Whales vs seagulls
Whales off the coast of Argentina have a new persecutor to worry about. Not the Japanese whaling fleet, but flocks of seagulls. The gulls are landing on the whales and pecking away at their skin and blubber. This behaviour has not been seen elsewhere. It was first reported 35 years ago, but has not been seriously studied until recently. Nowadays up to 78% of the whales in the area are being attacked annually, with mothers and calves being particularly tormented. Unfortunately the area where this is happening is an important breeding ground for the endangered southern right whale. The whales are not feeding in the area, so they should be conserving their energy, but the gulls are making it difficult for them to do that.
Doesn’t it make you glad that there aren’t any seagulls around Hong Kong?
There’s some great photos from the BBC’s website.
