Something very bad is happening in the Pacific Ocean if it becomes difficult for gray whales to find fish and they starve to death.
Over the past month, seven bodies of gray whales were found at once on the beaches of San Francisco, of which four were severely emaciated and with completely empty stomachs. The remaining three, judging by the wounds, died, falling under the ship's propellers.
The annual migration of gray whales to Alaska passes by the coast of California. According to experts, the emaciation of whales indicates that their usual food has disappeared. The reason for this is most likely the increased melting of the Arctic ice and an increase in the temperature of the world ocean. That is, everything is also frightening global warming.
According to scientists, the whales killed by the propellers were also affected by climate change. They began to look for food closer to the shore and therefore stumbled upon ships.
The northward migration of whales begins in the winter from the region of Mexico, and gray whales usually swim past California in December. These same whales have been on the beaches of San Francisco since March. That is, they are far behind their usual schedule.
When scientists opened the carcasses of whales, they found that their fat layer was very thin, and their stomachs were completely empty. According to marine animal pathologist Padraig Dunan of the California Marine Mammal Center, these whales ate very little during the winter and therefore lacked the strength to make the long journey north.
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Gray whale bodies have been found from time to time in San Francisco Bay before, but this year the number of whale carcasses has exceeded all previous values.
The researchers also found a group of live whales that also lingered too long off the coast of California, although by this month they should already be in the Alaska area.
In addition to their annual migration route, gray whales come to the shores of San Francisco to breed. In the Baja lagoons, they give birth to cubs, and then swim with them to the Arctic.
Experts say gray whales starving to death are very unusual, as gray whales have periodically starved before during the difficult migration, but their emaciated corpses were not found in such numbers until this spring.
Biologist Bill Keener says that in recent weeks they have seen a group of gray whales in the bay and they also seem unusually thin.
On average, no more than 2-3 gray whales come so close to the shores of San Francisco every year, the rest swim further or stay here for only a day.
Melting ice is creating pockets of warm water along the California coast, disrupting the migration schedule of gray whales and affecting their food, which is mostly anchovies and sardines, according to some environmentalists.
For several years now, local fishermen have been talking about the fact that there is less and less fish here, and especially sardines with anchovies. Even sea lions periodically lack them.
Another version says that with the prohibition of whaling, the number of whales is increasing every year and they simply do not have enough food for everyone.