The Blue whale has been endangered since 1970. The blue whale is one of the largest creatures in the world. It weighs about 200 tons. Its heart is said to be about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. It is protected by the federal government and known to not be hunted by other countries. This species is endangered and according to Leigh Henry, an expert in wildlife conservation, there are approximately 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales left. Blue Whales are threatened by climate change, fishing, ship impacts, and the loss of its food. A blue whale needs to eat about 4 tons of krill a day in order to survive. However, with the climate change the krill population is declining. Also, with more and more ships out in the ocean whales are being hit by ships or thrown off by the sound that a ship produces. With all of the pollution in the ocean it is also affecting the population of its food source by poisoning the food or killing it. So, experts and scientists have created different paths that a ship can take in order to avoid coming into contact with a blue whale pod. Blue whales are at the top of the food chain and balance out the food chain by making sure one species doesn’t become too overpopulated. Also, whale poop improves the environment by offsetting the carbon in an environment. Also, a whale’s carcass helps feed the other animals that live at the bottom of the sea floor. So, a whale helps balance out the food chain and is needed to stabilize it.
Word Count: 269
Piper I 