Fin Whales, Once Rare, Crowd Calif. Coast

(CBS)  Tracking a mystery, Alisa Schulman-Janiger and other marine biologists follow an ocean footprint looking for the second largest mammal in the world, the fin whale.

Sightings of the fin whale - part of the family that includes the humpback and big blue whales - used to be a rarity in the Santa Monica Bay but not anymore. They're everywhere, reports CBS News Correspondent Sandra Hughes.

"The people who have done this, watching for 20, 25 years, have never seen anything like it," Schulman-Janiger, a marine biologist at the American Cetacean Society, told Hughes. "It's described as a forest of blows. Everywhere you look there are these columns of blows going into the air."

Marine biologists started tracking the fin whale for a census beginning Dec. 1, 2009.

"We've seen them 31 out of 31 days, so it's amazing," Schulman-Janiger told Hughes. "I don't know how long this is going to continue, but it's absolutely fabulous."

In 2005-06 season, fin whales were seen on four days, according to the American Cetacean Society. By the 2007-08 season, they were sighted on 41 days. In the 2008-09 season, fin whales were seen on 91 days.

"Not just this concentration of the fin whales and blue whales and the humpbacks, there has been a smorgasbord out there," boat Capt. John Glackin told Hughes.

In 2007, marine biologists noticed a large number of giant blue whales had taken up residence off Southern California shores instead of migrating past as they usually did. They stayed to feed off a still unexplained population explosion of krill, small shrimp-like fish.

"It's possible that this is in response to some greater thing that's happening because of global climate change," David Bader of the Aquarium of the Pacific told Hughes then. "It could just be a variation in a natural cycle."

Marine biologists tracking the fin whale say it's again the krill population that has kept these whales here.

"We've have so many whales feeding and so much preponderance of the krill and the small fishes they like," Schulman-Janiger told Hughes. "I think there's a lot of good stuff going on with the ecosystem here."

Once a highly polluted coastal area, the Southern California coast has gone through a number of clean-up efforts scientists believe have worked. Sea life is re-populating, creating new patterns of migration that are both mystifying and magnificent.

[jellolion]

We trend watchers have observed an evolution of thought at the Limbaugh Institute of Scientific Theory. A few years go, the predominant theory at the Institute was that global warming did not exist. These days they no longer say global warming doesnt exist, but have shifted to the theory that while it may exist (wont hear them say it), it is a "natural" cycle of climatic change, has nothing to do with us, and there is nothing we can do about it. So...business as usual.

[jellolion]

ahhhhh, ignorance truly is bliss!

[pdxdave]

A warmer planet means more diverse flora and fauna.

Warmth is a good thing. Cold is a bad thing. More people die from cold than from heat every year.

I look forward to shopping the local farmers markets in Greenland and enjoying wines from grapes grown in the arctic circle. The biggest explosion of life on the planet came when the temperature was very high. Much higher than global warming hysterics predict.

[msimamaji]

Are you out of your mind????

Global warming is already wreaking havoc in many parts of the world. Those trends will continue. Bear in mind that many of the world's most populous regions are on sea level. Bear in mind that many parts of this country will be flooded. Also, have you considered what happens when sea water seeps into aquifers which provide us with our water supply?
Before you blog further, you need to do much more serious research on climate change and its effects.

[jellolion]

a graduate of the Rush Limbaugh University of Scientific Theory, I presume?

[Treadlightly2]

Top 10 Ways to Heal the Bay


Even if you live miles from the beach, there are many ways that you can help. Check out these top 10 suggestions and start healing the Bay today!

