Whale Conservation Facts – What Can You Do?

Whales roam around the world’s oceans, communicating with one another through mysterious and complex sounds. Their sheer size is what amazes us the most. Blue Whales, the biggest whale, can weigh up to 200 tonnes and is more than 30 metres in length. There are many different species of whale, each having their own distinct traits and characteristics. However, one alarming thing about whales is that most are considered as endangered species.

What’s ironic is that there are no natural predators of whales, yet they continue to be endangered. This reflects on all the man-made issues that have been created for whales all over the world. Because of these issues, a large number of whales die each year.

From food to sports and hunting, the natural habitat of whales is being destroyed every passing day, which is putting them in trouble. Thankfully, several conservation efforts are underway to protect them and get their numbers back up.

The Endangered Whales

The following five species of whales are considered nationally threatened within the Australian waters:

• Southern right whale (endangered)
• Blue whale (endangered)
• Sei whale (vulnerable)
• Humpback whale (vulnerable)
• Fin whale (vulnerable)

The Australian government is working hard to ensure that the right plans are put in place for identifying the problem area. They are specifically working on habitat degradation.

Whale Conservation

It is important to keep in mind that whales do not reproduce until they are 7-10 years of age. This means that the loss of immature whales can have a significant impact on future reproduction. What’s important right now is that we make sure that these numbers do not plummet even lower. The biggest promoters in these conservation efforts for whales is WWF, the World Wildlife Foundation. They are making sure to do their part in increasing awareness among people about the true situation of whales in the oceans and what they can do to prevent their number from plummeting.

In addition to creating awareness, they are also working with the International Whaling Commission to ensure that the right rules and regulations are imparted for whale hunting.  The goal is to get such agreements and laws in place that do not cause any further problems for the already low number of whales.

What Can You Do?

Here are some simple yet effective things you can do to protect whales:

• Don’t be a contributor to marine debris
• Try to do your best efforts to put an end to the captivity of whales. Choose to go for responsible whale watching rather than visiting the facilities where they are held captive
• Try to minimize the use of plastic in your lives as it ultimately ends up in the ocean and affects the lives of sea creatures
• Educate your colleagues and share what you have learned as this is how you are going to influence the next generation of ocean advocates

While not all whale species are endangered, taking measures to protect them will be beneficial for all the species. Whales continue to be the primary targets of destruction, and it is best to try and implement all the conservation efforts to ensure that their population is not affected any further.