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After 50 years of hunting near extinction, the blue whales have returned to South Antarctica Island, South Georgia. Scientists in the British Antarctic Survey made the discovery while following up on a recent study that revealed the return of humpback whales to South Georgia. .
The international research team analyzed 30 years of underwater observations, images, and audio recordings to investigate how blue whales in Antarctica were recovering after the ban on commercial whaling in the 1960s. .
Blue whales were abundant on the coast of South Georgia before commercial whaling killed more than 42,000 people between 1904 and 1971.. The giant fish disappeared from this area, and only one blue whale was seen between 1998 and 2018. However, by 2020, a February survey recorded 58 sightings of a blue whale and several sonic discoveries.
“The continued absence of blue whales in South Georgia is seen as an iconic example of a population that has been exploited locally beyond the point from which it can recover,” said lead study author Susanna Calderan of the Scottish Association of Marine Sciences (SAMS).
« But over the past few years we’ve been operating in South Georgia, we’ve become very optimistic about the numbers of blue whales that have been seen and heard around the island, which wasn’t happening until very recently.. This year has been especially exciting, as we have seen more of a blue whale than we could have hoped for.
The researchers used devices that can detect loud and low-frequency calls to whales over long distances. The team also collected records of whale sightings that were reported to the South Georgia Museum.
Overall, 41 individuals have been identified in photos from South Georgia over the past 10 years, yet none of them matched the 517 whales in the current Antarctic blue whale photo catalog.
« We don’t quite know why it takes so long for blue whales to return, » Calderan said.. « Perhaps many of them were killed in South Georgia, which led to a loss of cultural memory for the residents because the area was a land for searching for food, and it was only now rediscovered..
The remote location, severe weather, and lack of access to South Georgia greatly limit the chances of conducting whale surveys, yet careful examination of the area is crucial for future management.
“This is an exciting discovery and a really positive step forward for the conservation of the Antarctic blue whale,” said study co-author Dr.. . Jennifer Jackson, who led the 2020 whale exploration campaign.
“With the waters of Southern Georgia designated a marine protected area by the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, we hope that these increased numbers of blue whales are a sign of things to come and that our research can continue to contribute to effective management of the area..
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The Blue Whale, South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands, extinction, Antarctica and South Georgia Island
World News – African Union – The return of blue whales in South Georgia • Earth. Com
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