Humans are whale killers
One of the most shocking things I’ve discovered during my travels is what humans have done to whale populations.
In Patagonia, for example, it was impossible to ignore the legacy of industrial whaling. One of the first things many European explorers and settlers did was establish whaling stations. Entire populations of these magnificent creatures were driven to the brink.
The Last Whaling Station wasn’t the end to whaling
What makes this even worse is that the destruction continued long after the world supposedly decided to stop. I recently watched The Last Whaling Station, which revealed how Russian whaling fleets systematically falsified records while continuing to kill whales in huge numbers. And the Japanese fleets continued hunting whales under various loopholes and exemptions. When scientists later returned to assess the recovery of whale populations, they discovered that many had barely recovered at all. It was a deception on a vast scale – one that still affects us today.
Whales help regulate the climate
Whales are not just spectacular, intelligent and beautiful – they are also essential engineers of ocean ecosystems. Their nutrient-rich faeces help fertilise phytoplankton, microscopic marine plants that absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide and produce much of the oxygen we breathe. When whales thrive, the oceans become healthier and better able to help regulate our climate.
Moananui Sanctuary are campaigning for legal rights for whales
That is why I was pleased to discover the work of Moananui Sanctuary and its partners, who are campaigning for whales to be recognised as legal persons with rights that can be defended in law. The campaign is rooted in Indigenous Pacific traditions that view whales not as resources to be exploited, but as fellow beings with an intrinsic right to exist and flourish.
I’ve signed their petition supporting the rights of whales. Will you?
In a mad, mad world, protecting whales feels like a very sane thing to do.
