Blue Whales Are Going Silent, and Scientists Are Worried — Here’s Why - video Dailymotion

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00:00Blue whales are going silent, and scientists are worried.

00:04Here's why. Blue whales, Earth's largest animals, travel globally except in the Arctic,

00:11living 80 to 90 years and communicating over vast distances.

00:16Their vocalizations have sharply declined, raising endangered status concerns.

00:24Many believe the ocean is silent, but it's not.

00:28Researchers use hydrophones to capture these sounds.

00:31This revealed that blue and fin whales suffered significantly during the 2015 marine heatwave

00:38due to krill decline and toxic algae, causing a 40% drop in blue whale songs as they focused on foraging.

00:49The marine heatwave, called the blob, began in late 2013,

00:54peaking in 2015 with the lowest whale vocalizations.

00:58As conditions improved, songs increased until 2018, decreased by 2020, and then rose in 2021.

01:08Biological oceanographer John Ryan explains the exhaustive searching for krill by blue whales

01:14reduced their vocalizations during 2016 and 2018's heatwaves.

01:19He reassures they've not been silent since 2021.

01:26According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, blue whales are classified as

01:32endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

01:35Historically exploited for oil and meat, they face increased threats from vessel strikes and climate

01:41change-driven heatwaves. Habitat degradation and pollution are additional challenges,

01:47prompting NOAA's marine protection investigations.