World Whale Day – third Saturday of February

World Whale Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of February.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

World Whale Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of February.. Image Unsplash

Reading Time: 2 minutes

World Whale Day

World Whale Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of February. This day raises awareness about the importance of whales and their conservation.

World Whale Day was first established in Maui, Hawaii back in 1980 by the Pacific Whale Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting marine mammals and their habitats. It started as an idea by Greg Kauffman, the founder of the Pacific Whale Foundation, but the event began as a way to celebrate humpback whales that migrate to Hawaiian waters each winter. Since then, World Whale Day has grown into an international movement to raise awareness about whale conservation.

Whales are some of the largest creatures on Earth, and they play an essential role in our oceans’ ecosystems. They help regulate the food chain, support the growth and health of phytoplankton, and distribute nutrients throughout the ocean. Additionally, whales are a vital part of many cultures worldwide and have been revered for centuries.

Unfortunately, whales face many threats, including hunting, entanglement in fishing gear, and climate change. World Whale Day serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about these threats and promote the need for their protection.

On World Whale Day, people participate in various events and activities that promote whale conservation, such as educational programs, rallies, and whale-watching tours. Many organizations also use this day to advocate for policies that protect endangered whales and their habitats.

By working together to protect and conserve whale populations, we can ensure that these majestic creatures remain vital to our planet’s biodiversity. World Whale Day reminds us of the importance of preserving our oceans and the creatures that call them home.

How to celebrate it:

  • Learn more about whales.
  • Apply international pressure to ban commercial whaling.
  • Help preserve the ocean by conserving water, cutting out pollutants, shopping carefully and reducing excess weight.
  • Watch a documentary about whales to gain insight into how you can contribute to making a safer place for them.

Fun Facts:

  • Whales can be divided into two categories: toothed (which can eat squid or fish) and baleen (which have fibrous plates in their mouths to filter out plankton, krill, and crustaceans).
  • Whales communicate with each other through songs and sounds.
  • The largest whale is the blue whale which can grow 98 feet long.
  • The smallest whale is the toothed dwarf sperm whale which grows between six and eight feet.
  • Traditionally, whale vomit (ambergris) is highly prized and is used to make perfume.
  • The Cuvier’s beaked whale is able to hold its breath underwater for more than two hours and more than three kilometres.
  • Some baby whales drink around 230 gallons of milk daily, which is 50% fat.

#WorldWhaleDay

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