Oil spill may wipe out Gulf sperm whales

[Barrett808]

Source: National Geographic News

If the Gulf of Mexico oil spill kills just three sperm whales, it could seriously endanger the long-term survival of the Gulf's native whale population, scientists say.

Right now between 1,400 and 1,660 sperm whales live year-round in the Gulf of Mexico, making up a distinct population from other Atlantic Ocean groups, in which males make yearly migrations. ...

The whales are now at risk from the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill, because they are likely to ingest or inhale toxic crude and noxious oil fumes. (See pictures of the oil seeping into Louisiana marshes.) ...

A 2009 stock assessment report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated that the potential biological removal, or PBR, level for the Gulf of Mexico sperm whale population is three. That means the whales' long-term survival is at risk if, in addition to natural deaths, three sperm whales a year are killed or removed by human causes.

The loss of a handful of whales each year can impact a population of hundreds, because sperm whales—especially females—require a very long time to reach sexual maturity. Females then give birth to just three or four calves during their entire lifetimes.

Read more: http://www.desdemonadespair.net/2010/05/oil-spill-may-wipe-out-gulf-sperm.html

[dgibby]

1. It would appear mankind is hellbent on destroying itself and everything else.

I'm beginning to think the Ancient Mayans may have been onto something.

[saigon68]

2. Well at least BP is capturing oil

<Sarcasm>

The Bastards

[Autumn]

3. Unforgivable. n/t

[avaistheone1]

8. It certainly is.

Disgusting.

[neverforget]

4. Man vs Nature: the Road to Victory!

:sarcasm: I think I'm going to be sick....:puke:

[HysteryDiagnosis]

5. Someday.... mebbe someday we will see one of these coming

at us..

[glinda]

6. They needs to get out there and get some of these creatures moved somehow. Many species will still

die though but man is very very very stupid.

[enuegii]

7. I once saw three sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico

ironically, I was on a Gulf Oil (now BP) platform at the time.
It was just breaking day in the South Timbalier area off the Louisiana coast in the summer of 1980. We were waiting on a helicopter to take my fellow crew member and I to another platform in the field when I stepped out of the galley and leaned against the railing to watch the sun come up over the Gulf. The sea was dead calm, and the edge of the sun was just showing over the horizon when I heard a noise like waves breaking followed by the sound of what sounded like compressed air (compressed air is used a lot offshore), but the sound was coming from below and in front of me. I looked down, expecting to see a crew boat, and saw instead three whales arrayed off to my left, about fifteen feet apart and with the nearest one about the same distance from the platform leg as they passed by. They were very dark gray, almost black, and the largest one, in the middle, looked to be about maybe fifty feet long. The farthest one was maybe a little over half the first one's size, and the nearest one about half the size of the second one. They just very briefly broke the surface, for perhaps a second and a half, and then disappeared together back under the sea. It was an amazing sight, and I can remember it vividly today almost thirty years later. Of course, when I went back inside and told people about what I'd seen, they told me I was crazy, and that they'd worked in the Gulf for years and had never seen whales. Yeah, well...
I hadn't thought about that in a long time. This is just sad.