Feature:
The Secret Life of Arctic Whales
“The whale watching season gets
underway this month along Quebec’s North Shore
region will draw hundreds of thousands of tourists who will soak in the beauty
of the area & catch sight of the great whales of the St. Lawrence Estuary.
The tourism industry around whales
contributes $100 million annually to the local economy…
But while much is known about the
whales that populate the St. Lawrence Estuary, we know comparatively little
about our Arctic whale population.
The region’s remoteness, harsh
environment & unstable weather present huge obstacles for researchers. But
last year, roughly 1,900 km north of the tourism hub of Tadoussac, scientists
from the federal Department of Fisheries & Oceans conducted the most
intensive aerial survey ever undertaken on whale numbers in the Canadian Arctic…
The study focused on 2 species of
whale in particular: the narwhal & the bowhead. Little is known about the
population of either type, given the huge expanse of territory they roam &
that they are largely out of sight for a good part of the year, hidden beneath
shifting ice & fog. Other species of sea mammals, including beluga whales,
killer whales, walruses, & seals, were also surveyed.
Killer whales are a growing interest
as they were once only rarely seen in the Arctic.
They are being seen much more frequently as the sea ice shrinks, allowing them
into formerly inaccessible areas where they prey on bowhead calves &
narwhal…
Inuit knowledge of the Arctic & its animal life goes back more than 1,000
years…
Scientists hope the survey results
will lead to a clearer picture of our Arctic whale population.”
Robert J.
Galbraith
The Montreal Gazette
May 3/2014
Cute Critter Pic
Weekly Chuckle
Cute Critter Pic
Weekly Chuckle
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