Photo Credit: Whale and Dolphin Conservation
There has been a serious call for alarm after the deaths of 6 whales in the North Atlantic in the past month.
With these whales already bordering on extinction, this larger outbreak of deaths is cause for concern.
All six of the whales that were found dead were in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off the coast of Canada. With only about 400 whales still around, scientists are concerned that people are being careless out in the seas with these beautiful creatures.
It was reported that three of the whales were found dead as a result of being hit by ships. This is something that the captains of the ships should be constantly on the lookout for, especially since it is common knowledge that the whales are making their way towards the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The whales are drifting into uncharted territories due to low food availability. This is bringing whales outside of their protected zones and making them very vulnerable. If something doesn’t change soon, the death total is going to continue to increase.
Many deaths between the period of 2010-2018 were as a result of entanglement in lobster and crab fishing gear. Whales that get caught in the nets become overly stressed and are deprived of the nutrition that they need. Even if they become free, the damage may be too much for them to survive.
Public outcry is one way to get attention back onto preserving these whales. People have voices that can help sway action to happen. We just need to be more careful and understand how close we are to losing these whales forever. And if we do, it will be solely because of our neglect.
