Whales have been seen returning to the polar regions for the first time in 40 years after being forced to stand on the brink of extinction.
A blo.o.dy history of mass m.ur.der haunts polar whales, with numbers staggering as 1.3 million being ki.ll.ed over the past 70 years in Antarctica alone.
But now, after the commercial poa.chi.ng of these sea mammoths, polar whales have been back after years of absence.
Despite years of human a.bu.se and exploration, they are making a comeback.
A recent study found that 41 new blue whale specimens have been revealed in the vicinity of South Georgia Island in Antarctica over the past nine years.
This is the largest number ever cataloged and is especially a cause for celebration as it was also home to 3,000 d.ea.ths in a single year.
The scientists in this study believe that a resurgence of plankton, a favorite food of blue whales, in the area may be one of the reasons for the return of the blue giants.
Now that their food supply is stable, their chances to reproduce and eventually return to normal in the coming years will also increase.
The same phenomenon has also been observed with humpback whales in the Antarctic peninsula.
After being forced to near extinction in the whaling era, their current population densities are similar to those that existed before hunting was a commercial activity.
Now, not just hunting, global warming is the most significant threat facing polar whale populations.
Rising water temperatures deplete the whales’ food sources as well as stress them.
Similarly, noise pollution from large boats interferes with whales’ communication with each other, which impedes their ability to forage.
It turns out that this has even led mothers to separate from their children because they are unable to communicate with them.
