Plants and Animals

The Daintree Rainforest in Tropical North Queensland, Australia, is the world’s oldest rainforest, dating back over 135 million years. The Daintree Rainforest is Australia’s largest rainforest, covering over 1,200 square kilometers and shelter to many animal and plant species found nowhere else on the planet.

In 1988, the Daintree Rainforest was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region protected by the World Heritage listing runs from Townsville to Cooktown and includes roughly 12,000 square kilometers. Tropical rainforest covers 75% of the land, an area about the size of Sydney. The Wet Tropics are the name given to this region. This World Heritage Site also boasts the largest number of rare or endangered plant and animal species in the world.

There are old giants that are thought to be among the world’s tallest trees, little spiny insects that are masters of concealment, flightless birds, and even plants that glow in the dark! There are more tree species in one hectare of rainforest than there are in the entire United Kingdom, with over 3,000 distinct types of plants found in the region.

The Daintree Rainforest is one of the world’s most ecologically varied jungles. It is home to a large proportion of the country’s animal population.

Wildlife enthusiasts should be aware that the Daintree Rainforest is home to a large number of highly rare species, and in some cases, it is the only site where they may be seen. The cassowary, a relative of the emu, the Estuarine Crocodile, and the Musky Rat-Kangaroo, a little mammal that half-hops and half-walks, are among the local creatures.

Because it is difficult to identify every plant and tree species in the Daintree Rainforest, as well as every animal species, just a few significant plants and animals are mentioned here.

More facts about Daintree Rainforest

• It is the only location on the planet where two World Heritage Sites meet. The Daintree Rainforest continues all the way to the Coral Sea, which is home to the magnificent Great Barrier Reef.
  
  
• It is home to 65 percent of Australia’s bat and butterfly species, as well as 35 percent of the country’s frogs.
  
  
• The Daintree Rainforest was named after Richard Daintree, an Australian geologist and photographer who lived in the nineteenth century.
  
  
• It’s massive, comparable to the size of Sydney.
  
  
• In one hectare of rainforest, there are more tree species than there are in the whole United Kingdom.
  
  
• The Daintree Rainforest is home to around 12,000 various insect species.
  
  
• The Daintree Rainforest is home to 28 percent of Australia’s frogs, 40 percent of its birds, and 34 percent of its mammals.
  
  
•  The Daintree Rainforest is accessible via Cairns, Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation, and Cooktown.

All of the wildlife has also attracted a number of human tourists. With so many treasures to uncover in the Daintree Rainforest, it’s no surprise that this natural wonder attracts 400,000 people each year. It is indeed a unique location worth seeing, with many intriguing facts to learn about. One of the most complicated ecosystems on the planet is that of the tropical rainforest. It has unrivaled plant variety and structural complexity on the Australian continent, and it is where our more recognized ‘Australian’ flora began.

Introduction

Mount Kinabalu, one of Southeast Asia’s tallest mountains at 4,095 meters, dominates Kinabalu Park, which is placed in Sabah. A study by the Royal Society Kinabalu Scientific trip in 1962-1964, led by Prof. Corner, laid the foundation for the creation of a protected area in Kinabalu. It is the first park in the state of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Kinabalu National Park, also known as Taman Negara Kinabalu, was founded in 1964 as one of Malaysia’s first national parks. At 1,585 meters above sea level, this park serves as the starting point for the summit path that leads to Mount Kinabalu’s peak.

Mount Kinabalu is the heart and soul of Sabah, as well as the greatest source of pride for its people. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea, and it has been designated as a hub of the plant variety in Southeast Asia. A summit sunrise from the 4,095-meter Low’s Peak is a must-see if you’re planning a trip to Borneo.

Plants & Animals

With four climatic zones, Kinabalu Park is home to one of the world’s most diverse collections of biodiversity, with over 4,500 species of flora and fauna, including 326 bird species, an estimated 100 animal species, over 110 land snail species, and its most famous feature, Mount Kinabalu. The rhinoceros’ hornbill, mountain serpent-eagle, Dulit frogmouth, eyebrowed jungle flycatcher, and pale-faced bulbul are among the bird species documented in the park.

