Dead marine life is on the rise. The carcass of yet another humpback whale washed up on the shore of British Columbia’s northern coast last week. This is the fourth humpback whale to be found dead in Columbia’s coastal waters.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is attempting to determine whether the four humpback whale deaths are related. Necropsies were performed on two of the sea creatures. It may take weeks to determine the cause of death. Entanglement with fishing gear is often the culprit for whale deaths.(1)
Scars on one of the humpback whales indicated that entanglement may have been the cause of whale deaths. An autopsy performed on a dead whale in Haida Gwai, however, did not show signs of entanglement, suggesting that its death may have been caused by something else. The bulk of the dead whales discovered have been spotted in the open ocean, which has limited the amount of sample tissue collected by scientists.(1)
More dead whales in southeast Alaska
In addition to the humpback whale deaths in British Columbia, approximately 21 fin whales and humpback whales have been found in southeast Alaska in the past two months. No one is sure what is causing the sudden rise in whale deaths, and entanglement isn’t likely the culprit behind them all.(2)
One possibility for the sudden rise in whale deaths is the radiation from the Fukushima power plant that is currently bombarding the coast. In 2011, a tsunami laid waste to three nuclear reactors on the coast of Japan at the Fukushia Daiichi power plant. Since then, hundreds of tons of radioactive material have been flooding into the ocean each day, contaminating marine life.
Mainstream media downplays Fukushima disaster
It has taken almost four years for the radioactive waste from the Fukushima power plant to make its way to the West Coast. The mainstream media has underplayed the severity of the disaster, claiming that the sea has diluted the radiation. Meanwhile, the rise in whale deaths just so happens to coincide with radiation from the Fukushima power plant bleeding onto the coast.
“It is exceptionally rare to see a dead humpback whale, especially in this relatively intact state,” said Spirit Bear Adventures wildlife guide Philip Charles. “It was a sad sight to see such a magnificent animal washed up on the shoreline like that. Your attention is taken to the very large wounds on the back of the whale,” he said after laying witness to the dead whale Tuesday morning.(3)
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has no idea what caused the whale deaths. Until test results are confirmed, claims that the whales died from entanglement are conjecture. Meanwhile, none of the mainstream media articles even hint that the Fukushima power plant may bear some responsibility.
Humpback whales are one of the largest whales in the world. They can grow up to 16 meters in length and weight 40 tonnes. Back in the 1960s, humpback whales teetered on the brink of extinction. The harvest population dwindled down to a mere 1,500 whales. The humpback whales made a comeback in British Columbia waters. Their are now an estimated 20,000 humpback whales flourishing in British Columbia waters.(2)
Humpback whales aren’t out of the woods yet, but they are coming out of the water on the coast of Alaska. Although the whales made a comeback, the recent rise in whale deaths is alarming. No one is sure what caused the whale deaths. What is known is that whether it be fishing or the Fukushima disaster, the activities of man is likely to blame.
Sources include:
(1) BC.CtvNews.ca
(2) TheGlobeAndMail.com
(3) CBC.ca
Sources include:
