Back in the 80s, whaling had brought whale species to the brink of extinction.
A gobal outcry prompted action to save Earth’s largest animals, resulting in the 1986 global ban on commercial whaling by the International Whaling Commission.
While some species continue to struggle, humpbacks are among the species that have come roaring back. Thanks to South African photographer Chris Fallows, we’ve got a prime view of a “supergathering” of some 300 humpbacks who met off the west coast of South Africa:
Fallows called it a “Manhattan skyline” of whale breath plumes, and said it’s clear evidence the species has benefited from the ban.
Humpback whales can grow up to 60 feet long and weigh up to 40 metric tons. They’re known for their long, haunting conversations in whalesong, with “phrases” that can last as long as 30 minutes. Despite their massive size, humpbacks are filter feeders who subsist on small fish, krill and plankton.
Pain In The Bud 
The Americas is a great show to watch. Watching it a second time.
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The giants have survived and are having a feast….
How lovely.
Good to see something beautiful, I am in France at the moment with our 5th heatwave since june and all around me the beautiful woods and wildlife are burning…..xxx
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Stay safe, Sue. How bad is it where you are? I’ve read some disturbing stories about the temperatures and heat deaths in France and I know a lot of our European friends don’t have AC.
I’m thinking that’s probably going to change after this summer if people aren’t running out to buy them already.
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Thank you so much.
Around Bordeaux we have had uncontrolable fires, 6th day now, the fire is 10km from Bordeaux centre.
Over 220000 people have been evacuated.
Its a miracle that the deaths are so few.
The wildlife are burning….
The problem is that it’s all pine trees which are like explosives. The firemen are so brave and farmers from hundreds of miles have been coming to them on their tractors with water citernes!
At the moment it is 43 degrees celcius and windy, it hasn’t rained for months.
You are right about AC, I am so fortunate as I have put it in.
They have run outin the shops.
Anyway another example of how man is destroing the planet…
Puspus is very thin, however, and I don’t usualy give him this, he will make an effort for unsalted tuna….
Costs a fortune lol.
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The little guy deserves it with all the stress of this summer. Is he okay?
I’m glad to hear you have AC. Until we finally figure out fusion power and get our energy issues under control, and the resulting environmental consequences, it’s only going to get worse and AC will become common in areas where it wasn’t. As it is, there are places in the Middle East and southwestern US that would be uninhabitable without it.
Stay safe and give Puspus a head scratch from me and Bud please!
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Thanks so much, scratching his head now on your behalf!
We went out for a short walk together yesterday and he snored on my bed all night lol.
Yes I wasn’t for AC with global warming, but we have no choice.
Countrys have got to get their heads together to find alternatives…
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What magnificent animals! It’s great that they were able to be saved from extinction caused by whaling.
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Thank you for sharing this link. Awesome sight! We’ve been fortunate to see humpbacks on a couple of occasions. Never in such large numbers, obviously, but merely being in the presence of the great whales is, nevertheless, a truly humbling experience.
I’m guessing you’re not a folkie (ie a fan of traditional folk music), so you may not have come across a song called The Last of the Great Whales. It was written around 1983, before the ban on commercial whaling, and muses on the inevitable fate of whales if humans did not abandon their cetacean hunting habits . You may think it’s sentimental nonsense, but the song speaks to me at a very deep level (“Oh now that we are all gone, there is no more hunting / The big fellow is no more, it’s no use lamenting / What race will be next in line all for the slaughter? / The elephant or the seal, or your sons and daughters?”) Just typing those lyrics, I feel myself filling up.
If you’re intrigued, you can hear a version of the song here: Last of the Great Whales
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No worries, of course I don’t think it’s sentimental nonsense. They are incredible animals and the Earth’s genetic legacy, wonder and future stability are being stolen from us an future generations by corporations, politicians, the terminally ideological, and individuals who think their moderate wealth entitles them to pay $100k to kleptocracies in Africa to “harvest” endangered animals. Of course that’s coward-speak for “drive me around in a climate-controlled SUV, light my fires, pitch my tent, cook my meals, and lure the animal right into my crosshairs so I can kill it at 20 meters when it doesn’t even realize it’s being hunted. Then I’ll likely still bungle the shot and conveniently disappear when you have to put the animal out of its misery and behead it so I can take my trophy back home and regale bored guests with *slightly* exaggerated stories of my hunting prowess and bravery as the great beast came thundering toward me!”
Seeing the whales up close must have been an extraordinary experience. Did you see them from a boat or did you dive?
I’ll admit to not being fond of American folk music but the track in your link was cool. A lot more sonically and lyrically varied than what’s classified as folk here. Is it Irish?
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Totally agree with your assessment of hunters and hunting!
Our whale-watching has always been from a boat. Diving’s not my thing! The song was written by an English guy – Andy Barnes – but it does have Celtic feel to it.
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Maybe they were plotting to take the oceans back
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