Saving the whales may be the answer to climate change

Spotting a whale in the wild is on the bucket list of many throughout the world. Few animals capture our imagination the way these immense, intelligent and awe-inspiring creatures do. But what if these gentle giants are also the solution to the destruction that humans have been wreaking on our planet as we hurtle headfirst into irreversible climate change?

There are about 40 species of whales in total, with about 25 of those having been observed in the Caribbean region. One of the largest whale species, the impressive sperm whale, can sometimes be spotted in the waters around the twin islands, as well as the musical humpback whale, which is found during the January-through-April spawning season. Short-finned pilot whales are also a reasonably common sight in the region, travelling in pods of up to 20 or more individuals. However, given that six out of the 13 great whale species are classified as endangered or vulnerable, seeing a whale is sadly becoming an increasingly rare event.

The beleaguered North Atlantic right whale (so named as they were the “right” type of whale to hunt) is probably the world’s most endangered species, with just 336 left and its numbers in steady decline since 2010. With whales being at the top of the food chain, they are vital for the marine environment’s overall health. But even after decades of protection, their numbers continue to dwindle. And although these generally beloved creatures’ plight does indeed resonate with people, and it is now common knowledge that the world has a responsibility to protect them, much more needs to be done to increase their numbers.

Notwithstanding that a worldwide moratorium was placed on commercial whaling in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) – a global intergovernmental body charged with the conservation of whales and the management of whaling – some nations such as Norway and Iceland still support whaling or simply disagree with the ban. Over 40,000 large whales and 100,000 smaller whales and other cetaceans have been killed since then. Despite that, the ban has been heralded as one of the outstanding environmental achievements of the century, and since its introduction, many whale populations have been slowly recovering.

A great whale can sequester around 33 tonnes of carbon dioxide during its lifespan, whilst a tree only contributes three percent of this amount during that same period.

Saying all this, the woes of whales are not all caused by deliberate hunting, although admittedly, the human hand plays a role in all of them. Entanglement in fishing gear – it is estimated that 80 percent of right whales have been entangled at least once in their life – being struck by ships, toxic contamination, and habitat degradation are just some of the threats facing these marine mammals. As oceans are getting louder through noise pollution from boats and submarines, this is seriously affecting their orientation and how they detect prey, leading to strandings and starvation. And of course, the biggest threat to humankind and nature alike, climate change, is also having a devasting effect on whales. Somewhat ironically, cetaceans have regularly been fingered as climate culprits, given the large amounts of carbon dioxide they emit due to their immense size. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the carbon capture potential of whales is truly remarkable. Whilst the world’s carbon footprint has put us on the brink of the point of no return regarding the fight against climate change, scientists are in a race to find ways of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. However, many of the proposed solutions, like capturing carbon from the air and burying it deep in the earth, are complex, untested, and above all prohibitively expensive. So, what if there was a low-tech, organic way of mitigating climate change – one with a low monetary cost and one which would benefit humankind in more than one way? Planting billions of trees across the planet is one of the biggest and cheapest ways of taking CO2 out of the atmosphere – who hasn’t been asked to donate to plant a tree to offset the carbon of a flight they have taken? But what if there was an even more effective, and indeed cheaper, way of tackling climate change? The answer, simply, is to protect whales.

Whales accumulate massive amounts of carbon throughout their incredibly long lives, sometimes stretching to 200 years. When they die naturally and sink to the seafloor, their carcasses with their accumulated carbon are trapped in the ocean’s depths for hundreds or even thousands of years. When whaling occurs, the carbon is no longer sunk to the deep ocean floor but instead released into the atmosphere.

Although the importance of trees in the fight against climate change cannot be undermined, it isn’t an exaggeration to say that protecting whale populations holds the secret to combatting climate change. To put this statement into perspective, a great whale can sequester around 33 tonnes of carbon dioxide during its lifespan, whilst a tree only contributes three percent of this amount during that same period. But it’s not just in death that whales are saving the planet. While they are still alive and kicking, their iron and nitrogen-rich faeces contribute immeasurably to carbon capture by creating ideal conditions for phytoplankton to bloom. Although you may not be overly familiar with these microscopic marine algae, they incredibly produce at least 50 percent of the oxygen in the atmosphere and capture around 40 percent of all carbon dioxide.

To say they are vital to life is an understatement. According to a 2019 International Monetary Fund (IMF) report entitled “Nature’s Solution to Climate Change”, the amount of carbon captured by phytoplankton is equivalent to the amount sequestered by four Amazon forests. This same report calculates that if the estimated 1.3 million whales alive today can be protected so that they rebound to their pre-whaling numbers of four to five million, then the number of phytoplankton would significantly increase. If phytoplankton productivity increased by a mere one percent, “it would capture hundreds of millions of tons of additional CO2 a year, equivalent to the sudden appearance of two billion mature trees.” To put it bluntly, whale’s poo matters. For those non “whale huggers” whose heartstrings are not pulled by the plight of these majestic beings for conservation or moral reasons, their monetary value may, on the other hand, strike a chord.

Thanks to the incredible carbon-removing service that these creatures provide, a conservative estimate by the IMF is that the value of the average great whale is more than US$2 million and the current global stock of great whales is worth at least US$1 trillion; a definite economic incentive for the most hardhearted of politicians. Although for most of us, the monetary value of the whale is probably by the by, our interest lies in simply protecting this most magnificent of intelligent beings for their own good; it is also worth remembering that saving the whales might just be saving you.

THE BLUE WHALE IS THE BIGGEST ANIMAL TO HAVE EVER LIVED ON EARTH – INCLUDING DINOSAURS.

IT CAN WEIGH AS MUCH AS 30 ELEPHANTS – ITS TONGUE ALONE CAN WEIGH AS MUCH AS ONE ELEPHANT.

6 OUT OF THE 13 GREAT WHALE SPECIES ARE CLASSIFIED AS ENDANGERED OR VULNERABLE.

THE ORCA OR KILLER WHALE IS IN FACT A DOLPHIN.

WHALES ARE DIVIDED INTO BALEEN (TOOTHLESS) WHALES AND TOOTHED WHALES.

HUMPBACK WHALES DON’T EAT FOR MOST OF THE YEAR.

ALL TOOTHED WHALES USE ECHOLOCATION TO HUNT THEIR PREY.

OVER 80% OF NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES HAVE BEEN ENTANGLED IN FISHING GEAR AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR LIFETIME.

SPERM WHALES HAVE THE BIGGEST BRAINS OF ANY ANIMAL ON EARTH.

AMBERGRIS (OR SPERM WHALE VOMIT) IS MORE VALUABLE THAN GOLD AND IS USED AS AN INGREDIENT IN EXPENSIVE PERFUMES.

ISSUE 12 • DECEMBER 2021