The rafflesia, which has a big crimson blossom that may grow to over 170 centimeters in diameter and is one of the world’s largest flowers, blooms here. Other flora includes around 800 orchids, over 500 ferns (more than Africa), and the world’s most extensive collection of pitcher plants (nepenthes). The Bornean spiderhunter is a pure endemic, with 24 species found mostly on the mountain.

The majority of the mountain’s animal species reside up in the trees and are thus rarely seen. The orangutan, three types of deer, Malayan weasel, Oriental small-clawed otter, and leopard are among them. The black shrew and Bornean ferret-badger are two endemic species.

The Kinabalu Giant Red Leech and Kinabalu Giant Earthworm are two of the many indigenous animal species found there.

Tourism

The park is one of Sabah’s and Malaysia’s most popular tourist destinations. It is also one of Sabah’s and Malaysia’s most prominent tourist attractions. In 2010, approximately 611,624 people visited the park, including 47,613 climbs. Up to 150 climbers every day use guides and porters to ascend Mt Kinabalu, with the majority stopping at the Laban Ratan huts near the summit for the night before completing the trek early the next morning. Although a reasonable degree of basic fitness, as well as proper walking gear and waterproofs, are essential, the ascent (4,095 m) is not regarded particularly challenging. The mountain is known for its numerous carnivorous plant and orchid species, the most notable of which is Nepenthe’s rajah.

Kinabalu Park has something for everyone, from sports enthusiasts biking around and climbing the mountain to families with young children walking through the treetop canopy and soaking in the sulphureous Hot Springs, to naturalists and plant enthusiasts looking for endemic Borneo plants, birds, and animals, Kinabalu Park has it all.

The Amazon is a very dynamic place. It is the world’s biggest rainforest and river system, as well as northern South America’s most ecologically diversified region. The Amazon Biome’s tropical rainforest is a wet broadleaf forest that encompasses 21,23,561 square miles (55,00,000 square kilometers). The Guiana Highlands to the north, the Andes Mountains to the west, the Brazilian central plateau to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east define this region, which covers around 40% of Brazil’s total geographical area.

The Amazon Rainforest is not only the world’s largest forest in terms of area, but it is also the world’s richest and most diverse biological reservoir, with several million species of insects, plants, birds, and other forms of life, many of which are still unknown to science. It is also home to one out of every ten species on the planet. The Amazon rainforest is the world’s most biodiverse and biggest rainforest, with the most variety of animals and plants. Unfortunately, it is smaller than it once was, and it has already lost 20% of its native flora and animal population.

Deforestation, mismanagement, and degradation have wreaked havoc on these forests in recent years, and it continues to do so. The world’s biggest rainforest is a magnificent sight, millions of years old and home to a diverse range of flora and animals, including the monkey brush vine, piranhas, and dart poison frog, among many more.

More than 30 million people live in the Amazon, including 350 indigenous and ethnic groups who rely on nature for food, clothing, and traditional medicine. There is also a definite correlation between the Amazon’s health and the planet’s health. Rain forests, which contain 90 to 140 billion metric tons of carbon, aid in climate stabilization on a local and global scale. The Amazon also pours around 7 trillion tons of water into the sky each year, with its forests recycling 50 percent to 75 percent of yearly rainfall.

Deforestation from massive cattle ranching and agricultural development, poorly designed infrastructure, illicit and unsustainable natural resource extraction, and climate change are all challenges to the Amazon.

Seven more Facts About Amazon

1. The Amazon River, a network of hundreds of waterways that reaches 6,840 kilometers, runs through the north of the jungle. Despite some disagreement, most experts believe that the Amazon is the world’s second-longest river, behind the Nile.
   
   
2. In 2007, a guy called Martin Strel swam the whole length of the Amazon River! Martin swam through the water for up to 10 hours a day for 66 days to complete his splashing jungle adventure!
   
