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Blue Whales Facing Extinction - Ruby Tuesday Books€¦ · Blue Whales Facing Extinction. There are...

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1 www.rubytuesdaybooks.com/scienceKS2 © Blue Whales Facing Extinction There are only around 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales left in the oceans. Compared to the 7.7 billion humans on Earth, this is a tiny number for the largest animal on the planet. Because there are so few blue whales and their numbers continue to fall, they are now considered an endangered species. It is the fault of humans that blue whales are in danger, so it is our duty as a species to help restore their numbers and then protect and preserve these majestic mammals and their environment. Why are blue whales endangered? Historical factors: Whaling has greatly impacted the population of blue whales today. Whaling is the act of hunting whales to sell their body parts. This includes their meat, which can be eaten, and historically for their blubber, which was used to make oil for lamps, fuel, soaps and even as an ingredient in some foods, such as butter substitutes. Melted down blubber was widely used during the industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries as oil and fuel to power machines in factories. There are now laws that prohibit whaling, which have been in place since the 1980s. These laws protect whales from being hunted and killed unless a country has a special permit or the whaling is for scientific research purposes. There are still, however, some countries that wish to change these rules and are accused of not fully obeying the laws.
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Page 1: Blue Whales Facing Extinction - Ruby Tuesday Books€¦ · Blue Whales Facing Extinction. There are only around 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales left in the oceans. Compared to the .

1

www.rubytuesdaybooks.com/scienceKS2

©

Blue Whales Facing Extinction

There are only around 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales left in the oceans. Compared to the 7.7 billion humans on Earth, this is a tiny number for the largest animal on the planet. Because there are so few blue whales and their numbers continue to fall, they are now considered an endangered species.

It is the fault of humans that blue whales are in danger, so it is our duty as a species to help restore their numbers and then protect and preserve these majestic mammals and their environment.

Why are blue whales endangered?

Historical factors:Whaling has greatly impacted the population of blue whales today. Whaling is the act of hunting whales to sell their body parts. This includes their meat, which can be eaten, and historically for their blubber, which was used to make oil for lamps, fuel, soaps and even as an ingredient in some foods, such as butter substitutes. Melted down blubber was widely used during the industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries as oil and fuel to power machines in factories. There are now laws that prohibit whaling, which have been in place since the 1980s. These laws protect whales from being hunted and killed unless a country has a special permit or the whaling is for scientific research purposes. There are still, however, some countries that wish to change these rules and are accused of not fully obeying the laws.

Page 2: Blue Whales Facing Extinction - Ruby Tuesday Books€¦ · Blue Whales Facing Extinction. There are only around 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales left in the oceans. Compared to the .

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www.rubytuesdaybooks.com/scienceKS2

©

Environmental factors:• Blue whales are under threat from environmental

changes, including toxic chemicals and plastics in theocean. Rubbish, such as plastic bags and bottles in theseas, can be eaten by mistake and get stuck in thedigestive systems of whales and other animals. With theirstomachs clogged up with plastic, the whales becomeunable to digest the food they need to survive and theycan end up starving to death.

• Blue whales sometimes collide with ships or boats whencoming up to the surface for air. These ‘ship strikes’ cancause great harm to blue whales and may even be lifethreatening. Loud noises from the engines of ships canalso disrupt the ways in which blue whales navigate andcommunicate with each other.

• Blue whales can become entangled in ‘ghost’ (discarded)fishing nets, particularly calves. This can lead tosuffocation as it prevents the whales swimming to thesurface to breathe.

Food source factorsIt is thought that climate change has warmed and acidified the oceans. As the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen, more of this gas is being absorbed by the oceans. The carbon dioxide then reacts with the seawater to form carbonic acid, which is making ocean waters more acidic. This change in the environment, particularly in the waters around the Antarctic, has led to a decline in the number of krill – one of the blue whale’s main sources of food. With less food to eat, the danger of more blue whales starving and dying increases.

What can you do to help?Be aware of your impact on the environment:

• Try to reduce, reuse and recycle packaging to helpprevent it from entering the oceans and ending up in thedigestive systems of blue whales. Using a bag for life is asmall and easy change that can make a big difference.

• With an adult and using a litter picker, help clearbeaches of rubbish to prevent it from entering the ocean.

Learn about future projects and research from charities such as the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). They work with the IWC (International Whaling Commission) to protect and preserve all whales. Keeping up to date can help you become aware of new ways to protect blue whales.


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