Seven endangered species of whale, the gray whale, the humpback whale, the blue whale, the fin whale, the right whale, the sei whale, and the sperm whale may be found in the California central coast area. The entire population of gray whales in the eastern Pacific migrates through the area twice each year, as does half the northern Pacific population of humpback whales. This summer, due to the abundance of krill, many whales can be seen in the Monterey Bay. According to Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee Many species of whales, including Blue whales ( the biggest creature ever to roam the earth) are in Monterey Bay Krill is an important food source that feeds on plankton. Blue whales are an endangered species numbering only about 2,000 in the Pacific and 8,000 worldwide. The krill sustain the whales along their migration route from Mexico to Alaska. Krill are a good example of how important one food source can be. According to Wikipedia, Whales surface periodically to exhale carbon dioxide and inhale oxygen. During diving, a muscular action closes the blowholes (nostrils), which remain closed until surfacing, the muscles open the blowholes and warm air is exhaled and condenses as it meets colder external air. A small cloud of 'steam' appears. This is called the 'blow' or 'spout' and varies by species in terms of shape, angle and height, allowing species to be identified at a distance using this characteristic.
Images of krill and blue whale skull via wikipedia
|