   
3. The Amazon has a remarkably diverse ecosystem. There are approximately 40,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, 3,000 fish species, 430 mammals, and 2.5 million insect species.
   
   
4. The Pirarucu is a fascinating fish found in the Amazon. The pirarucu is a dangerous meat-eater that eats other fish and may grow to be about 3 meters long! And it has teeth on the top of its mouth and on its tongue!
   
   
5. This breathtakingly beautiful location aids in the mitigation of climate change. This is because the lush vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen into the atmosphere. The Amazon jungle produces more than 20 percent of the world’s oxygen.
   
   
6. The Amazon is home to sloths, black spider monkeys, and poison dart frogs, as well as being one of Earth’s final refuges for jaguars, harpy eagles, and pink river dolphins. It is home to one out of every ten known species on the planet, including 40,000 plant species, 3,000 freshwater fish species, and over 370 reptile species. Since 1999, almost 2,000 new plant and animal species have been reported, including a monkey that purrs like a cat.
   
   
7. The rainforest bottom is dark and gloomy, with only a fraction of the light filtering through the trees’ canopy.

A carnivore, which means “meat-eater,” is a creature that primarily consumes meat or animal flesh. Carnivores are sometimes referred to as predators. Prey are the organisms that predators hunt.

Carnivores are the most essential part of the food web, which describes which creatures feed which other organisms in the wild. The food web divides organisms into trophic, or nutritional, levels. There are three types of trophic levels. The first trophic level is autotrophs or species that make their own nourishment. Plants and algae are examples of this. Herbivores are the 2nd trophic level, which consists of creatures that consume plants and other autotrophs. Carnivores are classified as the third trophic level. Omnivores, which devour a wide range of species from plants to animals to fungus, are also classified as the 3rd trophic level.

Autotrophs are known as producers since they produce food. Consumers include herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Herbivores are the primary consumers. Secondary consumers include carnivores and omnivores.

Herbivores are eaten by many carnivores. Some eat omnivores, while others eat carnivores. Tertiary consumers are predators that consume other carnivores. Killer whales, sometimes known as orcas, are a prime example of tertiary consumers. Seals and sea lions are prey for killer whales. Carnivores, seals and sea lions eat fish, squid, and octopuses.

Some carnivores, known as obligate carnivores, subsist solely on meat. Their bodies are unable to absorb vegetation effectively. Plants do not supply sufficient nutrition for obligate carnivores. All cats are obligate carnivores, from little house cats to massive tigers.

The majority of carnivores are not obligate carnivores. A hypercarnivore is a creature that consumes at least 70% of its food from animals. The balance of their meal is made up of plants, fungus, and other nutrients. Hypercarnivores include all obligate carnivores, including cats. Hypercarnivores include sea stars, which mostly feed on clams and oysters.

Mesocarnivores consume at least half of their food as animal flesh. Mesocarnivores are foxes. Fruits, vegetables, and fungus are also eaten by them.

Hypocarnivores consume less than 30% of their calories from animal flesh. The majority of bear species are hypocarnivores. They consume meat, fish, berries, nuts, and even plant roots and bulbs. Bears, who are hypocarnivores, are also called omnivores.

Examples of Carnivore

Carnivores can be found in every environment on the planet. There is always a bigger animal ready to prey on a smaller species, whether they reside on land, in the sea, or in the air.

Land Carnivore

Carnivores that live on land have evolved to hunt in the most efficient way possible. Carnivores on land may hunt other ground-based species, as well as catch aquatic or flying creatures. Carnivores that dwell on land include the leopard, hyena, lion, polar bear, cheetah, wolf, and others.

Lions are carnivores, which means they devour a wide variety of prey species. Lions have a huge appetite! Male lions consume an average of 7 kilograms of food each day, whereas female lionesses consume 4.5 kilograms. Both have the ability to consume up to 15% of their body weight in a single meal. That’s the equivalent of 70 cans of cat food for a man! Lions are notorious for their greed, and they are known to hunt animals even when they are not hungry. If another animal approaches when a lion is digging into a juicy zebra, the lion will frequently forget about the kill in its excitement to get some more food.

