Where do blue whales breed?
Scientists may have solved one of the greatest mysteries of the sea: where do blue whales go to breed? These mighty whales are the largest animals that ever lived. Satellite tracking of dozens of these magnificent whales has pinpointed a patch of ocean off of the cost of the small Central American nation Costa Rica as their possible mating and calving ground. If this finding is in fact correct it will totally change ecologist's efforts to protect and save one of Earth's most endangered species.
Even after decades of research, the blue whales' breeding grounds are still surrounded in mystery. This new information will help scientists target and focus conservation efforts on the areas most crucial to the survival of the blue whale species. Bruce Mate, Professor of Oceanography at Oregon State University, performed the study. This detailed work followed about 30 blue whales. The whales were tagged with darts fitted with transmitters and tracked as they migrated from the California coast to Mexico and Costa Rica.
Males and females met on a narrow area of open ocean. This tract was roughly 400 miles from the coast of Costa Rica. Dr. Mate intended to confirm the findings by tracking a mother and calf north at the end of the mating season. He has been unable todo so because the batteries in the tags only work for six months. His research will be featured in The Blue Planet, a BBC television series on the natural history of the oceans, narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
John Ruthven, a producer with this project explained that Dr Mate's research is groundbreaking. "Nobody knows where they breed, but we now have very strong suspicions," said Sir David in The Times. "If it's confirmed, it's an amazing discovery."
Sir David Attenborough caught his first glimpse of a blue whale during the making of thes BBC series, despite his over 50 years of work in the field of wildlife broadcasting broadcasting. He feels that the work could be vital to the future of the species. Between 15,000 and 25,000 worldwide blue whales are thought to exist worldwide, from a peak of more than 300,000. "The question of where they breed has always been one of the great mysteries of the ocean, and we now have our first glimpse of an answer," he said.
Sir David watched one whale being tagged by Dr Mate's team the team named the whale after the broadcaster and tracked it for 5,361 miles over 136 days before its signal was lost. Sir David's boat passed within a few feet of a surfacing whale.
Attenborough described the experience as being one of the most inspiring of his career. "It is a profoundly moving experience, to know that there is this immense thing just a few yards beneath you. You look over the side, and suddenly see this immense pale shape, an elongated rectangle, and you realize it is in fact the tail. Then you see, coming up through the crystal water, 30 or 40ft away, the hump, and it is amazing to think that the two are connected," he said.
Source: http://www.divenews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=132
Even after decades of research, the blue whales' breeding grounds are still surrounded in mystery. This new information will help scientists target and focus conservation efforts on the areas most crucial to the survival of the blue whale species. Bruce Mate, Professor of Oceanography at Oregon State University, performed the study. This detailed work followed about 30 blue whales. The whales were tagged with darts fitted with transmitters and tracked as they migrated from the California coast to Mexico and Costa Rica.
Males and females met on a narrow area of open ocean. This tract was roughly 400 miles from the coast of Costa Rica. Dr. Mate intended to confirm the findings by tracking a mother and calf north at the end of the mating season. He has been unable todo so because the batteries in the tags only work for six months. His research will be featured in The Blue Planet, a BBC television series on the natural history of the oceans, narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
John Ruthven, a producer with this project explained that Dr Mate's research is groundbreaking. "Nobody knows where they breed, but we now have very strong suspicions," said Sir David in The Times. "If it's confirmed, it's an amazing discovery."
Sir David Attenborough caught his first glimpse of a blue whale during the making of thes BBC series, despite his over 50 years of work in the field of wildlife broadcasting broadcasting. He feels that the work could be vital to the future of the species. Between 15,000 and 25,000 worldwide blue whales are thought to exist worldwide, from a peak of more than 300,000. "The question of where they breed has always been one of the great mysteries of the ocean, and we now have our first glimpse of an answer," he said.
Sir David watched one whale being tagged by Dr Mate's team the team named the whale after the broadcaster and tracked it for 5,361 miles over 136 days before its signal was lost. Sir David's boat passed within a few feet of a surfacing whale.
Attenborough described the experience as being one of the most inspiring of his career. "It is a profoundly moving experience, to know that there is this immense thing just a few yards beneath you. You look over the side, and suddenly see this immense pale shape, an elongated rectangle, and you realize it is in fact the tail. Then you see, coming up through the crystal water, 30 or 40ft away, the hump, and it is amazing to think that the two are connected," he said.
Source: http://www.divenews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=132