Gray Whales Are Dying From Lack Of Food

Gray whales are dying from a lack of food, and the reasons why reveal a disturbing truth about our changing planet. This episode of How to Protect the Ocean examines why hundreds of gray whales have stranded or died along the Pacific coast between 2019 and 2023. Declared an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) by NOAA, the crisis links back to melting Arctic sea ice, which has disrupted ecosystems and reduced the whales’ access to essential prey like amphipods.

Marine mammal conservation has never been more urgent. In addition to starvation, whales are increasingly threatened by human activity—vessel strikes, fishing gear entanglements, and habitat shifts. We also highlight NOAA’s latest findings showing signs of a potential rebound in the population, though low calf counts remain a concern. This episode breaks it all down and offers ways you can take action to help protect gray whales and the ecosystems they depend on.

Chapter:
00:00 – Why are gray whales dying?
00:45 – The scale of recent whale deaths
01:30 – What NOAA found in their investigations
02:10 – How climate change affects whale feeding
03:00 – Malnutrition and calf decline
03:45 – Ship strikes and human-related threats
04:30 – Are gray whale numbers recovering?
05:15 – Conservation strategies and solutions
06:00 – What public action can do
07:30 – Final thoughts and what’s next
09:00 – How you can help protect gray whales

#oceanconservation #MarineBiology #SaveOurOceans #ProtectTheOcean #OceanAwareness #BluePlanet #ConservationMatters #ScienceForChange #SustainableOceans
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