![]() They counted 55 Antarctic blue whales during their 2020 expedition, which they describe as “unprecedented”. Sightings during the South Georgia expeditionĪ team of scientists led by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) were able to share some good news when returning from their recent expedition to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. From about 125,000 individuals in 1926, numbers were reduced to about 3,000 individuals in 2018, which classifies them as “critically endangered” on the IUCN Red List. Despite the legal protection through the International Whaling Commission in 1960’s, illegal hunting continued until 1972. The Blue whale population in Antarctica was drastically reduced by commercial whaling, which started in South Georgia (South Atlantic) in 1904. Why the Antarctic Blue Whale is “critically endangered” Their low frequency whistle can be heard for hundreds of miles and is probably used to attract other blue whales. ![]() Their calls reach 188 decibels, while a jet reaches 140 decibels. They are the loudest animals on Earth and are even louder than a jet engine. ![]() The Antarctic blue whale has a heart the size of a small car, and during the main feeding season it consumes 3600 kg of krill per day. Intermedia) is the largest animal on the planet, weighing up to 200 tons (approximately 33 elephants) and reaching up to 30 meters in length. The Antarctic blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus ssp. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |