Tag Archives: right-whale

Human-Generated Noise Yet Another Threat to Northern Right Whales

Northern right whales shout to overcome background noise, but how loud is too loud? Image credit: Wikimedia Commons Right whales, it’s believed, earned their name for being the “right whales to hunt.” The whales are rich in blubber, swim slowly, and float after they have been killed—making them an easy and profitable target for whalers. These characteristics nearly led to the whale’s extinction—populations were almost completely depleted in the mid-19th century—until a ban in 1937 saved the species. Today,

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Human-Generated Noise Yet Another Threat to Northern Right Whales

World’s Smallest Whale Population Drops to 30 Individuals

The elusive North Pacific right whale may be too depleted to save. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons As the world continues to struggle over a plan to control—if not stop—commercial whaling, one of the industry’s victims struggles for survival. The North Pacific right whale—once numbering in the tens of thousands—was nearly driven to extinction by whaling and poaching. Now, it is likely the most endangered species of whale in the world—a species that it may be too late to save…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

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World’s Smallest Whale Population Drops to 30 Individuals