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November 19, 2020
By the British Antarctic Survey
An international research team led by scientists from the United Kingdom has revealed the return of endangered Antarctic blue whales to South Antarctica, after nearly 50 years of whaling. . The new study comes on the heels of recent research showing that humpback whales also return to the area.
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The discovery, based on an analysis of 30-year underwater observations, photographs and audio recordings, is an important guide in learning how the species recovered after the commercial whale hunting ban in the 1960s. The results are published today (Nov.19) in the journal Endangered Species Research.
Blue whales were abundant on the coast of South Georgia before the early 20th century, and industrial whaling between 1904 and 1971 killed 42,698 of them there.. Most of these were killed before the mid-1930s.
Species have nearly disappeared from the area – surveys devoted to whales from ships off South Georgia resulted in only one blue whale seen between 1998 and 2018 – but more recent studies point to a return of blue whales.
Lead writer Susanna Calderan of the Scottish Association of Marine Sciences (SAMS), Oban, said: “The continued absence of blue whales in South Georgia is seen as an iconic example of a population that has been exploited locally beyond the point at which it can recover..
« But over the past few years we’ve been working in South Georgia, we’ve become very optimistic about the number of blue whales that have been seen and heard around the island, which wasn’t happening until very recently.. This year has been especially exciting, as we have seen more of a blue whale than we could have hoped for.
In addition to searching for whales, the researchers used listening devices, which can detect loud and low-frequency calls to whales over long distances and can also operate in inclement weather.. The team also had whale watching records reported to the South Georgia Museum by sailors and cruise ship passengers, and photographs of blue whales, which enable the identification of individual animals..
In all, 41 photo blue whales were identified from South Georgia between 2011 and 2020, although none matched the 517 whales in the current Antarctic blue whale photography catalog.
Susanna Calderan added, “We don’t quite know why it takes so long for blue whales to return.. The reason may be that so many of them were killed in South Georgia, resulting in a loss of cultural amnesia for residents because the area was a land foraging for food, and that it is only now being rediscovered.. .
There are limited opportunities to conduct ad hoc whale surveys in the area, which are known for their harsh weather and inaccessibility, but such surveys are necessary for the future management of South Georgia’s seas..
Co-author and whale ecologist Dr.. Jennifer Jackson of the British Antarctic Survey, who led the 2020 expedition to explore whales, said: « This is an exciting discovery and a really positive step forward for preserving the Antarctic blue whale.. .
“With the waters of South Georgia designated as a marine protected area by the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, we hope that these increased numbers of blue whales are a sign of things to come and that our research continues to contribute to effective management of the area.. »
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Blue whale, South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands, extinction, Antarctica, and endangered species
World News – African Union – The return of blue whales to South Georgia after being on the verge of extinction
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Ref: https://phys.org
