Whale is the largest creature of the planet. It is a marine mammal with sleek and streamlined body. It is the only mammal which lives its entire life in the open oceans. Like other mammals it breathes air into lungs, has mammary glands for its young, and has a four –chambered heart and it is warm-blooded.
There are 39 species of whale and 15 of them are baleen whales and 24 of them are toothed whales. Among the baleen whales Humpback, Gray and Blue whale are famous. Baleen whales have baleen plates for filtering food from water. Toothed whales have teeth and one of them is Sperm whale.
There are many causes for decreasing whale population. Some of them are commercial whale hunting, accidental capture by the fisheries ships, habitat degradation, noise disturbance and collision with vessels, disease outbreaks, food resource competition with fisheries and climate change impacts. The impact of these causes is worse two or more causes occur at a time. If these threats are allowed to continue, many species of whale will become extinct in the near future.
International Whaling Commission has recognized 86 cetacean species including all whale species. Some of the species have been studied closely but their biology, ecology hasn’t yet known largely. So there is a real need for extensive research for the conservation of whale species.
People who participate in a whale watching tour actively support whale conservation as these people become more aware about the present condition of whales and support whale research directly. It contributes to whale conservation globally.
To know about more on whale conservation visit:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/cetaceans/whalesanddolphins.html
http://www.whalewatchcabo.com/whale-watching/conservation-research/