#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Bowhead whales did not migrate south as usual, but remained in the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Scientists believe that this anomalous behavior indicates serious disturbances in the Arctic ecosystem and is most likely associated with climate change. This was reported by Sever-press with reference to Naked Science.
Usually every year about 20,000 bowhead whales – the bulk of the population – swim from the Beaufort sea to Berengovo. In the north of the Pacific Ocean, whales spend the winter, and when the water warms up, they swim back.
Canadian biologists, using special sensors installed in the ocean, found that from October 2018 to April 2019, the animals did not leave Amundsen bay.
“The experts were surprised that the whales were emitting singing typical of the mating season, which normally occurs in spring or early summer. All this let scientists understand that there have been major changes in the behavior of whales”, reports the Naked Science portal.
Marine biologists believe that global warming is the main cause of the anomaly. The comfortable temperature for polar whales is from –0.5 to +2 degrees Celsius. If the water gets warmer, then, in order not to overheat, the animals swim away to the north.
In addition, perhaps due to climate change, a large amount of food remained in the northern waters, and the whales decided not to concede resources to other marine life.
Previously, scientists predicted that the number of fires would increase in the Arctic, and the length of the seasons could change dramatically. This is also related to the accelerated global warming.
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Text: Angelica Stepanova, Photo: Sergey Dolya, open sources
