Whale Enemies: Orcas and Humans Contributed by Mike & Winston Mike & Winston I'd like to take a few moments to address some of the problems facing not only the gray whales, but all whales. Whales basically have two enemies: Orcas (killer whales, which in fact are not whales, but dolphins) and human beings. Only one type of Orca, the transient orca, is known to attack whales and other marine mammals. Transients Orcas are sometimes referred to as "wolves of the sea" as they will hunt in packs. A pod of Orcas hase been videotaped attacking a Blue whale, the largest animal on the planet. While Orcas kill some whales, it is nothing compared to the number of whales that humans kill. Many of you might believe that whales are no longer hunted. But this is not true. Japan kills over 500 whales a year, saying the whales are taken for science; yet the meat from the whales is sold for a very high price in Japanese fish markets. Norway is another country that still hunts whales, but Norway does not try to hide the fact. Whaling Days Courtesy Mike & Winston For years mankind has been depleting the wildlife of our oceans through overfishing and pollution of the seas and air. Cutting and burning of the rain forests contributes through its role in global warming. Global warming in turn leads to higher sea temperatures, killing marine life at the very bottom of the food chain. Some countries see the whales as competition and blame the whales for eating so much fish. These countries want to see an end to the ban on whaling. Some of these countries are willing to pay other countries and even some Native American tribes to vote to end the ban on whaling. This is not only bad news for the whales, but also for humankind. Testing has shown that a lot of whale meat contains high levels of toxins. These are harmful not only to the whales, but also to anyone eating the whale meat. Even people who live in the frozen parts of the world, whose only source of food is from the ocean, are feeling the effects of the toxins, with lower birth rates, higher infant mortality and shorter life span. I am not trying to tell you that whaling is wrong. That is something for you to decide for yourselves. Just make sure you look at all the sides before you make up your mind. Several times in the past we nearly hunted these gentle giants to extinction. This was back then whales were slaughtered not only for meat, but for oil and baleen and other by-products. Since then, our technology has created substitutes for the oil and baleen and by-products. Except for a very few people in this world, no one needs to kill whales. By the time your children have children, many of today's animal species will be extinct. You can help take care of the planet. You can make a difference. Copyright 2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form