Marine news

Near Minor Island, Washington

The Fin Whale is the second largest animal in the world, behind the Blue Whale, and for the first time in years a juvenile was spotted in north Puget Sound. They were once common here but commercial hunting and boat strikes off Vancouver Island decimated the population.  Adults can live 90 years and reach 85 feet.

Marine biology professor Jonathan Stern said, "There always has to be that pioneer, that first one in to literally test the waters, and maybe this little fin whale is that pioneer."
Marine animals, birds and plants are shifting their ranges because of climate change. 

I'm ashamed that I didn't know anything about the beautiful Fin Whale until I read that news story last week. If the ocean was an African savanna, the Fin Whale would be a gazelle.  Their only defense against packs of hunting Orcas is to swim away, and Fins have streamlined bodies that can travel 30 miles per hour to escape the killers.

Well, eating is not a crime. And speaking of the wolves of the sea, there's been a baby boom in the local Orca population this summer that has marine biologists excited. Five calves were born to the Puget Sound resident pods.  This is good news, because the population hit a 40 year low in December.  The number is now up to 81, but still a long way to go to reach 120, enough to take them off the endangered list.

I've never been lucky enough to be down on Alki beach when they swim by, but people spot them all the time there, practically in our backyard.