Whale silence, beaked whale strandings, and hitting the krill quota limit
Big Blue Bulletin #62
Welcome to the latest edition of the Big Blue Bulletin – things have changed just a little bit around here as featured stories will now focus on whales, dolphins, and porpoises, with a little bit of commentary from me thrown in as well. Still, you can expect good news, bad news, and a cute creature in your inbox every week.
Let’s dive in 🐬
Ocean news
🗞️ Big news of the week -
🔇 Blue whales are going eerily silent and scientists say it’s a warning sign
A six-year acoustic study off California has revealed a sharp drop in blue whale song during and after a record-breaking marine heatwave. As krill and anchovy numbers collapsed, vocalisations fell by nearly 40% — a likely result of whales spending more time searching for food and less on calling. Unlike humpbacks, which have a varied diet, blue and fin whales were hit hard. Scientists say the silence is a warning that something (I think we know what) is badly wrong.
🏝️ Experts baffled as rarely seen beaked whales involved in series of strandings
Marine scientists are investigating a string of unusual strandings involving deep-diving beaked whales in Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands across several days in July. These elusive whales typically inhabit deep offshore waters, and their sudden appearance in the shallow North Sea has raised concerns. Several animals, including a male and female pair in the Netherlands and a mother and calf in Ireland, did not survive. Experts say the strandings may point to human-related causes and highlight just how little we understand about this rarely seen species.
🌊 Dead whales surface on Japan shore amid tsunami warnings
Four dead whales were found on the shore in Chiba, Japan, shortly after tsunami warnings were triggered by a powerful earthquake off Russia’s far eastern coast. Scientists believe the whales were already nearshore when the quake struck, but the exact link between seismic activity and strandings remains unclear.
🦐 A record catch of krill could trigger an unprecedented end to fishing season
Krill fishing in Antarctic waters has surged to a record high, nearing a seasonal catch limit that would trigger the first-ever early closure of the fishery. With over 518,000 tonnes already taken (84% of the cap) conservationists warn the catch is increasingly concentrated in a small area near the Antarctic Peninsula, where krill are vital to the diet of whales and play a key role in carbon storage. A proposal to spread out fishing zones and create a large marine reserve failed last year, leaving the region vulnerable as the season races toward its limit.
Have a great weekend! 📸
Cover image by Jeroen Hoekendijk.