Global warming drives killer whales north Arctic sea

By Al Mayadeen Net
Source: Agencies
20 Dec 2021 22:24

The melting ice of the Arctic sea affects orcas' food sources, pushing them to migrate north, spending more time in polar waters.

A pod of orcas swims off the coast of Tromvik, in the fjords of northern Norway (Felix Odell)

In northern Norway, a significant flock of seagulls flies in circles above the Arctic fjord, indicating the presence of predators in the water below - an unusual observation of 70 to 80 killer whales, spotted by AFP in the Skjervoy fjord region.

Killer whales have expanded their hunting parameters due to the alarming fact that ice in the Arctic sea is melting at unprecedented levels due to global warming. For this reason, killer whales are spending more time in polar waters, US scientists suggest.

Where does the danger lie?

The killer whales, otherwise known as orcas, are animals at the top of the food chain, and the expansion of their hunting grounds - as a result of their increasing hunger - means preying on endangered species, potentially creating an "ecological imbalance" in the Arctic region. This warning was issued by the University of Washington.

"Through acoustic surveys, we have detected orcas in the Barents Sea in November between Svalbard and Franz Josef Land, so they are clearly following the edge of the ice," Marie-Anne Blanchet of the Norwegian Polar Institute said.

The orca feeds on the beluga whale and some species of seal, according to Blanchet.

But, why has the orca migrated?

The orca's prime food choice, herring, is moving further north, and thus followed by the whale. However, the reasons are not very clear.

A study by the University of Washington, which was presented at the beginning of this month, contends that escalation in migration is a result of the increasingly long season when the Arctic Ocean is free of ice.

"It's not necessarily that killer whales haven't been reported in these areas before, but that they appear to be remaining in the area for longer periods of time," co-author Brynn Kimber wrote.

The Arctic is experiencing rises in temperatures three times faster than the rest of the planet; Arctic ice is also thinning out and has shrunken, on average, over 13% every decade for the last 40 years.

However, the migration clashes with human beings, particularly fishermen and hunters.

In the waters near Greenland's capital, Nuuk, 4 orcas were killed at the end of November, which is an act permissible under Greenland's constitution. The orcas are deemed "unwelcome competitors" to the fishermen and hunters.