Five years ago, a troubling phenomenon struck the grey whale population along the U.S. West Coast: hundreds of dead whales began washing ashore, extending from Alaska to Mexico. This “unusual mortality event,” as it was termed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, seemed to spell a dismal future for these marine giants. Today, however, there’s a shift in the tide. Researchers are reporting signs of recovery in the eastern north Pacific grey whale population, bringing a glimmer of hope to conservationists and marine biologists.
NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Centre’s research biologist Aimee Lang has expressed relief over the recent positive developments, stating, “It’s nice to be able to report some good news the last couple of years.” The latest estimates suggest a notable increase in the grey whale population, with numbers now ranging between 17,400 to 21,300 individuals. This is a significant uptick from the prior year’s estimate of 13,200 to 15,960 whales, showing a promising return from the trough of the mortality event.
This mortality event, which hit its peak between December 17, 2018, and December 31, 2020, saw 690 dead grey whales strewn across shores from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Normally, about 35 whales would wash up dead annually in the U.S., but during this distressing period, the number was alarmingly higher. The grey whale population, which once boasted about 27,000 members in 2016, began to witness a sharp decline.
The cause of this mass mortality was linked to ecosystem changes in the northern Bering and Chukchi seas off northern Alaska, which led to altered access to and quality of prey for the whales.
The recovery journey of the eastern north Pacific grey whales from near extinction is a testament to the resilience of nature. Removed from the endangered species list in 1994 after rebounding from the whaling era, these creatures have again displayed their ability to bounce back from the brink. Their annual 10,000-mile migration, one of the longest of any mammal, from the Arctic feeding grounds to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula where they give birth, continues to inspire awe and demonstrates the interconnectedness of global ecosystems.
Relevant articles:
– Whale population recovers five years after hundreds washed up dead
– Researchers see recovery in West Coast gray whale population 5 years after hundreds washed up ashore, CBS San Francisco, Mon, 01 Apr 2024 19:59:00 GMT
– Starvation has decimated gray whales off the Pacific Coast. Can the giants ever recover?, Los Angeles Times, Wed, 27 Mar 2024 19:25:56 GMT
– Gray Whales in the Eastern North Pacific, NOAA Fisheries, Wed, 13 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT