2oceansvibe News | South African and international news

Sponsored by RSAWeb rss
2ov Radio
  • Home
  • About
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Seth Rotherham
  • du Cap Collection
  • Café du Cap
  • Cabine du Cap
  • Media Packs / Advertising
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Anonymous Tips
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
Seth Rotherham
  • Cape Town’s Great White Sharks AND Whales Are Leaving

    18 Oct 2019 by Kiernan in Animals, Cape Town, Environment, South Africa
    Related Posts
    • Priceless And Precious Moment Whale Gives Birth Right Next To Tour Boat [Video]
    • Good News For Those Who Plan On Swimming In Plett These Holidays
    • Plett Shark Attack Victim's Partner Opens Up About That Tragic Morning
    • Surfer Recounts Viral Encounter With Great White Shark [Video]
    • Remarkable Findings From The Full Orca / Great White Mossel Bay Hunting Video

    [imagesource:here]

    The disappearance of Cape Town’s great white shark population has been well documented.

    Those who operate shark cage diving businesses and the like are really feeling the pinch, with many reporting a massive drop in bookings and a surge in cancellations.

    Given that the sharks support a cage-diving industry that provides employment for as many as 750 people, these are worrying times.

    Cape Town’s whale-watching businesses may seem safe, but now a new study points to a severe drop in numbers there, too.

    This from Bloomberg:

    A survey of the population of southern right whales off the coast of Cape Town has shown the second-lowest incidence of the aquatic mammals in 24 years and scientists in South Africa are linking the scarcity to climate change.

    The release of the findings of the survey, which was undertaken by the Whale Unit of the University of Pretoria’s Mammal Research Institute, comes as the city’s tourism industry is already puzzled by the sudden departure of great white sharks…

    The whale survey, which was conducted by helicopter, found 200 of the whales in a stretch of False Bay, down from over 1,000 last year, the university said in a statement. Still, in 2016 only 119 were seen. The changes may be related to climate conditions in the Southern Ocean, which lies off the Antarctic.

    Last year, as many as 536 cow-calf pairs in the same stretch of coastline, which was an all-time record.

    The disappearance of the sharks is already tough to stomach, and now the dwindling numbers of these 60 metric ton beauties just adds to that loss:

    “We believe the whales are not finding enough food, due to changes in the climate conditions of the Southern Ocean, possibly related to climate change,” the unit said. “Right whales eat krill and copepods and with not enough food they cannot store enough energy to complete the costly migration and reproduction. This has implications for population recovery.”

    Those changes in the availability of food has a knock-on effect, reports IOL:

    The reason for the apparent shift in peak presence over the past years, the unit noted, could be related to female right whales giving birth earlier and therefore leaving the South African breeding ground earlier, or that female right whales are leaving the South African breeding ground earlier possibly with a calf that is not ready to migrate.

    Dave Hurwitz

    “Also, the number of adults without a calf – unaccompanied adults being males, resting females and females that should fall pregnant this year – remained extremely low, as it has been since 2009. In fact, the recording of 10 adults without a calf in October is the second lowest count in the past 40 years. In 2016 we only counted nine.

    “This tells us that non-calving right whales are still not migrating up to the South African coast as they used to prior to 2009.”

    If you’ve been wondering why you’ve seen fewer whales this season, here’s your answer.

    Sure, it’s not panic stations yet, because last year was a bumper whale season. Given what we’re seeing with the great white sharks, though, I can’t help but feel a little uneasy about the latest survey results.

    [sources:bloomberg&iol]

    • ← Friday Morning Spice
    • Think Country Road Has Lost Its Way? Now They’re Selling Old SA Flag Bags →
    • Tweet
    • Tags:
    • Great White Shark
    • shark
    • Sharks
    • southern right whale
    • southern right whales
    • Whale
    • Whale Unit of the University of Pretoria’s Mammal Research Institute
    • whale watching
    • whales

    Latest News

    • Egypt’s Oldest Mummy Found ‘Covered In Gold’

      [imagesource:twitter/enca] After nearly a year-long excavation, Egyptian archaeologists...

    • Succession Season 4 TEASER: Logan Roy’s Kids Take On Media Mogul AGAIN [Video]

      [imagesource:twitter] Fans of the hit HBO series Succession are in for a treat. HBO has...

    • Michael Schumacher’s Friend Tried To Sell Secret Pic’s For £1million

      [imagesource:wikicommons] According to an article in Express, a friend of Michael Schum...

    • Checkers Is Trying To Lure Expats Back To SA By Proving Life Is Better Here

      [imagesource:shopriteholdings] Retail giant Checkers have launched a series of adverts ...

    • Protect Your Crowning Glory With These Phenomenal Hair Loss Treatments

      [imagesource: Everyday Health] The average human scalp contains about 100 000 hairs and...


    • 2oceansvibe Partners

    • CONTACT US
    • GOT A HOT STORY?
    • 2oceansvibe Radio
    • 2oceansvibe Media
    • Media Pack
    • Seth Rotherham
    • Café du Cap
    • Cabine du Cap
    • Cape Town City Accommodation
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Business
    • Media
    • Entertainment
    • Tech/Sci
    • World
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
    • Sport
    • Politics
  • Follow

    2oceansvibe.com is part of the 2oceansVibe Media Group

    DMMA Logo