The number of environmental issues we face can, at times, seem overwhelming. But here’s the case for a sometimes forgotten group of animals — whales: why we should protect them, how they are at risk, and why there is reason for optimism.
First off, why protect whales?
Many of us have never seen a whale. The ocean is out of sight and out of mind. This is particularly true for people who live in landlocked states or countries. Yet whales, if indirectly, influence all of our lives. Did you know that the very oxygen you are breathing right now is in the air, in part, because of whales?
Whales are a keystone species, one integral to their environment. When a whale defecates, it is effectively fertilizing the ocean. Their poo contains a treasure trove of nutrients such as iron and nitrogen, which smaller creatures such as phytoplankton need to survive. Phytoplankton are the plants of the ocean. They photosynthesize, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Between 50% and 80% of the oxygen in our atmosphere comes from phytoplankton: more whales equals more phytoplankton equals more oxygen.
Phytoplankton also use carbon to make their shells. When they die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean, locking that carbon away. As such, whales help mitigate climate change by removing carbon from the atmosphere. A recent report from the International Monetary Fund suggested that protecting whales is one of the most effective ways of combating climate change.
Phytoplankton also form the base of the ocean food chain. On land, if there are more plants/more trees/more grass, there are more animals. The rainforest and Serengeti grasslands support more life than the desert. The same goes for the ocean. If there are more phytoplankton, there are more dolphins, turtles, seabirds, and fish. By protecting whales, we help boost ocean productivity, including fisheries that support livelihoods and provide nutrition to billions of people worldwide.
There is also a more human reason to protect whales. These are the largest animals that have ever lived on this planet (99% of species that have lived on this planet are now extinct). How lucky we are to live at the same time as these extraordinary animals. How desperately unlucky they are to live at the same time as us. Whether through evolution or some divine hand (or some combination of the two), whales belong, and deserve to live on, this planet.
Whales remain at risk, however.
The populations of many whales rebounded when commercial whaling was banned. Yet whales today face a new array of threats. The North Atlantic right whale, which lives along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and Canada, is careening toward extinction (an estimated 350 of these animals are left). An estimated 30-50 individuals are left of a newly discovered species, Rice’s whale. This is also believed to be the only species of large whale that lives within the waters of only one country, the United States, prompting calls for it to be renamed America’s whale. Noise pollution drowns out the critical sounds whales use to communicate with one another, find food, and navigate through their environment. Climate change has led to whales’ food sources being unpredictable and difficult to find. Fishing lines trap, entangle, and kill hundreds of thousands of whales annually.
This is not to say that we have no reasons for optimism.
During the 1970s, most if not all large whale species were teetering toward the edge of extinction. Then, during the late 1970s and early 1980s, humanity decided it was worth saving these animals. Commercial whaling was banned in 1984 by an international agreement, one that saved many whale species from certain extinction. Whales need us to take similarly bold action again.
But how?
Well, when we buy products from abroad, whales deal with the consequences. Cargo ships are a huge source of the sounds that drown out the sounds whales rely upon. By shopping locally, you can protect whales while supporting American industries. The ocean is also being flooded with plastics. Whales can swallow these plastics, which can end up killing them. Using less plastic, particularly single-use plastics, which are used once before being discarded, can help protect whales. Climate change is a significant threat to whales. Adopting climate-friendly practices as consumers helps to protect whales.
Still, the best thing we can all do is simply be an advocate for these extraordinary animals. By learning and speaking about these animals, we can ensure that future generations do not live in a world without whales.
Andrew Rogan is a marine biologist.
