Marine Life & Conservation
Northern Vancouver Island whales seen swallowing ‘bait balls’ made by birds
A population of humpback whales off northern Vancouver Island is taking advantage of diving seabirds to exploit herring stocks, new research shows.
Christie McMillan, a fisheries science master’s student at Simon Fraser University, says that seabirds such as rhinoceros auklets and common murres dive into the ocean and swim beneath the herring so the prey forms tight schools known as “bait balls”.
“It’s a response of all herring,” she said in an interview at a weekend marine mammal symposium at the University of B.C. “When they’re startled, their response is to group up tight. It’s instinctual: ‘There’s a predator, get close to my neighbour, and hopefully he gets eaten instead of me.’”
The strategy works better on a one-kilogram bird than a 25-tonne whale.
“A bird eats one herring at a time, but whales just gobble them all,” said McMillan, who is also president of the Marine Education and Research Society.
Humpbacks in Queen Charlotte Strait have learned to let the seabirds do the initial work before lunging in and swallowing the bait balls, with individual whales consuming hundreds of kilograms per day. Gulls also benefit as the bait ball rises to the surface.
McMillan said she observed the practice during two years of field research.
“I’d look at a school of herring in the distance and think,’ OK, I’ll go sample that,’ and often the humpback would beat me to it. They’d go over and engulf it. They seem to be really benefiting from the birds in that area.”
McMillan estimates up to two dozen humpbacks a day use Queen Charlotte Strait from August to November. During that time, juvenile herring represent about 84 per cent of the annual nutritional requirements of an adult male humpback and 65 per cent of a pregnant female.
“It’s pretty important they meet their energy requirements because it will lead to successful reproduction,” she noted.
The findings may have management implications for humpbacks, which are officially listed as threatened by the Canadian government, although it’s unclear whether these particular whales have alternative prey sources in the area if herring numbers decline.
McMillan said more than 2,000 humpback whales are thought to feed in the rich waters of B.C. before winter migrations to Hawaii or Mexico, where they give birth.
The next step in the research is to compare the feeding habits of this population of humpbacks with other humpbacks on the B.C. coast to determine whether they, too, specialize on herring or other species.
Source: www.timescolonist.com
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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