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What Happened to
One morning, on Easter Sunday, April 20th, people walking near the Alameda shoreline spotted something unusual... A huge shape at the water's edge. A whale! This whale was the fourth whale to wash up onto our shores only in this year. As the whale's body laid at rest at Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach, we can only think---What happened to this magnificent creature?
One morning, on Easter Sunday, April 20th, people walking near the Alameda shoreline spotted something unusual... A huge shape at the water's edge. A whale! This whale was the fourth whale to wash up onto our shores only in this year. As the whale's body laid at rest at Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach, we can only think---What happened to this magnificent creature?
Experts say there could be many causes. This whale, which was later determined to be a grey whale, was one of thirty to be spotted in our bay within this year. San Francisco is home to a very busy waterway. Many highspeed motor boats, ferries, and cargo ships travel within our bay. Most whales die of natural causes, however recently, we have been witnessing more and more whale deaths caused by human activity. This includes boat strikes and entanglement within ropes and fishing nets.
Why do Whales Come Ashore?
Why do Whales Come Ashore?
To understand why whales come ashore, dead or alive, we must know the causes. While I mentioned some possible causes of whale strandings (or what we also call "beaching"), there are many other common causes. This includes, and is not limited to, old age or natural death, pollution, illness, injury, change in feeding habits, habitat destruction, noise pollution, and sometimes---we don’t know for sure! Even the ocean has its mysteries.
What the Whales Teaches Us
What the Whales Teaches Us
When a whale beaches, scientists take incredible care on making sure every detail is looked at. The scientists will first take pictures of the scene and take measurements. They might also look at markings on the whale for clues as to what might have happened. They will look at the whale's fluke, or the whale's tail. Every whale's tail is unique, sort of like a finger print!
By examining a whale's body, scientists can vaguely guess what the whale's cause of death was. It really depends on the state of the whale's body. Whale strandings can reveal the health of the ocean, signs of human impact (sound pollution, water pollution, and man-made nets), and how deeply climate change is effecting these gentle giants of the sea.
Alamedians are surounded by water. We have fun on our beaches and get to have an amazing view of the ocean almost on a daily basis. We are a part of the ocean's story, and it's our duty to protect it.
What we do on land, does not always stay on land. Plastic use, pollution, boat traffic, and inconsideration affects beautiful big ocean creatures like whales every single day. To help these creatures of the ocean safe and happy, we can adopt simple daily habits and protect our bay one step at a time. Make sure that you limit plastic use (use reusable water bottles, grocery totes, and remember reuse, reduce, recycle) and try to take the bus or carpool to lower greenhouse gas emissions!
And just remember, that a whale may be gone, but it left behind something important—a reminder that the ocean connects us all.
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