Ocean Learn

Why are Whales Important?

Whales act as a nutrient pump; they eat fish and zooplankton at the surface of the ocean and release nitrogen-rich faecal matter which sinks to the bottom, feeding smaller organisms like phytoplankton.

Phytoplankton are very important because they use up CO2 and release oxygen. Researchers in Australia have worked out that sperm whales are responsible for removing 400000 tonnes of CO2 per year! The ocean provides us with 50% of the oxygen we breathe…

What is the Problem?

Sperm whales have teeth and can selectively choose what they want to eat, they sometimes snack on squids! Sometimes they mistake floating plastic bags for their usual squid meal… Humpback wholes are filter feeders, meaning that lots of water passes through them and they just eat whatever they suck up. They are most at risk of ingesting micro plastics which can release toxins in their stomachs. Plastic toxins can bioaccumulate up the food chain so whales are particularly at risk as they are top predators. Humpback whales use echolocation to communicate but noise from ships can mask their social communication noises which can lead to displacement from their habitat and isolation from their pod.