Humans have come a long way since our days of nearly hunting whale populations around the globe to extinction. It is somewhat hard to fathom the amount of damage humans were able to inflict upon whale species in such a short period of time. In the 17th, 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries alone, humans were able to kill millions of whales of various species and bring many of these species to the brink of extinction. However, in the last century or so, whale conservation and whale conservation groups have done an excellent job at helping to reestablish whale populations across the globe. Without the efforts of whale conservation, many of the whale species we know and love today would not be around for us to appreciate. Though the whale conservation fight is certainly not over, whales are certainly in a better position today than they were roughly 100 years ago. Below, we will discuss the history of whale conservation, whale conservation today, and whale conservation groups.
Whale Conservation History
To understand whale conservation, it is important to understand some historical whale conservation facts about whale and human interaction. For over 1000 years, whales have been commercially hunted for food as well as other products such as oil. The whale oil industry boomed throughout the 1700s and 1800s as the oil was widely used for purposes such as lighting. Until the early to mid-1900s, whale hunting was still widespread as a commercial practice. The practice of commercial whaling has now been banned for around 50 years which can be viewed as the kickstarter to whale conservation on the whole.
Whale Conservation Today
Today, governments, organizations, and individuals fight on the behalf of whales to help keep whale populations safe and healthy. However, ironically, the majority of issues facing whales today are caused by humans. One of the most prevalent issues in whale conservation today is water and habitat contamination. As the human population rises so does the amount of waste and pollution produced by humans. A large portion of this negative output ends up in the world’s oceans and leads to problems for whales. Another constant issue for whales is climate change. The climate of the Earth today is changing at rates that have never been experienced in recorded history. This level of change is largely not sustainable for many species and whales are not the exception. A lesser-known whale conservation fact is that noise pollution is a major issue facing whale species today. Whales are auditory creatures and the large amount of noise created by humans through avenues such as boats, drilling rigs, and aircraft can be highly disorienting to whales. Recently, noise pollution has been tied to mass whale beachings across the globe. Despite all the issues facing whales today, whale conservation groups have not given up hope on helping save these beautiful creatures.
Whale Conservation Groups
There are groups worldwide that are helping to conserve whales in a variety of means. One of the most well-known whale conservation groups is the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Sea Shepherd rose to prominence with their own tv show, Whale Wars. The American Cetacean Society is another great group serving to make change for the whales. The ACS is actually the oldest whale conservation organization in the world. They are best known for their community education efforts around the US to raise awareness for whale conservation. Without these groups, efforts to preserve whale populations around the globe would without a doubt be hindered.
Book a Whale Watching Cruise Today
Now that you’ve learned some facts and more about whale conservation, your interest in getting out on the water and seeing some whales for yourself has probably peaked. Well if you’re in the Los Angeles/ Long Beach area or planning to visit soon, Harbor Breeze Yacht Charters and Cruises is the perfect opportunity for you. As a top Los Angeles whale watching operator, our whale watching cruises take families out to sea on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, searching for the ocean’s most beautiful creatures – whales, dolphins, and sea lions included! For more information regarding times, prices, and more, please visit us online. We can’t wait to see you onboard – book a cruise today!