and Injured Whales
- If you see a whale in distress, call British Divers Marine Life Rescue (the RSPCA and Coastguard can also put you through).
- Meanwhile, put on gloves if needed, steer clear of trashing tails and keep yourself safe from tides, so you are able to help the whale.
- Upright the whale if on its side, by gently rolling onto underbelly (get others to help). Dig trenches under the pectoral fins, so the whale can hang comfortably.
- If the whale is stranded on land, pour water over it to keep skin moist, but never pour water into the blowhole, this is a whale’s nostril and needed to breath. You can even soak seaweed and drape it over, but again never cover the blowhole. Ensure the area is quiet to reduce stress for the whale. Also keep yourself safe from tides etc, so you can help the whale too.
Dummy whales used on beaches for their Marine Mammal Medic Course are so lifelike, that locals often rush over to help!
Books to Learn More About Whales
Humpback Whale is a beautifully illustrated guide for young readers. Learn how these ‘singing giants’ of the ocean’ use special ‘bubble nets’ to catch fish. The book (by a pioneering Sri Lankan marine biologist) also touches on the dangers they face from hunting and noise pollution, and how conservation efforts have restored their numbers.
Show Us Where You Live, Humpback is a beautifully told story about humpback whales, showing how children and baby whales love to swim, sing and blow bubbles. The underwater bond between a mother humpback whale and her calf, is touchingly like our own. Patterned in a call-and-response format (the mother observes and the child responds), the book is peppered with facts, then leaves readers gently falling asleep, dreaming of the wonderful world we share with whales.
