Wild Orcas Are In Serious Danger Because Of Something People Did In the 1930s


Our actions are not always considered in the present day but they can have far reaching effects that live on long after we are gone. Just ask all of the killer whales who are feeling the ill effects of what took place during the 1930s. According to recent findings, the species could be in a great deal of trouble. Some believe that killer whales are facing an apocalypse.

Any orca whales that reside in certain areas are facing extinction. If the whales live in the waters that surround the United States, Japan, Brazil or the United Kingdom….they are in danger. There is a specific type of pollution that is taking place in these locations. Continued exposure will cause the whales to perish. So what exactly is going on?

Products that were produced in the 1930s and onward contain a chemical that is very harmful to these whales. They are called PCBs for short and once experts learned how harmful they were, a ban took place. This is admirable but it does not provide very much comfort to the whales are now forced to live in the pollution that has been left in their wake.

Unfortunately, the chemicals still remain persistent and they remain present in the aforementioned areas. PCBs are never going to leave the environment entirely. This spells doom for the killer whale population. Models predict that future families will not exist. The population is trending in the wrong direction. A total collapse is expected.

In order to save the whales, all of other factors that are contributing to their problems need to be removed from the equation. Vessels may be causing problems and the whales could be subject to issues that are created by a lack of viable prey. Human activity is also being examined so that the necessary changes are able to be made before it is too late.

Let’s all do our part. Let the world know about the plight of these whales. Please take a moment to share this story with your friends and loved ones. They need to know more and this mistake should never be repeated. Making the right decisions in the future is the only way to properly assist these animals. While this is far from a lost cause, we must come together to make the necessary choices on behalf of these animals (and their continued viability as a species).


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