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outmywindow · 08-23-2007, 11:16 AM

Not all is bleak, things are looking up on the Whale front...

Rare sighting of blue whales sparks optimism
Linda Nguyen, Vancouver Sun
Published: Saturday, August 18, 2007
A scientific whale-spotting expedition has reported sighting five blue whales near the Queen Charlotte Islands -- the largest number seen in B.C. waters for half a century.

The five blue whales, including one calf, were seen near the southwest end of the Queen Charlotte Islands near Cape St. James last Saturday, Fisheries and Oceans Canada biologist John Ford said Friday.

The extremely rare sighting of blue whales is grounds for optimism they are making a comeback in B.C. waters, Ford said.

We [haven't] seen a concentration of five blue whales for a very long time," Ford said of the massive animals, which can grow to 30 metres in length and weigh 100 tonnes.

"It's very encouraging because they might be starting to recolonize off our coast again."

Ford, part of a 13-member crew on an annual 10-day mission, was doing a survey of ocean wildlife with U.S. company Cascadia Research when he spotted the blue whales, the largest animals ever to exist.

The team believes the whales, which are actually grey in colour, were feeding nearby.

They were able to spend more than five hours photographing the back pigment markings on the majestic animals in order to be able to identify them later.

"We came out to see these 30-metre-long animals in our tiny five-metre boats.

"Most of us were accustomed to seeing humpback whales, but these were just huge animals," he said.

"They didn't seem to mind us being there at all."

Three of the whales were seen again the following day.

The blue whale population has dwindled to near extinction due to commercial whaling.

The blue whale population was once estimated at 300,000 worldwide. Blue whales have been protected since 1965, but only 10,000 of them are now known to exist.

Off British Columbia, the blue whale population has never recovered, unlike off southern California, where it has grown to 2,000.

"They've come back strongly in California but we've always wondered: 'Why not along our coast?'" Ford asked. "We're going to try to link the ones we saw last Saturday with that [California] population, to see if they're moving back up."

In the past five years, the survey team has only seen one blue whale per expedition.

08-23-2007, 11:16 AM	#31
outmywindow Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: (Coal Harbour) Vancouver. BC. Canada Posts: 527	Not all is bleak, things are looking up on the Whale front... Rare sighting of blue whales sparks optimism Linda Nguyen, Vancouver Sun Published: Saturday, August 18, 2007 A scientific whale-spotting expedition has reported sighting five blue whales near the Queen Charlotte Islands -- the largest number seen in B.C. waters for half a century. The five blue whales, including one calf, were seen near the southwest end of the Queen Charlotte Islands near Cape St. James last Saturday, Fisheries and Oceans Canada biologist John Ford said Friday. The extremely rare sighting of blue whales is grounds for optimism they are making a comeback in B.C. waters, Ford said. We [haven't] seen a concentration of five blue whales for a very long time," Ford said of the massive animals, which can grow to 30 metres in length and weigh 100 tonnes. "It's very encouraging because they might be starting to recolonize off our coast again." Ford, part of a 13-member crew on an annual 10-day mission, was doing a survey of ocean wildlife with U.S. company Cascadia Research when he spotted the blue whales, the largest animals ever to exist. The team believes the whales, which are actually grey in colour, were feeding nearby. They were able to spend more than five hours photographing the back pigment markings on the majestic animals in order to be able to identify them later. "We came out to see these 30-metre-long animals in our tiny five-metre boats. "Most of us were accustomed to seeing humpback whales, but these were just huge animals," he said. "They didn't seem to mind us being there at all." Three of the whales were seen again the following day. The blue whale population has dwindled to near extinction due to commercial whaling. The blue whale population was once estimated at 300,000 worldwide. Blue whales have been protected since 1965, but only 10,000 of them are now known to exist. Off British Columbia, the blue whale population has never recovered, unlike off southern California, where it has grown to 2,000. "They've come back strongly in California but we've always wondered: 'Why not along our coast?'" Ford asked. "We're going to try to link the ones we saw last Saturday with that [California] population, to see if they're moving back up." In the past five years, the survey team has only seen one blue whale per expedition.