Whales Are Mysteriously Dying in the Pacific Northwest

[n2doc]

But of course, this has nothing to do with climate change.
BY CHARLES P. PIERCE

While we're all busy talking about anchor-babies, and watching the stock market behave like a feather in a wind tunnel, whales are dying in the northeast corner of the Pacific Ocean and nobody knows why in the hell this is happening. Although there are some guesses that aren't going to make the folks at the Heartland Institute very happy.

(And the caption on the picture is correct. It is helpful for scientific purposes to get to the body of the dead whale before the bears arrive. We see, "mysterious environmental catastrophe." The bears see, "Old Country Buffet.&quot ​

Since May 2015, 11 fin whales, 14 humpback whales, one gray whale, and four unidentified cetaceans have stranded around the islands of the western Gulf of Alaska and the southern shoreline of the Alaska Peninsula. To date, this brings the large whale strandings for this region to almost three times the historical average. The declaration of an unusual mortality event will allow NOAA and federal, state, and tribal partners to develop a response plan and conduct a rigorous scientific investigation into the cause of death for the stranded whales.

​Speculation as to the cause is all over the lot, but a lot of attention is being paid to the massive algae bloom that has erupted off the west coast of North America. The size of the algae bloom is unprecedented, and the potential dangers from it spread as it does.

While not all algae species in the bloom are dangerous, some of them produce a toxic chemical called domoic acid that can kill or make animals sick — and can even impact human health. Domoic acid is a neurotoxin produced by the algae Pseudo-nitzchia. When an animal, say a clam, eats this algae, it also injects the domoic acid, which can build up inside it. Any bigger animal that comes along and eats it — including humans — can get sick too if they take in enough of the toxin. This year's bloom is so bad that we are seeing lots of animal deaths. At least nine fin whales were found dead in the waters off Alaska in June, according to Alaska Dispatch News, and in July reports of dead or dying whales, seals, birds, and fish have been rolling in according to NOAA. It's difficult to pin these deaths on the algae specifically, but signs are pointing to these toxins as the cause.

And things always get worse before they collapse completely.​


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http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a37404/whales-mysteriously-dying-pacific-northwest/

[fredamae]

1. Radiation Poisoning - Fukushima? n/t

[AngryAmish]

3. Godzilla slumbers, yet irradiates.

Do not wake the ancient ones. Shoggoths attend, yet are helpless if Their Masters awake.

And if They Awake, we are doomed to an eternity of insanity, gibbering in puddles.

[GoneFishin]

5. Or some indirect chain of environmental damage set in motion by radiation.

[LongTomH]

2. "The planet is the whale carcass and they're just the bears who showed up late'"

Heed the warning!

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. REally is heart breaking....

worse yet, I have no faith that our Gov. will tell us the cause even if they find it.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

6. This has been happening all up and down the west coast

We have been experiencing the largest algae bloom ever recorded, with many dead birds and seals washing up, very sad.

[d_legendary1]

7. First Jelly Fish, now this!

What has to happen in order for our gubbermint to act quickly?