Aquatic Carnivore

Meat-eating creatures can also be found in the water. Carnivores in both saltwater and freshwater hunt and devour fish, amphibians, crabs, and other herbivorous and omnivorous creatures. Carnivores are essential to the health of ocean, river, lake, and pond ecosystems. Carnivores that dwell in water include the following species: Great white sharks, piranhas, crocodiles, and other carnivores

White sharks are among the most feared aquatic predators due to their speed, razor-sharp teeth, and great power. They are pretty huge and quite lethal. The typical shark can swim at a speed of fifteen miles per hour. Their speed allows them to grab their prey and their strong teeth aid in the digestion of their meat. Most crucially, they can detect blood drips from more than three kilometers away.

Flying Carnivores

Hawks, falcons, eagles, ospreys, vultures, and owls are carnivorous birds of prey. Carnivorous birds may seek prey on the ground or, in the case of bird-eating raptors, grab prey in mid-flight. Carrion is also a favorite food source for vultures and other predatory birds.

Carnivores, like eagles, eat meat. Carnivores have longer, sharper teeth than other animals, which aid in the assault of prey, and they rip flesh when hunting. Carnivores consume solely meat, which is mainly small animals and birds.

The numbers of autotrophs, herbivores, and carnivores must be in balance for a healthy ecosystem. At each trophic level, energy from nutrients is wasted. Many autotrophs are required to maintain a small number of herbivores. As a result, a single carnivore’s home range might be dozens or even hundreds of kilometers long. Carnivores hunt other animals for consumption and to feed their progeny. They, like other heterotrophs, rely on and contribute to the ecological balance in their food chains.

The Atlantic bluefin tuna is one of the world’s largest, quickest, and most beautifully colored fish. Thunnus thynnus is the scientific name for Atlantic bluefin tuna. Their sleek, torpedo-shaped bodies are designed for speed and endurance. Their coloration—metallic blue on top and shimmering silver-white on the bottom—aids in their concealment from above and below. Because of their ravenous hunger and varied diet, their average size is 6.5 feet long and 550 pounds, while much larger individuals are not uncommon. Unfortunately for the species, bluefin meat is also considered exceedingly delectable, particularly among sashimi eaters, and overfishing has decreased their populations to critically low levels throughout their habitat.

Despite the fact that Atlantic bluefin is widely spread and move thousands of kilometers, there are only two documented spawning locations: the Gulf of Mexico in the western Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea in the east. Although various ecological and environmentally friendly variables probably influence both the location and productivity of bluefin spawning in these two locations, little is known about why bluefin spawn where they do.

Spawning occurs in the Gulf of Mexico between mid-April and mid-June, when females, which reach maturity around the age of eight, lay roughly 30 million eggs apiece. The northern Gulf of Mexico has the largest number of bluefin larvae, which is the key predictor of spawning, with lower larval populations along the Texas coast and in the Florida Straits.

From June to August, the eastern Atlantic sees only spawning in the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas, with the largest larval concentrations in southern Italy. Although some fishery scientists assume that eastern Atlantic bluefin achieve sexual maturity several years before western Atlantic bluefin, this theory has been challenged.

Smaller fish such as mackerel, herring, whiting, flying fishes, and mullet, as well as squid, eels, and crabs, are eaten by Atlantic bluefin tuna.

They are sought by sport fishermen for their fight and speed, shooting through the water at high to 43 miles per hour with their muscular, crescent-shaped tails. To reduce drag, they can retract their dorsal and pectoral fins into slots. Some scientists believe the “finlets” on their tails may even help to lessen water turbulence.

Bluefin tuna grow to huge proportions by feeding nearly continually on smaller fish, crabs, squid, and eels. They also filter-feed on zooplankton and other tiny creatures and have been spotted consuming kelp. The largest tuna ever caught was a 1,496-pound Atlantic bluefin captured off the coast of Nova Scotia.

