The Blue Whale 

By: Matthew Raidy

       The Blue Whale currently faces no direct threats, because it doesn’t compete with humans for resources, and they have been protected under the Endangered Species Act from whaling since 1966, yet this mammal still resides on the endangered species list. Whaling contributed to the depletion of their numbers up until 1966, but now the main threat is due to indirect threats, such as collisions with vessels, eat anglement in fishing gear, and habitat degradation. The Blue Whale, otherwise known as Balaenoptera musculus, have a maximum recorded length of 33m, and have the potential to weigh upwards of 150,000 kg. Like other species of Whales, the female Blue Whales are typically larger than the male Blue Whales, and it is common for theses Whales to be larger the farther north they consider home. It is also important to note that the Blue Whale is a K selected species, so while efforts are being made to protect them, it will take a very long time for their numbers to reach what they used to be. 

Ecosystem

Migratory Patterns for Blue Whales

      “Home” for the Blue Whales is spread all throughout the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, and, while whaling and other indirect causes have greatly depleted the number of Blue Whales in the ocean, these hardly affected the distribution of the Blue Whales, and there is no evidence to show that there is any extrapolation of individual Blue Whale ecosystems. The Blue Whale migrates throughout the oceans in search of food, taking advantage of the areas that provide the most zooplankton in each individual season. The zooplankton is the Blue Whale’s main source of food, and therefore dictates the migration pattern of the Whales.

Protection for the Blue Whale

Protection for the Blue Whale began in 1939, when they were protected from whaling in portions of the southern hemisphere. This complete protection extended to the North Atlantic due to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling in 1955, and finally the species was listed as endangered in 1966.

      Blue Whales are listed as endangered mainly due to the unregulated whaling that occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries. Whaling wasn’t too popular in the 1800s due to the lack of technology to Whale frequently, but the invention of the steam powered engine in the late 1800s led to a surge of whaling leading into the 1900s, which led to the large depletion and eventual endangerment of the Blue Whale. Although this was the main cause for listing, the threat of indirect dangers such as collisions with boats and depletion of resources are what continue to keep Blue Whale populations down, and keep it on the endangered species list.

Recovery Plan

The Recovery Plan, published in July of 1988, outlines what must be done in order to ensure the survival and effective recovery of the Blue Whale, focusing on down listing the species from “endangered” to “threatened”, and then eventually to “recovered”. Because of the migratory nature of the Blue Whale, the plan does not confine it’s efforts to the United States, but rather focuses on a multinational approach. This plan focuses on three main points: Improving research of Blue Whales, Reducing negligent killing, and habitat regulation. Through research, the goal is to determine exact migratory patterns and habitats for specific endangered populations of the Blue Whale. Once this is done, the entities in charger of implementing this plan can focus on curbing the amount of accidental killings of the Blue Whales, and can also preserve the habitats I'm which they are residing. To stop accidental killings, the goal is to find where heavy maritime traffic and Whale habitats/migratory routes coincide, and redirect traffic out of the way of the Whales. When habitats are located, they will be monitored, and it will be made certain that they provide optimum conditions for which the Blue Whale can thrive.

What Can You Do?

      There is not much that we can do personally to help the Blue Whale, because the problems are mainly with fishermen and other boats. However, if you feel strongly about this issue, you can write to the representatives for California in government to urge them to pass legislation stopping fishing and boating patterns concurrent with the Blue Whale’s migratory patterns. With your help, we can bring this issue to the people who can actually do something about it, and expedite the process of saving the Blue Whale.      

Sources/ Resources:
Randall R. Reeves, Phillip J. Clapham,, and Robert L. Brownell, Jr., And Gregory K. Silber. RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE BLUE WHALE (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

http://www.whaleroute.com/migrate/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/blue-whale/