Ocean Sentry
The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, weighing as much as 200 tons (approximately 33 elephants). The blue whale has a heart the size of a Volkswagen Beetle (WWF). Like other large whales, blue whales are threatened by habitat loss and toxics. Blue whales can also be …
January, 2018
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27 January
North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) – Only around 450 individuals remain
The North-Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered of all large whales, with a long history of human exploitation and no signs of recovery despite protection from whaling since the 1930s. Right Whales in the North Atlantic are no longer hunted, and the most serious current threat is …
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27 January
Hawaiian Monk Seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) – Fewer than 1,100 individuals left
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world and their population is declining. Monk seals are endemic to Hawaii, meaning they are native and are not found anywhere else in the world. Moreover, a newborn monk seal has only a one-in-five chance of …
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27 January
Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) – Fewer than 600 individuals left
The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is one of the world’s most endangered marine mammals, with fewer than 600 individuals currently surviving. Mediterranean monk seals mostly seek refuge in inaccessible caves, often along remote, cliff-bound coasts. Such caves may have underwater entrances, not visible from the water line. Known to …
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27 January
Vaquita (Phocoena sinus) – Only about 30 individuals left
The vaquita is the world’s smallest and endangered cetacean, is found only in Mexico’s Gulf of California. Only about 30 individuals remain. They get trapped in illegal gillnets, many set to catch another endangered species, the totoaba fish. The fish’s swim bladder commands extraordinarily high prices (sold for as much …