The ongoing overheating of our planet is causing ripple effects throughout every ecosystem. That has led to changing ocean chemistry, which has brought an unforeseen side effect to the Southern California coast: many, many whales, sometimes swimming right up to shore, ABC7 Eyewitness News reported.
What's happening?
Upwellings of cold, deep currents along the coast have brought tons of krill and shrimp near the surface. Those food sources have attracted more and more whales.
"I've seen a lot of change here along our Southern California coast, a resurgence of the marine life out here," said Dan Salas, founder of a whale-watching cruise line. "It's coming back. I've seen more whales than I've ever seen in the last four to five years right off Southern California coast."
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Definitely 👍 Why are these changes important?
While this all might sound like good news if you're the CEO of a whale-watching tourism company, the reality of the situation is that these changes to ocean ecosystems are not good for whales, or really for any species.
Ecosystems have evolved to the point where various species can coexist in harmony and balance — disrupting this balance has various consequences that affect all species.
The changes have also directly harmed some whale species. Researchers said that warmer ocean waters have meant that gray whales are having trouble finding food and difficulty making their migratory trips.
What's being done about saving the whales?
Researchers and whale-lovers alike are calling for more help from the government to protect these vulnerable species.
"The Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed even a year before the Endangered Species Act. So that was in 1972. So we've had a long history of protection of marine mammals in the United States," Ryan Lawler, the owner of another whale-spotting tour business, told ABC7. "Now, the challenge is to dial in each species and each stock, seeing where they're coming into contact with man-made problems."
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