For more than decades now, the blue whale has been on the “endangered species list” and still are on that list. These giant marine mammals biggest threats are humans. Humans have been a threat to blue whales ever since thousands of years ago when civilizations started whaling. Climate change also takes a very big part in the blue whale’s endangerment because of the temperature rise, because of this blue whale habitats have decreased. Blue whales have also been getting entangled in things like fishing gear additionally, more things humans use. Vessel strikes have also killed many blue whales when they crash into these marine mammals, because of these causes blue whales are now endangered.
Whaling
Whaling is a process of hunting for whales, then using them for goods. People have been whaling since thousands of years ago with very little evidence that the Japanese could’ve been whaling earlier. “During this time, it is estimated that whalers killed up to 99% of blue whale populations. Currently, there are about 5-10,000 blue whales in the Southern Hemisphere and about 3-4,000 in the Northern Hemisphere”, stated by Biological Diversity. (Biological Diversity, n.d). A study from National Geographic says people use almost every part of a blue whale, a blue whale’s meat, bubbler, even organs are eaten as a source of protein, fats, minerals, vitamins. Besides eating blue whales, people also use their bones to make tools, carving masks, etc. The study suggested that baleen (a filter-feeding system) inside blue whales that people use to weave into baskets, used as fishing lines, and they also used it as a roof for buildings in the past. Baleen (along with whale oil that comes from the bubbler) were also very valuable products from agriculture that were used for corsets, hoop skirts, and lamps too in addition. Killing blue whales then using them for goods was first a very popular thing to do in North Europe, before slowly becoming more popular in the USA. Colonists in the USA relied on the oil given from blue whales to light up almost every single lamp in the village. When the 1700s hit, it was very rare to find any whale near the Atlantic Coast. Then in the 1800s, people made more high-quality tools to help whalers, before finally becoming law in 1971 that whaling was officially illegal in the USA. Whaling is not the only reason blue whales are now endangered; temperature plays a big part in this too.
Climate Change & Habitat Reduction
Climate change is a very big concern worldwide. Climate change affects not only humans but also animals, especially marine life. Due to climate change, ocean temperatures are rising in addition are taking habitats away from animals. Blue whales migrate a lot making them rely on stable habitats to search for food, also to give birth too, with temperatures rising this won’t only affect their prey but will change their migration patterns. According to Amanda Shuman from The Honors College at The University of Maine, the “cold and nutrient waters of the North East Pacific hold habitat for krill”. Krill are a marine life species that are prey to the blue whales, blue whales use these as feeding grounds in the summer and warmer waters in the colder seasons, climate change will also affect their diets. The Costa Rican Dome has the perfect temperature for whales to give birth, the rising temperatures can change this making blue whale endangerment worse. Climate change will affect blue whales’ diet, calving, but also their migration patterns which can potentially make the blue whale species extinct. Climate change is not the only way this species could go into extinction, crashes can also make this worse.
Vessel Strikes
With whales on the verge of extinction, vessel strikes will only make this worse. A vessel strike is when there is an accident between a marine animal and any type of water transportation. According to NOAA marine animals that get struck by a vessel strike are severely injured or killed, additionally, when there is a vessel strike between water transportation and a larger sea animal, the vessel can get damaged furthermore, can cause very serious injuries to its passengers. “From 2010 to 2014, 37 whales were reported to have been injured by vessel strikes along the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada, as well as the Gulf of Mexico”, as reported by NOAA.(NOAA n.d). The most common marine animals to get in a vessel strikes are dolphins, sea turtles, and whales. According to a non-profit research company, Cascadia Research, five blue whales were found killed due to vessel strikes. Thanks to the Santa Barbra channel three out of five of these mammals were found, this is one of the reasons why blue whales are endangered, however, its entanglement will only make this worse.
Whales Entangled
In addition to why blue whales are on the verge of extinction is that they get entangled in such things as fishing gear, ropes, etc. Blue whales that manage to get out of the entanglement could be swimming around with supplies they got entangled in for days, months, or even years resulting, infections and wrapping furthermore, which affects their ability to swim and eat. Whales drag thee entangled items which makes them use more energy to swim and move furthermore making it harder for these mammals to eat potentially resulting in starvation. According to NOAA, an average survival for North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW) to survive while dragging entangled things was about five months while a few lasted for years and others died instantly. (NOAA. n.d). When getting entangled the survival chance for the animal depends on the location of its entanglement and the severity of the entangled whale.
Humans have been a threat to these giant-sized mammals ever since time and forever will be. In our daily lives, we use plastic, however, plastic harms these creatures putting them at a greater risk of extinction. Water bottles, containers, and plastic cup often make their way to the waters, although we throw plastic into recycling most of the recycle still make their way to the ocean, slowly killing them. With humanity, increasing blue whales are slowly dying.