Whales in "Hot Water" Shift Migration Season
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| Image Source and Coutresy Animal Planet |
Whale seasons naturally start
and come to an end through the oceans and countries, from North to Centro and
South America and other regions. Whether in the Pacific or the Atlantic whale
packs migrate their natural patterns. Observations of the 2014 Whale Seasons
throughout the world reveal new insights on the life of the ancient giants
while new reports try to answer the question on how climate change is affecting
the populations.
On November 17th the
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society WDCS released a report titled
"Whales in Hot Water" in views of the coming International Climate
Change Summit to hosted in Peru Lima Capital on December COP-20.
"There is now
unequivocal evidence that climate change is happening and that human activities
are contributing to it...A number of factors, including the complexity of
marine food webs, affect our ability to accurately predict changes in the
oceans, but it is clear that the impacts of climate change will include changes
in: temperature, sea levels, sea-ice extent, water acidity and salinity,
rainfall patterns, storm frequency, wind speed, wave conditions and climate
patterns," the report states.
On November 12th international
press reported on the closing of Australia’s Whale Seasons and the final days
of the Centro America whale season. In Argentina registers of observation of
the Atlantic Ocean Whale Season assure that the season peaked to its all-time
high with the largest number of Whale individuals ever reported.
20 Minutos reported from
Panama on the search for whales and calves. Panama ocean waters receive every
year Humpback and Yubartas whales form July to September. The country also
receives over 15 million international tourists which travel to the country
exclusively to take a look into the lives of these giants. Whale Season in
Panama generates over 1.5 billion USD per year on ecological sustainable
activities alone. Whales travelling into Panama and Centro America do so for
reproduction keeping close to the coast.
In Argentina the Public University
of Public Knowledge reported that with the end of October the Southern Right
Whale population navigating to Valdez Peninsula reached a new record of
sighting.
A total of 757 whales were
registered by Argentinean scientists in the province of Chubut. The data when
compared to population sightings going as far back as 1971 could signal to an
increase of number of whales and population recovery since protection and
conservation policies were made effective. Argentina registered a total of 255
birth and 17 deaths. The information was released by the Institute of Whale
Conservation ICB and Ocean Alliance OA.
The organizations concluded
that populations could reach and exceed currently 1 million considering that
many individuals which navigate far off coasts and away from sightings ranges.
The report “Whales in Hot
Water” assures that the impacts of climate change on cetaceans are expected to
be diverse and mediated in various ways. Impacts and effects range from temperatures
to distribution, loss of ice-loss of habitat, DNA mutations, affections to
pathogens, chemical sea water alterations, trophic chain alterations, increase
of toxins, algae blooms, polar changes, migration routes, human impacts,
over-fishing, hunting, noise pollution and marine traffic among numerous other
impacts. In Argentina, Valdez Peninsula scientists say that for some reason
whales are being infected after being pecked on by seagulls which naturally feeds
on its skin and fat.
The vast amount of impacts whales
face makes prediction and models of future development extremely complex.
However, studies throughout the world show that populations of Whales are
slowly recovering in just decades of conservation and protection, marine
sanctuaries and natural marine corridor establishment.
The report which ends with
conclusions and recommendations for policy states that despite it is difficult
to predict precise consequences many issues are already established.
"It is unclear to what
extent cetaceans will be able to adapt to the rate of climate change predicted
in the near future," WDCS says adding that data and research is one of the
largest deficit in the sector.
