WhalesSome professionals fear climate crisis is leading animals back to area where they were hunted nearly to extinctionTue 24 Aug 2021 15.33 BSTBlue whales, the worlds biggest mammals, are returning to Spains Atlantic coast after a lack of more than 40 years.The first one was found off the coast of Galicia in north-west Spain in 2017 by Bruno Díaz, a marine biologist who is head of the Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute in O Grove, Galicia.Another was found in 2018, another the following year, and then in 2020 they both returned. Spain did not ban whaling up until 1986, by which time the blue whale was all however extinct in the region.However, not everyone sees the whales return as great news.”Im cynical due to the fact that theres a high possibility that climate modification is having a major impact on the blue whales environment,” Alfredo López, a marine biologist at a Galician NGO that studies marine mammals, told the newspaper La Voz de Galicia.”In current years its been discovered that the blue whales migration is driven by memory, not by environmental conditions,” he said.”Researchers think this type of folk memory, or cultural understanding, exists in many species and is crucial to their survival.A typical blue whale is 20-24 metres long and weighs 120 tonnes– equivalent to 16 elephants– however specimens of up to 30 metres and 170 tonnes have actually been found.
WhalesSome specialists fear climate crisis is leading creatures back to location where they were hunted almost to extinctionTue 24 Aug 2021 15.33 BSTBlue whales, the worlds biggest mammals, are going back to Spains Atlantic coast after an absence of more than 40 years.The initially one was found off the coast of Galicia in north-west Spain in 2017 by Bruno Díaz, a marine biologist who is head of the Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute in O Grove, Galicia.Another was found in 2018, another the list below year, and then in 2020 they both returned. Simply over a week ago a various specimen was sited off the Islas Cíes, near O Grove.Díaz said it was not yet clear whether the environment crisis was leading the animals to change their practices and go back to an area where they were hunted nearly to extinction.”I believe the moratorium on whaling has actually been an essential element,” he stated. “In the 1970s, prior to the restriction was introduced, an entire generation of blue whales disappeared. Now, more than 40 years later on, were seeing the return of the descendants of the few that made it through.”There was a centuries-old whaling industry and a lots whaling ports in Galicia. Spain did not prohibit whaling until 1986, by which time the blue whale was all however extinct in the region.However, not everybody sees the whales return as great news.”Im downhearted due to the fact that theres a high possibility that climate change is having a significant influence on the blue whales habitat,” Alfredo López, a marine biologist at a Galician NGO that studies marine mammals, informed the paper La Voz de Galicia.”Firstly, due to the fact that they never venture south of the equator, and if international warming presses this line north, their environment will be reduced. And second of all, if it means the food they normally consume is vanishing, then what were seeing is remarkable and not something to commemorate.”Díaz hypothesizes that the animals may likewise have gone back to Galicia out of a type of homesickness, or ancestral memory.”In current years its been discovered that the blue whales migration is driven by memory, not by ecological conditions,” he said. “This year there hasnt been a notable boost in plankton, however here they are. Experiences are kept in the collective memory and drive the species to return.”Researchers believe this type of folk memory, or cultural knowledge, exists in many types and is crucial to their survival.A normal blue whale is 20-24 metres long and weighs 120 tonnes– comparable to 16 elephants– but specimens of as much as 30 metres and 170 tonnes have been found. goalExceededMarkerPercentage. We will be in touch to remind you to contribute. Watch out for a message in your inbox in October 2021. If you have any concerns about contributing, please call us.