What is climate change doing to Beluga whales?
Was in Alaska recently watching Humpback and Orca whales. The locals see Beluga’s. However the majority are usually in remote areas and are so rare that there is very little known about them. Basically all species of whales are surviving OK because their only predator is man and 99% of the world has stopped hunting them. Climate change is not really affecting them but there are worries that the probable temperature changes in the future may change the sea currents and affect the krill and small fish which Baleen type whales feed on. Orca’s near Vancouver are flourishing, there are 3 resident pods of about 90 whales. British Columbia even have STRAITWATCH rib boats manned by wardens to keep all the whale watching boats 100 yards away from them. Took a picture there of an Orca breaching (jumping right out of the water!). At one stage there were 40 small boats all around them, it’s a bit much but of course there is a huge tourist demand!
