Blue whales have returned to this protected area
In the Indian Ocean, the singing of blue whales reaffirms that ocean conservation works
As reported by BBC News and in the Journal of Endangered Species Research, blue whales have returned to a region of the Indian Ocean where they were wiped out by Soviet whaling ships a half-century ago.
A year’s worth of underwater recordings captured the deep songs of the whales, thought to be males, singing during breeding season. The notes are too low for human ears but not for the recording device.
Today, a little more than 150,000 square miles of ocean around the Seychelles (due east of Kenya) is a marine protected area. The area was safeguarded in return for debt forgiveness.
The conservation lesson here? When ocean areas are protected, marine life can get a foothold on survival and maybe even thrive.
That’s why we support a new marine protected area off the coast of New England, and we’re exploring the creation of a new sanctuary off the coast of Oregon. Additionally, the state of California has a prime opportunity to expand the size and number of its 124 marine protected areas in state waters. California would be wise to act.
Our report called New Life for the Ocean (below) shows that marine conservation truly works. Let’s do more of it to save the whales, dolphins, turtles and more that call our oceans home.
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