By Sara Hysong-Shimazu / Pacific Whale Watch Association
According to the Good News Network, a record number of 21 calves have been recorded off the coasts of Washington State and British Columbia this season, marking a significant rebound for a species endangered just 25 years ago when zero Humpbacks were counted. In addition, this year, 500 Humpback whales were observed.
According to Mark Malleson of the Center for Whale Research, that is the highest annual number of calves on record so far for the region and is near twice as many as were reported last year, when 11 calves were documented.
As to the cause of this year’s baby boom, Erin Gless, Executive Director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, can only speculate.
“We’re not sure why there were so many calves this year,” she says. “It’s possible the last two years had an abundance of food for the whales.”
“25 years ago, here off of inland B.C. waters, we had zero humpback whales, so this is a new phenomenon in our waters … they’ve made up for lost time. We are seeing lots and lots of whales, which is super exciting.”
Humpbacks have also bounced back in the South Atlantic. After the population had diminished to only 450 whales, 2019 research showed to 25,000—an estimate now close to pre-whaling numbers.
Today’s JohnKu talks about nature’s strength. I hope you have a super weekend.
Nature by John W. Howell © 2021
Left alone awhile,
Nature has the way to fix . . .
Mistakes of mankind.
Fiction Favorites 
That’s great news! And I agree with the sentiment of your poem, John. Nature can self-correct. If we get out of its way.
Happy Fri-yay!
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Thank you, Staci. I would be happy to get out of the way I just don’t know where to go. 😁
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I have the same problem.
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🤣
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Wonderful news, John! Your JohnKu is spot on today. You need to get this message to Washington. Happy Friday!
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And then Washington would fumble the ball while yelling at each other..
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So true!
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Fantastic news, John. And your poem is so true! Happy Friday!
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Thank you, Joan.
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Dear John,
GREAT to read. At our coast whales are rare but this year we had more sightings than ever before.
Wishing you a pleasant weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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I’m glad to hear that, Klausbernd. A happy weekend wish to the Fab Four.
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Wonderful news. I love your Haiku, which is spot on if only us humans can stop hindering Mother Nature. Happy Friyay, John and have a wonderful weekend 💕🙂
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Thank you , Harmony. I’m wishing you a wonderful weekend as well.
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That is fantastic news, John. I love that nature has a way of taking back when man is not in the way. 2020 was so good for that. All that wildlife that returned.
Perfect haiku to finish it off!
Happy Friday.
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A positive side of the pandemic for sure. Thank you, Dale.
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🙂
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Always great to hear that a species is thriving. More and more are bouncing back since human activity has been curtailed by the pandemic.
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So true, GP. We humans are like a troublesome brother-in-law who is staying in the spare room. Since he has no job there is no where he can go. Gotta hope he stays in his room more than on the living room couch. (Long drawn out analogy I know)
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Maybe, I know just what you mean!
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Hahahaha
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And we’re so intertwined, aren’t we, man and nature…
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Sad thing is nature loses when man is around.
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Great news about the humpbacks!! It’s encouraging that nature will repair man’s mistakes, if we get out of the way.
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True. Would be nice to have a place where we all go for a while to give the planet a rest.
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Yes, it would!
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Such great news! I became fascinated with whales after hubby and I watched a documentary about them on Disney +. This warms my heart. Have a great weekend, John!
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You as well, Teri. Thanks.
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Once upon a time, I lived on Salt Spring Island, off the coast of British Columbia. The wildlife was abundant and sitings of humpback whales were frequent. What magnificent creatures they are! Thank you for the uplifting and hopeful report — and the wonderful memories. Your haiku is beautiful and so true. 💗
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Wow that must have been a wonderful experience. (A little chilly I’ll wager.) I would love to hear the story on how you got there. Thanks, Gwen. 😊
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Wonder if humans staying indoors for so long helped. I remember a lot of articles about nature healing itself while humanity quarantined.
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I think it did help. Banning whaleing helped too I’m sure.
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True. I think it’s still done by some countries though. Want to say Japan, but I’m not sure.
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Since 1986 Japan’s whaling industry has been part of the International Whaling Comission and only caught whales for so called scientific reasons. In July of this year, they began whaling again since dropping out of the commission. They will be taking 300 minke whales Supposedly minkes are not endangered.
