A recent study has revealed whales including right whales, gray whales, and humpbacks transport vital nutrients from urine, placentas, carcasses, and sloughing skin across oceans that help to keep marine ecosystems healthy. This involves travelling from high-latitude (polar) areas such as Alaska and Antarctica to low-nutrient tropical grounds such as Hawaii and the Caribbean. Therefore, protecting these marine mammals is critical for their survival and the ocean’s overall health.
The findings, published in Nature Communications on Monday, mark the longest-known transport of nourishment by mammals on the planet. Whales are not just big—they’re a big deal for healthy oceans!
Whale numbers are recovering in some areas of the world as countries ban commercial hunting but blue whales, the largest animals alive, were not included in the study’s estimates due to a lack of data.
