Humpback whales can be recognized by their large size, bumpy head, and long flippers. Atlantic humpbacks have mainly white flippers, but those in the Pacific have a darker color to them. In the Northern hemisphere, humpback whales are found in the North Pacific to the South-East Alaskan. Humpbacks from the Western area and the Bering Sea migrate to Northern Marianas. Humpback whales are facing extinction due to poaching.
Poaching is the illegal hunting and killing of an animal. Humpback whales are poached mostly for their meat and oil. Between Iceland, Japan, and Norway, about 2,000 whales are killed each year. Scientists aren’t sure if whales can survive much longer because of the daily threats they face. Since a ban has come into effect, still over 30,000 whales have been killed because of loopholes. A few of these loopholes are objection, research purposes, and reservation.
Some main threats to humpback whales include the following: habitat loss, chemical and noise pollution, getting tangled in fishing nets and gear, and lack of food. Another threat to these animals is offshore oil drilling. Offshore oil drilling is drilling for oil in the seabed. This causes noise and chemical …show more content…
This causes whales to travel to different places in search of food. While the whales travel longer distances, the threat of getting beached, lost, or getting caught in river systems can also endanger whales. In addition, commercial fishing has affected the whale population in other ways such as, smaller whales getting caught in their lines and nets. The creation of shipping pathways also causes possible collisions for whales. Sometimes fatal injuries are caused by whales colliding with boats. Along with these threats come dangers from toxic waste, agricultural runoff, and costal development. These threats have all had an impact on marine
Poaching is the illegal hunting and killing of an animal. Humpback whales are poached mostly for their meat and oil. Between Iceland, Japan, and Norway, about 2,000 whales are killed each year. Scientists aren’t sure if whales can survive much longer because of the daily threats they face. Since a ban has come into effect, still over 30,000 whales have been killed because of loopholes. A few of these loopholes are objection, research purposes, and reservation.
Some main threats to humpback whales include the following: habitat loss, chemical and noise pollution, getting tangled in fishing nets and gear, and lack of food. Another threat to these animals is offshore oil drilling. Offshore oil drilling is drilling for oil in the seabed. This causes noise and chemical …show more content…
This causes whales to travel to different places in search of food. While the whales travel longer distances, the threat of getting beached, lost, or getting caught in river systems can also endanger whales. In addition, commercial fishing has affected the whale population in other ways such as, smaller whales getting caught in their lines and nets. The creation of shipping pathways also causes possible collisions for whales. Sometimes fatal injuries are caused by whales colliding with boats. Along with these threats come dangers from toxic waste, agricultural runoff, and costal development. These threats have all had an impact on marine