Fishing Gear – See Animals Wild

North Pacific right whale

The North Pacific right whale is in a similar position. In the eastern North Pacific there is a population of 30-35, while the western North Pacific is around 300.

It should be noted, that despite this numbers, the North Pacifi right whale is only considered Endangered. not critically endnagered.

While hunting was the initial driver to drop the population. Current threats include ship strikes, as well as entanglement in fishing gear, and of course the small size of the population. Some of the places with the highest density are Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Okhotsk Sea, Kuril Islands, and Kamchatka area, though I should mention that this is a huge area, so does not help a great deal.

Below is a video of a rare sighting of this species. Below that is a list of references to this species on this website (if any). Below this, we will add any opportunities to see this species in the wild.

Lone grey whale migrates half way around the world

Tim
June 12, 2021

DNA analysis has shown that a grey whale first seen off the South West African coast, originated in a population off the eastern coast of Asia.

Humpback whale

The humpback whale is a widely recognized species. Weighing around 40 tonnes, and measuring 14-17m. It is known for its habit of breaching (as above) which can be heard from miles away, and its incredibly complex song, which can last between 4 minutes and 33.

Their low sounds can be heard by whales 1000 miles away, and have been picked up by electronic sources far further away than that.

Whaling did horrific damage to this species, with their population falling to just 5000 in the 1960s. Thankfully, having been protected, the population is now around 135,000. Subspecies are more varied, with those in the northern hemisphere less secure. The least secure is the Arabian sea population, which is thought to be isolated for 70,000 years and there are only 80 that remain.

Threats to individual whales include entanglement in fishing gear, ocean noise and collisions with ships.

They are known to have hunting methods more complex than most baleen whales, including bubble netting which forces the fish into tighter shoals to then be taken in one mouthful.

Young are predated by orca in some parts of the world, and many carry scars from these encounters to the end of their lives.

December 16, 2019May 14, 2020

Dumped fishing gear here is the biggest plastic problem in the oceans

It is certainly true that large amounts of plastic works it way down are rivers and out to sea, and it is important that we remove these pollutants before they reach the sea as soon as possible.