Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Sacramento River Whales - California
Whale sightings are an uncommon event on rivers. Two whales, a mother and her baby, were spotted swimming in the Sacramento River in California. Disorientated and possibly entangled by debris, the mother whale is swimming towards the urban center of the state capitol. Hordes of people are lining the banks of the Delta viewing the historical event. Not since the whale, Humphrey was sighted back in 1985, has the populous been so excited. Families, workers, students and scientists are all drawn to the spectacle.
On a more serious note, biologists are worried that the whales organs will be affected by the warm waters in the river. Unlike cold temperatures in the ocean environment, a whale's organs can be harmed by the warm river temperatures causing death.
Whale expert John Calambokidis from the Cascadia Research in Olympia, Washington and Joe Cordaro, a biologist from the National Marine Fisheries Service are helping to monitor the creatures. Rescuers may start distractions and annoyances in front of the whale's path to disturb the creatures in hopes of turning them back to the ocean. Alaska Whale Foundation is tracking the whales with volunteer rescuers. They have asked the NMFS for permission to help the whales.
In the meantime, traffic jams are occuring along the river roads as people are swarming to the sight. Whale sightings may be a spectacular event, but the unnatural setting is causing harm to the poor creatures of the sea.
On a more serious note, biologists are worried that the whales organs will be affected by the warm waters in the river. Unlike cold temperatures in the ocean environment, a whale's organs can be harmed by the warm river temperatures causing death.
Whale expert John Calambokidis from the Cascadia Research in Olympia, Washington and Joe Cordaro, a biologist from the National Marine Fisheries Service are helping to monitor the creatures. Rescuers may start distractions and annoyances in front of the whale's path to disturb the creatures in hopes of turning them back to the ocean. Alaska Whale Foundation is tracking the whales with volunteer rescuers. They have asked the NMFS for permission to help the whales.
In the meantime, traffic jams are occuring along the river roads as people are swarming to the sight. Whale sightings may be a spectacular event, but the unnatural setting is causing harm to the poor creatures of the sea.
Labels: california, environment, outdoors, rivers
# posted by W.E.T. River Trips - raftWET.com @ 9:12 AM 