Keep your Litter out of the Gutter!
Keep trash, yard trimmings, and other litter off the street and out of the storm drains so they don?t end up in the ocean. Clean up after your dog, cat, or horse to keep the waste out of the storm drain and away from your favorite beach. Report full catch basins to the Dept. of Public Works: LA City: (800) 974- 9794 LA County: (800) 303- 0003
Don?t Be a Drip
Overwatering is wasteful and moves trash and toxins to the ocean. Conserving water also helps the sewage treatment plant do a better job. Turn off the faucet when you don?t need it. Fix leaky pipes and install low- flow shower heads and toilets
Hold on to Your Balloons
Released helium balloons eventually pop and fall back to land, ending up in the ocean where animals mistake them for food. Always pop balloons and put them in the trash.
Beware of Six- Pack Rings
Avoid buying them, or cut them up before you throw them out. Marine animals choke on garbage and get tangled in trash. Unlike people, birds and fish don?t have hands to remove items caught around their necks.
Go Non-Toxic!
Avoid buying products like liquid drain openers. Use pesticides as little as possible and look for non- toxic alternatives. Use compost instead of chemical fertilizers. If you must use harsh chemical products, bring them to authorized household hazardous waste drop-off centers. For locations near you, call (800) CLEAN-UP.
Sack the Plastic Bags
Instead of taking plastic bags at the grocery store, bring your own bag. Plastic bags create loads of unnecessary litter; they are easily blown by the wind, and they often end up in the ocean. Plastic takes hundreds of years to biodegrade, and creates hazards for marine life and other wildlife.
Make a Clean Sweep
Use a broom, not a hose, to clean sidewalks and driveways. Watering the driveway won?t make it grow! Sweep trash into a dustpan, not the gutter, and use the garden clippings as mulch to fertilize your yard.
Recycle Used Motor Oil
You can recycle your used motor oil at gas stations, auto parts stores, and garages. Never pour it down the drain, in the gutter, or on the ground. Motor oil is extremely toxic.
Go to a Car Wash
Most car washes recycle their water. If you clean your car at home, wash it on the lawn. Use a bucket to conserve water and use biodegradable soap.
Become a part of Heal the Bay
By volunteering or becoming a member, you?ll help us continue to protect the Santa Monica Bay and all of California?s coastal waters.

Donate
Become a member
Volunteer - Join a beach or community cleanup, or help out at our offices or at our events
Educate - Help spread the word through our education programs
Buy and wear cool Heal the Bay stuff!

[Treadlightly2]

This is impressive, people actually doing something about a problem. From Heal The Bay. All volunteer workforce.


Coastal Cleanup Day 2009 ? New Records Set!
Posted: September 19, 2009
Some 14,038 community members ? an all-time high number -- scoured beaches, parks, alleys, creeks, highways and stormdrains on Saturday, September 19 from 9 a.m. to noon at 69 sites throughout the county. Volunteers removed a record-setting 300,413 pounds of debris and recyclables. This year?s haul marked a stunning 65% increase from last year?s total of 181,000 pounds. The increased total is due to more aggressive public works efforts coordinated in concert with Heal the Bay to clear bulky, heavy items from so-called ?Code Red? sites. The inaugural program designated five sites in or near heavily urbanized, debris-choked waterways.

Nice.

[ffoulkes-2009]

The scarce water sources are due to so many millions of people living in a semi-arid desert. Stupid to begin with.

. "It could just be a variation in a natural cycle."
Yep..a Natural Cycle just like Climate Change.

[dragon8me]

In the '70's polution was getting out of hand and we started cleaning up our act. Plus the ban on hunting whales I think are the main reasons. It shouldn't be a mystery. It always gets me that the so called experts and the gov is so suprised about things that most of us would consider common sence.

[sjc_1]

One article credited cleaning up the California coasts, which makes sense. If you have a cleaner coast, sea life can thrive. I see it as a good omen, even if it only lasts a few years. These are magnificent animals and the more people see them the more they are reminded that everything is connected.

[jxknowles]

Maybe it's because we're not shooting them all with harpoons and making them into dog food.

[richinnc]

This is why the ocean level is rising. There are more whales and they displace more water - thus the ocean level is rising. With more whales in the water there is more heat - more melting of the glaciers. This whole warming thing is the fault of the whales we have "saved" - do you think they care about us?

[msimamaji]

This is an excellent example of crack pot science. The whale population now is far lower than it was several centuries ago. This blog is an excellent example of crackpot science. You need to do serious research on global climate change and its causes before you blog. You don't know what you're talking about.

[spiggs2]

Just like a bunch of swelled head scientists to believe they had anything to do with creating this event. These scientists are quick to take credit, set blame for negative events and to naive to truely understand how insignificant they are in the events that occur in the oceans.

[azure13]

Spiggs... where exactly did they say they believed they had anything to do with it? Most of the people who come to these boards are too lazy to even ready the article...