Migratory Humpback whales ushering their calves along the Australian coast are in risky waters. Again another calf did not make it. Another one died at Byron Bay. The three to four months-old marine mammal had severe injuries from a twin-propeller boat (speed boat) "... The propeller had actually cut through the spine down towards the fluke, so he wouldn't have been able to swim properly." He was alive when found, but died from the severe injuries.To traverse the 12,000 kilometres to their feeding grounds, as they have done forever requires safe passage. Human activities deny a habitat to this giant mega fauna in their numerous acts:
Boat strike:
Increasing human population, coastal sprawl and petrol powered aqua mobility increase the probability of injury or death for all marine mammals and other ocean creatures. Life with a dependent calf in 'humanised' coastal areas would consist of constantly evading and fleeing. Appeals of 'go slow' stand against a heavy motoring industry and a CO2-addicted mind set. Dolphins, dugongs, turtles and many more are cut up, injured and mangled in this increased human traffic that has no knowledge that they are racing on top of a world full of beings. Just as in the terrestial territory - it is called an 'accident'. The mother and calf team can probably navigate sailing boats of slow predictable vessels, but erratic speeding does not leave sufficient time to evade and flee. The line of communication is also broken through the howling noise of the motors under and above water.To negotiate fleeing a fast advancing rotating blade massacre presupposes time and sufficient (audible) information to prepare to flee and hope the slow giant can make it.
Noise:
All marine mammals suffer from the anthropogenic caused noise pollution in the oceans, motorised vessels buzzing about, giant ships, mining activities of oil and gas rigs, desalination platform constructions. Noise (injury) interferes with the social communication and navigation process.
Entanglement:
Our plastic debris from fishing and other thoughtless litter spells a long agony and drowning. (strangled whale image)
Bio accumulation:
Sewage, raw or treated, laced with toxins, pathogens and new emergent chemicals is not improving the immune system of the marine mammals.
Red tide, caused by our run off (eutrophication) poisons even whales.
Climate change, warming and acid oceans, together with pathogens, toxins interact to weaken their immune system
Ballast pollution
Oil Spills and other chemical spills
Amongst the offering of a degraded and dangerous habitat, there are some rays of hope for starting to effectively afford the giants some conservation.
- A whale sanctuary has been created off Chile's coast, ensuring safe passage for the cetaceans' migration over 3,400 miles (5,500 km).
- Speed restrictions reduce the threat of ship collisions with the North Atlantic Right Whales. "speed restrictions of no more than 10 knots applying to all vessels 65 ft (19.8 m) or greater in overall length in certain locations and at certain times of the year along the east coast of the U.S. Atlantic seaboard."
- Moreton Bay Marine Park, Brisbane, will contain "go slow" areas as part of their "green zones"
The whales and their offspring get so hindered by our taking and degrading of the Pacific ocean that they end up sick or injured at the shores. We 'help' by 'putting them down'. (here, here, here and here) Others 'harvest' their body parts under the guise of science.Byron Bay, once a whaling town is filling its tourist beds with whale watchers today. One would think that deriving such profit out of the free nature spectacle, one could go beyond 'song and dance' and ensure legislation to effectively protect the ocean giants in 'swim safe zones' around Australia.
Images:
1 . Part of Warren Langley's glass panel Manly Library, Sydney 2. Dot Atelier
Links:
Humpback Calf lost in Sydney's Buzz
Differentiating Serious and Non-Serious Injury of Marine Mammals: Report of the Serious Injury Technical Workshop, September 2008, Washington, NOAA, pdf
Boat strike: EPA, qld info on whales, dugongs, turtles, Images, Propeller scaring
Update:
Conservationists argue that there is very little enforcement on boats going too close to migrating whales. abc 281008
