Blue whales
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The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth, weighing up to 200 tons and having a heart the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. It communicates using extremely loud calls that can be heard for hundreds of miles. While commercial whaling has ceased, blue whales remain threatened by environmental changes, ship strikes, and fishing gear entanglements. The annual drive hunts in Taiji, Japan result in the brutal killing of hundreds of thousands of dolphins and small whales over the fall and winter months using methods that can take many minutes for animals to die. Despite introducing a dolphin swim program, the people of Taiji intend to continue their traditional slaughter.
Blue whales
- 1. ENDANGERED SPECIES Nikola Kruščić, Mirjana Marinović IV1
- 2. Something about blue whales The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, weighing as much as 200 tons (approximately 33 elephants). The blue whale has a heart the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. Its stomach can hold one ton of krill and it needs to eat about four tons of kill each day. They are the loudest animals on Earth and are even louder than a jet engine. Their calls reach 188 decibels, while a jet reaches 140 decibels. Their low frequency whistle can be heard for hundreds of miles and is probably used to attract other blue whales.
- 3. Why do they matter? Whales are at the top of the food chain and have an important role in the overall health of the marine environment. During the 20th century, the blue whale was an important whaling target and even after it was protected and commercial whaling stopped in 1966, exploitation efforts by the former Soviet Union persisted.
- 4. Endangerment Like other large whales, blue whales are threatened by environmental change including habitat loss and toxics. Blue whales can also be harmed by ship strikes and by becoming entangled in fishing gear. Although commercial whaling no longer represents a threat, climate change and its impact on krill (shrimp-like crustaceans), blue whales' major prey, makes this cetacean particularly vulnerable.
- 5. BRUTAL JAPANESE: How dolphin and whale meat ends up on your plate Each year from September to March the Japanese city of Taiji villagers brutally kill hundreds of thousands of dolphins and small whales. the fact is that after they kill dolphins and whales become food in famous Japanese restaurants, and shops.
- 6. Season whaling Japanese fishermen used the technique of "oikomi", which means that when you notice a flock of dolphins or whales in the water cast a long metal tube, hitting them and making them disorient.
- 7. Brutal scenes of hunting Fishermen them pushed into a cove, stretch mesh and kills a whole flock of harpoons. Animals do not die immediately, but are struggling for several minutes. The storage life of every year a few dolphins that used to show programs.
- 10. Tradition The infamous Taiji town in October this year introduced a program of opening the park to be dedicated to marine mammals where visitors can swim with dolphins. However, people of Taiji do not plan to stop its annual traditional slaughter of dolphins and whales.