Humans have been eating bluefin tuna for generations. However, in the 1970s, demand and prices for enormous bluefins skyrocketed around the world, particularly in Japan, and commercial fishing companies devised new methods to locate and catch these sleek giants. As a result, bluefin stocks, particularly large, breeding-age fish, have collapsed, and international conservation efforts have resulted in commercial take restrictions. Nonetheless, at least one organization claims that illicit fishing in Europe has driven Atlantic bluefin populations to extinction. Because of this, they are overfished in many locations. There are about 5-10 million bluefin tunas remaining on the planet.

Camouflage is a common defense system in the animal kingdom but undoubtedly, some are better than others are perhaps one of the most impressive is the dead leaf butterfly, also known as the orange or Indian oakleaf (Kallima inachus). These fascinating and gigantic butterflies are seen migrating from India to Japan in tropical Asia and bringing about a double life. On the one hand, they are vibrant shades of blue and burnt orange with black tips and on the other, they look like dead leaves.

The striking camouflage is undoubtedly impressive, but how can anyone start as a butterfly and end up like a dry shower? In line with Church Darwin’s theory of evolution, he wrote in the Westminster Review in 1867 that the imitation these pages was researched by naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace. “But the most striking and suspicious aspect of the protective similarity between butterflies that we have seen before is that of the common Indian Kallima inachis…” Exactly how the mystery of his day was.

Recently, scientists have found evidence of four distinct intermediate forms of KM Inches before this method of camouflage was developed. Over time, these butterflies saw small changes in their wings, as well as 45 closely related species, and they were able gradually gather the most complete evidence of the introduction of a means of mimicking evolution. They found that multiple related species shared a rough plan on their wings, suggesting that duplicates of the leaves too inherited across all species.

“Leaf mimics in butterfly wings provide an interesting example of complex adaptive features and create speculation about how wing patterns develop close resemblance to leaves from ancestral forms that do not resemble leaves,” the study authors wrote. “The types of leaf imitations are slowly changing, suddenly, evolving from mimetic [no imitative] ancestors. Through a lineage of Kallima butterflies, leaf patterns emerged through the temporary collection of orchestrated changes of multiple pattern elements.

The common baron caterpillar (Euthalia aconthea) is a similarly skilled camouflage critic native to India and Southeast Asia. Instead of dead leaves, E. aconthea blends seamlessly with the yellow, green leaves. Little larvae live solitary lives on top of mangoes and cashews while hiding from simple sightings from predators. When the baron showed off his great invisible work, the monkey slag caterpillar (Phobetron perithecium) really said, “Hold my beer” for fear hanging and to dress likes a tarantula. The larvae themselves are not dangerous; they feed on most trees and shrubs and do not sting their hair despite widespread misconceptions (as opposed to this walking-hat for caterpillars). The amazingly sized and strange creature, unfortunately, left out of the ugly breath effect, as after pupation it evolved into a hug moth that looked like a fluffy turd.

The oldest known indigenous rock painting has identified in Australia and – not surprisingly – it is a kangaroo painting. These studies detailed in a new study published today in the journal Nature Human Behavior. Researchers are currently researching a treasure trove of rock art found at eight rock art sites in the Kimberley area of ​​Western Australia. This art gallery includes animals depicting snakes, a lizard-like figure, and murals of various colors, including three macropods (the iconic family of marsupials, including kangaroos, wallabies, and quokkas). 

Together with the site’s aboriginal Traditional Historian owners, scientists at the University of Melbourne set out to set the date for the artwork in an effort to unravel a more detailed timeline of this creative activity. However, determining the dates in these paintings is not an easy feat, since ancient aboriginal artists often painted using ocher pigments made from iron oxide, which cannot easily dated because they contain no organic matter. To overcome this obstacle, the researchers leaned towards a knowledgeable tested and tested method: instead of dating the painting, they wrote down the remains of ancient mud waste houses that had painted. By dating the waste houses above and below the painting, the kangaroo national artwork dated 17,500 to 17,100 years ago, making it one of the oldest painted figures in Australia.

