South Georgia, a sub-Antarctic island, was at the epicenter for whale hunting in the early 20th century. The territory's boats with their steam-powered harpoons caused populations of the Antarctic blue whale to drop so badly that there had only been a few isolated sightings of … [Read more...] about Researchers celebrate sudden uptick in Antarctic blue whale sightings
Whales
Whales have an amazing potential in fighting climate change
While trees may be the best nature-based terrestrial solution to capturing carbon from human emissions, a new report shows that the ocean has its own gentle giants with an incredible potential to combat climate change — whales. According to the report, published by the … [Read more...] about Whales have an amazing potential in fighting climate change
Scientists are deploying satellites to monitor whale strandings from space
Back in 2015, Chile saw one of the largest mass mortality of baleen whales in recorded history, tallying at least 343 whales. But the remote location of the stranding meant that it went unreported for weeks, after which whales went missing and decomposition made it hard to … [Read more...] about Scientists are deploying satellites to monitor whale strandings from space
Southwest Atlantic humpback whales have returned from the brink of extinction
In the late 1920s, humpback whales in the southwest Atlantic became so rare that whaling ships could only find and catch a few dozen individuals per year. It was estimated that some 27,000 humpbacks frequented the southwest Atlantic at the start of the 20th century, but due to … [Read more...] about Southwest Atlantic humpback whales have returned from the brink of extinction
New York Harbor sees whale populations rebound due to cleaner waters
Over the last couple of decades, due to high levels of pollution and overfishing, the waters surrounding New York City have become devoid of some of their original marine inhabitants, such as the humpback whale. But, thanks to successful environmental policies, the gorgeous … [Read more...] about New York Harbor sees whale populations rebound due to cleaner waters