A researcher got a rare treat after a tip-off from local fishermen: four gigantic visitors near Depoe Bay, off the coast of Oregon.
As The Oregonian reported, a pod of four blue whales was recorded by Carrie Newell, a whale biologist and founder of a whale watching company. Newell launched her vessel in response to the reported sightings. Thanks to favorable conditions, she caught some stunning images of the whales on the ocean's surface, three to four miles away from the shoreline.
It's unusual to see the world's largest mammal so close to the coast. Most sightings happen ten or more miles out to sea. Accordingly, most people never get to see the captivating beauty of these gentle giants in person. Newell noted that in her thirty years of researching whales, she'd only seen them in Oregon waters a handful of times. They were likely attracted by the early bloom of the krill.
"There's some really, really interesting stuff going on," Newell said, per The Oregonian.
Because we typically only ever see glimpses of them from the water, it can be difficult to fathom just how large blue whales actually are. They eat the equivalent of an African elephant's weight in krill every day (about six tons). Antarctic blue whales can weigh up to 330,000 pounds, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Like other whales, they play a vital role in maintaining the health of the ocean's ecosystem.
Their waste fertilizes the ocean and supports the plankton that provides much of the world's oxygen and absorbs vast quantities of carbon. The whales themselves are massive carbon sinks, and over the course of their 80-90 year lifespan, they will sequester the equivalent of thousands of trees. As WWF Australia noted, these vitally important creatures are threatened by rising ocean temperatures, disrupting their food sources, bycatch from commercial fishing, and ocean pollution.
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While the sighting made for a thrilling spectacle, it also underlined the importance of whale conservation efforts. With greater public awareness and local initiatives to sustain their habitats, these guardians of the ocean could thrive once more.
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