The Resurgence of Whales

Source: Marisa Liberato

“There’s a spout!”

Naturalist Celia Ackerman calls excitedly to the captain. “Behind the green buoy!”
Such a sighting would have been almost unimaginable 20 years ago, when the waters around New York City were some of the most polluted in the world—a toxic stew of chemicals and garbage. Yet thanks to successful environmental policies—such as the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act—whales are back in the Big Apple.
Since 2011, when the nonprofit Gotham Whale recorded just five humpbacks, the number of cetaceans spotted off New York City has increased dramatically. By 2018, sightings had jumped to 272. This year promises to break that record, with 377 whales of different species already recorded in the waters around New York, most of them humpbacks.
As water quality improved and pollution levels fell, tiny oceanic life-forms such as algae and zooplankton bounced back, providing a crucial food base for a resurgence in menhaden, a schooling fish favored by whales. You won’t find menhaden, colloquially called bunker, on a restaurant menu—they are oily and smell terrible—but they’re like caviar for whales.

"Their return to the biggest city on the Atlantic bodes well for the ocean’s long-term health."

“Policymakers must keep in mind that this is an extremely slowly maturing animal.”

“What’s the longest living animal?”

Mohamed Larbi Bahou asked Weird Animal Question of the Week.Some deep-sea fish, like the orange roughy, live to be 175 years old, according to the book Sexuality in Fishes. As far as mammals go, bowhead whales seem to have the most candles on their cake—over 200.
“We had an expectation that they would be very long-lived animals, but I was surprised that they turned out to be as old as they did,” says study leader Julius Nielsen. It makes sense, since the marine mammals live in chilly waters, says Don Moore, director of the Oregon Zoo in Portland. A cold environment causes a low body temperature, which in turn means slow metabolism—and thus less damage to tissues.
“The longevity is remarkable, but I hope the public recognizes how important that is with regard to how we manage and conserve Arctic and deepwater ecosystems,” says Aaron Fisk, an ecologist who was not involved with this research. Incidentally, the bowhead also has the largest mouth of any animal. No comment.

Source: Monica Bertolazzi

Source: sot

“Whale watching can replace whale hunting”

"The Japanese are becoming more interested in watching whales than eating them".Researchers at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), have been tracking the numbers, which they’ve shared exclusively with National Geographic ahead of a global whale watching report they plan to publish next year.
Japan’s whale watching industry emerged during the 1980s but has been gaining momentum in recent years. During the seven-year period ending in 2015, the number of whale watchers increased by more than 40,000. IFAW estimates that about two-thirds of the people who take to the sea with binoculars are Japanese nationals rather than foreign visitors.
With the new fascination has come increased revenue for tour operators and others.Japan’s whale watching industry generated some eight million dollars in 2015, an amount the organization believes has been growing by 20 percent a year.

“One of the Japan government’s goals is to strengthen ecotourism, including whale watching.”