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Read that Norway and Iceland do whaling too. Minkes are fairly common. At least I remember going whale watching as a kid and they were everywhere.
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Yes they are. Norway and Iceland still do whaling
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I saw Humpback Whales many years ago off the coast of Canada. It was a wonderful experience. I also saw a Right Whale with a baby which is now considered to have less than 350 left in the world. I was almost close enough to touch that Right Whale. (which is of course illegal!) It is so sad to think that these beautiful creatures may ceased to exist because of us.
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I have hopes (silly me) that some of the work being done to clear the oceans of plastic will help. It is sad that humans can’t co-exist with creatures. The creatures always lose when mankind moves in.
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This is really great news. I’ve had the chance to see Orcas up close and personal in Glacier Bay, and once you’ve seen a whale, you never forget it. In the same vein, the population of Attwater Prairie Chickens is at its highest since 1993; at least 178 birds (89 males) were counted this year, a stark turnaround from near extinction in the wild just a few years ago. Following Hurricane Harvey, the 2018 spring count revealed only 13 males. In that case, a helping human hand is involved; reducing the number of fire ants that were eating the insects the babies needed to grow and flourish was the key.
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Great story, Linda. I never met a fire ant that was involved in a useful activity. So glad we have very few here.
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Great news, and I think you hit the nail on the head, John, in your Johnku.
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Thank you, Dan. 😁
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Your Johnku is perfect, and so true. What a great accompaniment to the wonderful news you shared about the whales. A fantastic Fri-yay post!
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Thank you, Mae. 😊
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Nature is persistent. It does have a way of coming back one small miracle at a time. Or in this case some rather large miracles…
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Large indeed
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That’s good news! Thanks for sharing, John, and have a good weekend. 🙂
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Thank you, Tim. You as well.
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Fantastic news! It is a mystery as to what caused the rebound. Perhaps less pollution to to the COVID shutdown? Who knows, but it’s great news! Love the JohnKu!! Happy Fri-Yay!
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It is good news for sure.
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Excellent poetry, John and so true. Nature would run just fine without us.
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We need volunteers to step out for a while.
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Your JohnKu is spot on! If only we’d get out of the way and let Mother Nature do her thing!
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Where do we go though.
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That’s very good news! They’re amazing to see.
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They are.
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You are a harbinger of good tidings!
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😊
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That is just awesome news. Just what we need to hear. My daughter lives on a small island off the BC mainland and watches whales go by her property. An amazing site.
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I can imagine. Thanks, Darlene
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Right on, Boss. This is how nature truly keeps to it. Because try as we might, we ain’t gonna be the last word.
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Nope. That is for sure.
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Wonderful news about these leviathans! If it were increased availability of food – krill I imagine – what would be causing it?
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Can’t imagine.
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Maybe there’s an undercover humpback whale dating site. It’s always good to get your good news on Fridays, John.
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Hahaha. Good one, Pete.
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Glad I came back for this one. Great story about humpback whales! Thanks for sharing. Left alone, nature has ups and downs as a way of maintaining balance. It can even correct some of our mistakes. Then again, it will also adjust based on our bigger mistakes, but maybe not in the way we want.
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An excellent point, Frank. I would hope the bigger mistakes would be few, but that’s not how it works. Have a super weekend.
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That’s very good news, John!
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Yes it is. Thanks, Barbara.
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I hope there is a miracle for the manatee John.
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One would hope but looks grim.
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💔
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That is good news. I’m smiling. And I wholeheartedly agree with your haiku, John. Nature will rebound quickly if we just give it a chance. 🙂
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Yes. As I’ve said before if only humans could step outside for a while then nature could fully recover.
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That is great news. Has no human emerged to take credit yet?
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Nope not yet.
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Another wonderful story. Nature can take care if itself if we allow it.
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The problem is to allow it.
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Great news, John, and your words are perfect. Nature is fascinating!
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Thank you, Lauren
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Outstanding JohnKu! Cheers to the strength of nature.
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I agree, Jennie. 😁
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Reblogged this on OPENED HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thank you, Michael. 😊
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😊
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Thanks for sharing the good news, John! Have a nice day! xx Michael
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Thank you, Michael. 😊
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😊
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