“This has turned the painting into one of Australia’s most famous in-situ paintings,” said Dr. Krishna Kumar, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Melbourne and lead author of the study. Damien Finch said in a statement. The kangaroo painted on the opal ceiling of a rock shelter on the Unghango Group Estate in the Balanggarra country in the Kimberley region of northeastern Western Australia. In addition to its significant age, the style of painting also attracted the attention of researchers. Its life-size scale and subjects are typical of the irregular infill animal or naturalist period. As the researchers explained, it gives some valuable insights into the culture of those who painted this piece and even raises the possibility that old works may still be in Australia.

“This is a significant discovery in this initial hypothesis. We can understand something about the world in which these ancient artists lived. We never understand what the artist thought when he painted this work for more than 600 generations. Previously, but we know that the naturalist period extended into the last ice age, so the environment was cooler and drier than it is today,”Dr. Finch explained. “This iconic kangaroo image is visually identical to the paintings of the islands of Southeast Asia more than 40,000 years ago, suggesting a cultural link – and pointing to the still old rock art in Australia,” added Dr Sven Ouzman, one of the project’s organizers. The University is the lead investigators at the Western Australian School of Social Sciences.

Multiple old decorative images have rediscovered in recent times beyond Australia. Just last month, archaeologists emerged as the oldest metaphorical work of art created by the human body: a 45,500-year-old doodle of a fat-pig.

Some animals are suitable for life as pets. Take, for example, dogs whose domestication by their ancestors transformed them from ferocious predators. Cheetahs, on the other hand, are not so much, but it is right to know what to do with wild animals raised in captivity because they will not survive without rebuilding. Hard but impossible to call it impossible since the Aspinall Foundation successfully repatriated two captive-descended cheetah brothers to the wild and completed the final phase of their reconstruction as part of the project that took years to build.

Saba and Nairo, brothers were born on July 15, 2017 at the Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve in Kent, England. Under their supervision, he was able to make a complete recovery, but inevitably, he became accustomed to playing and feeding with humans: dependence that would not benefit a cheetah in the wild. Saba reunited with her brother Nairoin December 2018 and despite their time, the pair formed an immediate bond.

There are only 7000 cheetahs in the wild, and genetic diversity is a final issue for this species, and with that in mind, the Aspinall Foundation was determined to bring these two young and now healthy males back to their wild roots. Then a project was started which saw that the two would be successfully rebuilt and the wild cheetah would be free to hunt successfully despite the story of their captive source. The two left the United Kingdom on February 5, 2020 to visit the South African Asia Cheetah Conservation, where the first phase of their reconstruction will begin. Once they found their feet, they transferred to a hunting camp at Mount Camdeboo Private Reserve. Here, it was crucial that the animals began to make their own food sauces, and after being sufficiently convinced, the two secured the first kill in August 2020, a young blesbok. 

“This is an incredible achievement for the conservation of the Aspinall Foundation, Mount Camdeboo, and the Asia Cheetah,” Damien Aspinall, chair of The Aspinall Foundation, said in an emailed statement to IFLScience. “Many doubted this seismic project was possible, but together we have proved conclusively that captive-bred cheetahs can be successfully rebuilt. We are already working with other agencies to replicate this incredible project and to rebuild more cheetahs in Africa, to bring valuable new genetics to the local population, and to bring this stunning cat back to their ancestral homeland.”

Enthusiastic photographers and animal enthusiasts are likely to follow the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award at the London Natural History Museum. The annual competition displays captivating and heartbreaking images of the natural world by photographers across the planet, and 2020 has yet to become the deadliest – perhaps surprisingly proven.

