Went out on the Sydney whale watching boat. We had such a treat. The whales were very close to the coastline and even closer to our boat.
They did amazing back flips and rolled onto their sides to wave to us on the boat. We had their company for over two hours. It was such a treat.
Did you know that whales keep the phytoplankton in the ocean under control?
Healthy plankton is responsible for about 70% of the oxygen we breathe on the planet.
If the number of whales in the ocean are dramatically reduced then the plankton will stop getting the regular pruning that keeps it healthy and in balanced amounts. Whales also eat the small shrimp like organisms known as krill. With not enough whales the krill would be free to multiply dramatically, and since they also eat plankton there is a danger it could get overeaten and begin to disappear.
Once the plankton is gone the human race would lose at least 70% of the ozone in our atmosphere, leaving us only left with our depleted rainforests to supply the oxygen we need to breathe.
The other side of the coin is that without the whales regular pruning of the plankton much of it may be left to rot and when that happens it produces a methane gas that destroys the ozone layer. So either way we need to make sure that the phytoplankton remains in healthy supply in the oceans and the right balance of organisms that rely on this for their diet is maintained.
This is how important the whales are to us. We need them perhaps a whole lot more than they need us. Another reason, apart from the obvious cruelty, to stop the whaling in the oceans.
- Showing off with a very impressive back flip
