Pollution is an issue for most wild animals. Whales and dolphins are no exception. Pollution of the waters has both a long-term and short-term effect on marine mammals.
In the short-term, plastic is a major issue. Dolphins are very curious creatures, and love to play. There have been several cases of dolphins dying from getting plastic rings caught around their beaks preventing them from eating. Also, both whales and dolphins have died from ingesting plastic bags.
The long-term effects may prove to be more devastating. PCB's,PHAH,TCDD, and other fat soluble toxins collect on schools of plankton and small fish. When whales feed on their small prey, they also ingest these toxins. Because whale milk is high in fat content, the toxins are passed right to the calf, who then starts his life with the same toxins as it's mother. Add that to the level of toxins it will also take in throughout it's own life, and so on. This problem has become so bad in St. Lawrence, that 40% of beluga deaths are caused by malignant tumors. Some carcasses even have to be treated as "toxic waste". 
The beautiful and very social Beluga is also known as the "sea canary". |
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Noise - the "New" Pollutant 
As much as we value our ability to hear, we can live without this sense. This is not true for a whale or dolphin. In a world where they are dependent on sound for food, communication, and direction, a deaf whale is a dead whale. For millions of years, cetaceans have adapted to the rhythmic sounds of the ocean, but today, the natural sounds of their world are being covered by the sounds of sonar, boats, oil rigs, drills, and many other man-made noises.
The biggest threat comes from the navy's LFAS (Low-Frequency Active Sonar). It is billions of times louder than sounds already known to cause whales to change their migrating patterns. There have been numerous reports of mass beachings in areas during or directly after use of LFAS. Examination of dead whales in the Bahamas after military use of sonar in the area revealed severe hemorrhages in or around the ears that was caused by "an acoustic event". Many people world wide are teaming up to prevent these noises from destroying whales that are already on the brink of extinction. James Taylor, Pierce Brosnan, and Jean-Michel Cousteau, among others, have joined the ranks.
Click here for more info on LFAS |
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