Birds and whales have little in common other than sharing the world, the climate, and in some cases the sea.
This story is one I did not see until yesterday (March 21). It's worth repeating in case you missed it.
There are fewer than 450 right whales left in the world. About 100 of them are females. This is the time of year when females should be tending their calves. But not one calf has been seen this year.
Seventeen known right whale deaths occurred last year. That was nearly twice as many as the total in the previous five years.
Some observers believe part of the problem is connected with warming ocean water.
Collisions with ships and entanglement in cables and fishing lines also are factors.
The absence of whale calves should not be a ship-related issue.
It is predicted that this endangered whale species could be extinct in 20 years.
Warming waters also are impacting seabirds, in some cases causing death by starvation as the fish birds eat move to find water of more suitable temperature. Water too warm can vary from acceptable water by as little as two degrees Fahrenheit.