You can throw darts around the 2020 timeline and get the bad news, but a number of dramatic images have emerged from Australia’s devastating wildfires, which saw what a new year would do. It looks like those who voted for the 2020 People’s Choice Awards didn’t shy away from complex issues, as they praised children’s television personality and wildlife photographer Robert Irwin (yes, Irwins) as the winner for his crisis photo.

To capture a spectacular image of the Australian bushfire using drone photography, the son of zoo and TV legend Steve Irwin must be the family mascot genus, Crocodilia from with countless wildlife – with an estimated more than a billion animals – lost in the blaze that transforms the landscape, the image carries a heavy message. Straight to the title “Bushfire”, the hunting shot framed 50:50 delicious green trees against the black remnants that they would soon be.

As smoke rose from the horizon of the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Cape York, Queensland, Irwin identified the opportunity: a protected land that supports more than 30 ecosystems, including some endangered species. “I am incredibly excited to win the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award. For me, nature photography is about telling a story to make a difference to the environment and our planet, “Irwin said in a press release about the award.” As a reminder of our impact on the world and our responsibility, take care of it.”

The PCA received nearly 50,000 images for the 2021 competition, which was shortlisted by the Museum of Natural History in just 25 images. Irwin’s PCA will feature four highly acclaimed images as well as part of an exhibition at the museum, which at the time of writing intended to run until August 2021 – although dates may change due to ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK.

Going by the body of water, the sea is quite Philippines’ huge in After occupying all these wet real estate, you might think that boats and whales living in happy isolation from each other could be easier – but recent reports have served as a memorable reminder that It didn’t happen. In February, in a week’s time, some disturbing information about the movement of a blue whale published, showing ships disappearing into the waters of Patagonia and backwards. This did not include recreational vessels, only heavy shipping traffic.

Blue whales can be undesirable, spending much deeper time in the ocean before heading to the surface for feeding. This lifestyle puts them at risk of large ships with heavy-duty pilots, who will not see whales until it is too late. Vessel strikes can cause catastrophic injuries to whales, and it is common for these to prove fatal. The research, published in the journal Nature, highlights the need to establish a corridor for these animals where there are movement corridors so that conservation efforts can work with traffic to avoid fatal collisions.

Images published on Facebook by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWC FWRI) show the tragic aftermath of a 54-foot sportfishing ship colliding with a right whale. “On the evening of February 12, 2021, the captain of the August 54 sportfishing ship received news of a whale being killed near the entrance to St. Augustine’s Inlet,” the post read. “The pot starts to take water and is made on a quick basis to protect it from drowning. The occupants are all safe. The real-time report near Captain is vital to increase our understanding of shipwrecks and warns researchers to look for injured or dead whales.”

The next morning the search ended with the search for the right whale calf in the North Atlantic on a beach in Anastasia State Park. The calf is just one month old and a whale cub known to FWCWWRI as Catalog ‘Infinity’. Mother and calf were swimming in local waters that have quiet grounds for right-wing whales in the North Atlantic, two mother-calves also spotted in January 2021. A necropsy revealed that the 22-foot-long male calf was torn from the driver of the boat on its back and head by a piece of the piece, which was likely to be torn to pieces. Mother Infinity later found alive on 16 February, but with injuries consistent with the ship’s strike, which appeared to have caused by the sailor. Members of the FWC FWRI will continue to monitor Infinity as it tries to determine the severity of its wounds.

Caring for these animals creates a complex problem, as injuries are not always obvious and adequate cuts are initially as benign, in time they can cause fatal infections. Stories like these shed light on the need for more research migration routes for surface-habitat whales so that scientists can work with ship traffic services to better navigate directly and avoid such accidents. For now, the task of protecting these animals rests on the shoulders of captains, who told IFLScience in an email as a representative for the global marine charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) – which steps could taken to reduce the risk of collisions.

“The [advice] for the captain is fairly simple and life-saving – slow down and post a look,” the WDC said. “The ideal speed of 10 knots that comes slowly is an increase in time to see your whale and give the whale some extra time to respond and passengers are injured so it’s not just about whale saving.”