It’s a tale as old as time. An epic saga, where the protagonist is driven away from home by dark forces, only to return triumphantly after many years. No, I’m not talking about a blockbuster movie or an ancient myth. This is the real-life story of our planet’s largest living creature – the blue whale.
In the turquoise waters surrounding the paradise islands of the Seychelles, something remarkable is happening. After decades of absence, blue whales are making a comeback.
Blue whales were once regular visitors in these warm Indian Ocean waters until relentless hunting during the 19th and early 20th centuries pushed them to near extinction. But today they’re reclaiming their lost territory. There are a number of factors that are contributing to this conservation win. These include concerted conservation efforts both worldwide and locally in the Seychelles together with nature’s remarkable ability to recover when conditions allow.
One major concern is protecting important areas for blue whales from noise pollution, which travels long distances through water. “There’s not a tremendous amount of ship traffic in the Seychelles so perhaps we could think of it as a nice, quiet, safe place for blue whales,” said researcher Dr Kate Stafford.
Scientists have recently detected an increasing number of blue whale songs echoing beneath Seychelles’ waves – an indication that these gentle giants are returning home.
But it gets even better! Not only are they visiting again; evidence suggests that they’re breeding here too! Imagine that – blue whale calves frolicking in Seychelles’ pristine waters!
This resurgence isn’t just good news for marine biologists or wildlife enthusiasts; it has profound implications for all life on Earth. These titans of the ocean play a crucial role in maintaining our planet’s health by regulating ocean ecosystems and sequestering carbon dioxide – helping mitigate climate change effects.
Let me paint you a picture with some staggering numbers:
A single adult blue whale can consume up to four tons of krill per day during feeding season—keeping populations in check and preventing overgrazing on phytoplankton which forms the base of marine food chains.
Furthermore, when they dive deep into the ocean depths and release what scientists affectionately call “whale pump,” they bring essential nutrients from the ocean floor to the surface, stimulating phytoplankton growth. These microscopic plants not only form the basis of marine food chains but also absorb large amounts of CO2 from our atmosphere.
And it doesn’t stop there! When blue whales meet their natural end, their massive bodies sink to the seafloor, locking away tons of carbon for centuries – a phenomenon known as “whale fall.”
The return of blue whales to The Seychelles isn’t just a heartwarming comeback story; it’s a beacon of hope in our fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.
The return of blue whales to The Seychelles isn’t just a heartwarming comeback story; it’s a beacon of hope in our fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.
It’s proof that nature can heal if given a chance. It’s an inspiration for us all to double down on conservation efforts worldwide because every species has its part in maintaining the beautiful symphony of life on our precious planet.
I invite you all to join me in celebrating this momentous occasion. Here’s to more good news stories like these that remind us how resilient and interconnected life on Earth truly is!
Where in the World: The (Republic of) Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, about 1,500 kilometres (800 nautical miles) east of Africa. It is the smallest country in Africa, with an estimated population of 100,600 (2022).
The Seychelles government has made a commitment to protect 30% of its national waters
An area around the islands has been formally protected in a unique “debt for nature” swap, where the country had almost £16.8m ($22m) of its national debt written off in exchange for doing more to protect its oceans.
About 400,000 square kilometres (154,000 square miles) of its seas are now protected.
The Blue Whale
Blue whales are the largest animals on Earth and can reach around 30m (98ft) in length. The species is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The song or ‘fundamental frequency’ of the blue whale is so deep and such a low frequency that it is beyond the range of human hearing. However, wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson, who has managed to record blue whales in the Sea of Cortez, said we can hear what are called its harmonics – higher frequency sounds that “ring out” when a blue whale sings, explaining: “It’s this really low, deep, consistent pulse. “When I recorded blue whales in Mexico, that was what was resonating in my headphones.”
The blue whale song is the loudest sustained sound in the animal kingdom. Their call lasts 15 to 20 seconds at about 188 decibels, which is the equivalent of a jet engine in air. Sound travels much faster and further in water, enabling blue whales to communicate over distances of hundreds and even thousands of miles.
Factoids
- Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth, even surpassing the size of the largest dinosaurs. They can reach up to 100 feet in length and weigh as much as 200 tons. Despite their massive size, they feed mostly on tiny shrimp-like animals called krill. During feeding season, a blue whale consumes about 4 tons of krill a day.
- These magnificent marine creatures have an extraordinary way of communicating. They use a series of low-frequency pulses, groans, and moans that can be heard by others up to 1,000 miles away. This underwater communication system is essential for their survival as it helps them locate each other during mating season.
- Blue whales have an impressive lifespan. On average, they live for around 70-90 years; however, the oldest recorded blue whale lived to be over 110 years old! Scientists determine their age by counting layers in their ear wax much like rings in a tree trunk.
- The heart of a blue whale is so large that an adult human could swim through its arteries! It weighs approximately 400 pounds and is about the size of a small car. This gigantic heart pumps nearly ten tons of blood throughout the whale’s body.
- Despite being enormous creatures, blue whales are surprisingly graceful swimmers. They cruise the ocean at more than five miles per hour but can speed up to over twenty miles per hour when they feel threatened or need to catch prey quickly.
- Conservation efforts for these gentle giants have been successful in recent years with populations slowly increasing after being nearly wiped out due to commercial whaling in the period between late 19th Century and the early part of the 20th century. Today, they are protected worldwide and hunting them is banned under international law.