Ever puzzled what it could be wish to discover Antarctica with a crew of whale specialists? We have. That’s why we’ve partnered with WWF-Australia to run two groundbreaking expeditions to the ends of the earth.
Imagine crossing the Antarctic circle with a crew of scientists from the World Wildlife Fund – Australia. These specialists are the icing (pun meant) on the cake with regards to immersing your self in a very Antarctic expertise; they may help you establish whales and wow you with details, all whereas conducting very important analysis into these unimaginable giants of the ocean.
We sat down with Chris Johnson, WWF’s Global Lead for Protecting Dolphins and Whales, to share what you’ll be able to count on on this one-in-a-lifetime expedition.
What kind of issues will folks see on this expedition?
Antarctica is epic. It’s the biggest wilderness on Earth with over 9,000 marine species – and much more being found every year.
The Antarctic circumpolar present flows clockwise from west to east across the continent and runs parallel north up the Western Peninsula. This means its icy waters are very productive and abound with wildlife, from humpback whales to penguins and seals, feeding on large swarms of their prey – krill. It’s actually a sight to behold.
We will see a variety of species akin to humpback whales, Antarctic minke whales and killer whales. Humpbacks undertake a yearly migration to the Antarctic, which is crucial to feed on krill, relaxation and add the required power shops to maintain them for his or her subsequent journey to their tropical breeding grounds. But we may even see different species if we’re fortunate, akin to Antarctic blue whales (the biggest animal on Earth), sperm whales, southern proper whales and fin whales.
We’ll additionally see a variety of different wildlife akin to adélie, gentoo and chinstrap penguins, all kinds of seabirds and a variety of seals, like leopard, Weddell and crabeater seals.
At the top of every day, the analysis crew will share updates about our discipline work and encounters with whales, doing in-depth TED-style talks and sharing video footage from our drone and tag work.
Tell us a bit in regards to the WWF’s whale conservation work in Antarctica.
WWF has been working with companions to preserve whales for over 50 years. Whales are awe-inspiring but difficult to check within the open ocean. Because of this, their distribution and demanding ocean habitats – areas the place they feed, mate, give start, nurse younger, socialise or migrate for his or her survival – are nonetheless being found. This is why we’ve invested in progressive methods to higher perceive the lives of our ocean giants.
New applied sciences are permitting us to check whales and the ocean in new methods. Over current years, WWF has supported fieldwork akin to utilizing digital tags and drones to higher perceive how and the place whales feed to uncover their favorite hotspots. It provides us a window into their world to grasp the well being of populations, how they’re affected by local weather change, and the way we’d defend their vital ocean habitats worldwide.
Why is whale conservation such essential work?
Growing proof exhibits that whales are important to a wholesome ocean and planet, so we’d like these animals to get better and thrive.
Along their migrations, whales fertilise the marine ecosystems they transfer by way of and help the marine life inhabiting them. Their faecal plumes enhance phytoplankton manufacturing, which captures about 40 per cent of all carbon dioxide produced and generates over half of the ambiance’s oxygen. When they die, whales sink to the seabed, taking large quantities of carbon out of the ambiance for hundreds of years. Altogether, over its lifetime, one whale captures the identical quantity of carbon as 1000’s of timber.
This implies that by restoring whale populations, we may help restore ocean ecosystems and mitigate and construct resilience to local weather change. It’s serving to nature assist itself, and all of us who rely upon it.
There’s been quite a lot of discuss these days about whether or not travellers needs to be going to Antarctica in any respect. What are your ideas on that?
Antarctica is the one place on the planet put aside as a reserve for ‘peace and science’. No nation owns it, and we should all work collectively to preserve it.
Collaboration is the spirit of Antarctic science and it’s the best approach to obtain affect. Across WWF, we’ve labored with a variety of analysis groups together with University of California Santa Cruz, British Antarctic Survey, Australian Antarctic Division, Duke University and different companions akin to tourism operators like Intrepid Travel to assist achieve entry to essential discipline websites whereas sharing the science in motion with vacationers.
Working with collaborators, we deliver this essential information to coverage makers to guard 30 per cent of the seas round Antarctica by 2030, creating a security web for wildlife.
Over the final 20 years, I’ve studied and documented whale populations around the globe and the excessive seas. However, nothing fairly beats working among the many Antarctic giants whereas surrounded by mountains rising from the ocean and navigating vibrant icebergs of all sizes and styles alongside the Peninsula. The scale of nature right here is overwhelming and inspirational.
Antarctic journey is a chance to share this very particular place with the general public – and it evokes those that are fortunate sufficient to go to it.
See the nice white continent for your self alongside WWF-Australia specialists on Intrepid’s WWF Giants of Antarctica and WWF Journey to the Circle and Giants of Antarctica journeys.