THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 17, 1995 TAG: 9501170003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Nature shows on television always seem to end these days with the narrator turning grim and saying something like, ``Regrettably these splendid creatures are endangered by encroaching civilization and pollution. Even now it may be too late to save the remaining thousands.''
So it was delightful to see last week's headline, ``Humpbacks are back.'' Something is going right.
Since the adoption of the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the humpback population has grown at an annual rate of 10 percent, till an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 inhabit our oceans. Fortunately about 20 of them have chosen to winter this year off Virginia Beach. They've been visible from shore as they've fed in as little as 10 feet of water.
Humpbacks began feeding here five winters ago - no one knows why. They returned each winter, except the past one, which was unusually cold. They spent it off the North Carolina coast. Now, bless their huge hearts, they're back.
Robbins Barstow, a Connecticut man in his mid-70s who has long worked to save whales, saw his first one close up in 1973, off San Diego. Last year he described the experience: ``It can be almost a life-changing experience, seeing these creatures of tremendous size and beauty that are part of God's world.''
Humpback whales grow up to 50 feet and 40 tons, though the ones here are only up to 30 feet.
Under the heading of Know Your Neighbors, here are a few fascinating tidbits about whales:
A sperm whale could hold its breath through an entire political speech - up to 75 minutes.
While fish tailfins are vertical, whale tailfins are sideways.
Whales use rhymes in long songs, possibly to make them easier to remember. Humpbacks rank among nature's greatest singers, with songs lasting 30 minutes or more.
Whales come in two major groups. ``Toothed whales'' have teeth (everything in science should be so easy to memorize); ``baleen whales'' don't. Humpbacks are ``baleen whales.'' They have hundreds of thin mouth plates, called baleens, hanging from their upper jaws. The baleens strain out food from the water.
Whales have no sense of smell, and most cannot taste. Their hearing is keen.
It is cause for profound thanks when magnificent creatures, once seemingly doomed, make a comeback. And in a time when environmental laws are under attack, it is worth noting that some have worked well.
You know what they say?
``All's whale that ends whale!'' MEMO: Virginia Marine Science Museum whale-watching trips take place Fridays
through Mondays, with the last one Feb. 20. For information or
reservations, call 437-4949. Already thousands of people have signed
up.
by CNB