| Whales and pollution should not go hand | | | | sound is also of serious concern |
| in hand however, the fact is they do, | | | | explorations for petroleum causes |
| whales are greatly affected by human | | | | continual underwater booms. Military |
| actions that bring together whales and | | | | operations using lower-level sonar that |
| pollution. | | | | can cast up to 230 dB near the source. |
| * Contaminants | | | | The activity from cruise ships, ocean |
| * Sound | | | | liners, tankers and submarines, all |
| * Plastic | | | | contributing to noise pollution that can |
| Contaminants. Whales are polluted from | | | | seriously affect the marine life |
| contaminants dumped in to the oceans, | | | | including whales. Pollution by sound |
| chemicals which cause whales pollution, | | | | can cause whales to abandon natural |
| are harbored in their fatty tissues and | | | | habitat and go off course also throwing |
| organs, contaminated with PCB and DDT's | | | | off their ability to hunt affecting |
| from as long as 30 years ago, highly | | | | whales communications systems through |
| toxic levels were found in beached | | | | loud background sounds, the blue whale |
| whales today. Other whale pollutants | | | | in particular, whose sound can travel |
| prevalent are flame retardant's PBDE | | | | over 1000 miles, enabling it to |
| that travel many miles in the atmosphere | | | | communicate with others now because of |
| and PFOs that do not break down ever, | | | | sound pollution, its range is only a |
| being passed on in the food chain, up to | | | | 10th the size of what it was. |
| human level. Some chemicals are | | | | Plastic. Whales and pollution from |
| endocrine disruptor's. The Transient | | | | plastic, it may be fun to see released |
| killer whales are susceptible to | | | | balloons, watching them float off into |
| pollution from toxic substances that | | | | the distance, but did you consider where |
| weaken their immune system, also making | | | | they might end up? Floating hundreds of |
| them more prone to problems with | | | | miles, ending up in side mammals, sea |
| reproduction, increasing the chances of | | | | turtles, dolphins and otters also |
| more whales with pollution. Belugas also | | | | mistake them for jellyfish swallow them, |
| called sea Canaries because of their | | | | which instead of providing nourishment |
| harmonious voices. Evidence shows that | | | | block their digestive tract and end up |
| a high number of beluga whales have | | | | killing them. The area of the Pacific |
| pollution from the St. Lawrence River | | | | ocean almost from Japan to Hawaii is |
| region and died of cancer. Autopsies | | | | home to an enormous floating plastic |
| also revealed a high level of exposure | | | | debris pile from basketball's, grocery |
| to PAHs, the Alcan aluminum plant is | | | | bags to toys, some have been ground up |
| upstream, and poisonous metals from it | | | | floating in small confetti like |
| end up in the water, even though this | | | | particles. This area is a vortex where |
| plant has reduced air emissions, the | | | | the ocean circulates slowly because of |
| whales eat small invertebrates that live | | | | little wind and extreme high pressure |
| in toxic sentiment, who eat contaminated | | | | systems, it's growing each year, this |
| algae, which adds to belugas demise. | | | | plastic garbage comes from people |
| The toxins that they ingest stay in the | | | | throwing garbage from cruise ships oil |
| fat cells they are passed on to the fat | | | | platforms and plastic pellets from |
| rich milk for their calf's this in turn | | | | industry. paddling in plastic |
| is passed on to the next generation, and | | | | Interesting fact it takes only a quart |
| so on, building up with each one. Puget | | | | of oil or some kinds of paint to |
| Sound Alaska is facing the decline of | | | | contaminate many thousands of gallons of |
| salmon, Orca populations are also | | | | water, creatures that rely upon |
| dropping as they eat the salmon. | | | | waterproofing (fur feathers) can die of |
| Sound. Whales and pollution through | | | | hypothermia from just one drop. |