Hot Blood in a Cold Sea
By Mary Jane Schramm
“They say the sea is cold, but the sea contains the hottest blood of all, and the wildest, the most urgent. All the whales in the wider deeps, hot are they, as they urge on and on … there they blow, there they blow, hot wild white breath out of the sea!” Thus, D.H. Lawrence praised cetaceans in his poem “Whales Weep Not,” decades before they entered the world’s collective consciousness.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, endangered humpback whales, still hunted for oil, meat and by-products, became global ambassadors, the acknowledged “poster children” for marine conservation. Their majesty, power, grace, haunting whale songs, intelligence and playfulness enchanted and resonated deep within us. They evoked a feeling of communality as fellow citizens of a water planet, deserving of our protection. The stage was set for a real “sea change” in marine conservation worldwide.
With international anti-whaling prohibitions and other environmental legislation, with the protection of their breeding and feeding grounds and a heightened public awareness of their plight, several badly depleted species began to recover.
SEAFOOD BOUNTY: Our West Coast national marine sanctuaries – Channel Islands, Monterey Bay, Cordell Bank, and Greater Farallones in California, and Olympic Coast in Washington, were designated specifically because of their critical importance to several endangered whale species. Their extraordinarily abundant marine life proved sufficient to sustain recovering populations of humpbacks, blue whales, and other species. From spring through fall, these waters serve up whale-sized portions of seafood. In June 2020, an aggregation of 47-plus blue whales, and numerous humpbacks, were documented feeding off the Farallon islands, just 27 miles from San Francisco. (Note: See video clip using link below.) However, sustenance alone isn’t enough, and in a changing ocean, can be highly variable.
SAVING THE WHALES: Efforts are underway, right here, right now, to remove other obstacles to their recovery. Our West Coast national marine sanctuaries are working to reduce ship-strike mortality, entanglement in marine debris and fishing gear, vessel-based harassment, underwater noise, and habitat degradation. Still, four of our planet’s 14 humpback whale distinct population segments (DPSs) remain on the US Endangered Species List as fully endangered or threatened. Of these, two DPSs feed in California/Oregon/Washington waters. They are the endangered Central America breeding group, and the “threatened” Mexico group. Some scientists believe that the California-Oregon-Washington population remains well below pre-whaling numbers.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE: For forty years, the north-central California sanctuaries have held offshore oil development at bay, and fought against other environmental threats. Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary works in partnership with the Greater Farallones Association, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Pt. Blue Conservation Research, other institutions and members of the community. We conduct long-term, conservation-directed scientific investigations so our programs and policies have a sound scientific basis. We’re working to recover our devastated kelp forests, and monitor climate change impacts. Our Beach Watch program trains volunteers to monitor our shores from Pt. Año Nuevo north to southern Mendocino County. Research cruises document whale and seabird abundance, hazards to whales, prey abundance, and other environmental factors. Sanctuary educators bring marine science to area schools, and offer field excursions and other opportunities to experience whales and other sanctuary wildlife.
"BLUBBER LOVERS UNITE! Legendary oceanographer, deep-sea explorer and global ocean activist Dr. Sylvia Earle stated, "It is only individuals, in the end, that make a difference.” You, too, can become a blubber-loving ocean steward. First, learn more about us at https://farallones.noaa.gov and our affiliate Greater Farallones Association at (www.farallones.org).
Look for volunteer opportunities such as Beach Watch (https://beachwatch.farallones.org/get-involved/). Discover the many ways you can enjoy our marine creatures and habitats through naturalist excursions and virtual soirees. Visit our story map of places to explore, and marinelife to encounter. Then, venture forth and explore this wonder-full patch of ocean, there for you to enjoy, cherish and protect. It might just prove the most rewarding ocean adventure you’ll ever have!
**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY89WFlPZYU and learn more at https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/18/amazing-dozens-of-blue-whales-spotted-off-northern-california-coast/
Mary Jane Schramm
NOAA Greater Farallones • National Marine Sanctuary
Maryjane.schramm@noaa.gov
IMAGE: Humpback gulp: Humpbacks can consume a ton of food each day. Credit: NOAA.
