Two blue whales have died within a week of each other, and another died months ago. All were found with injuries to their backs that are assumed to have been sustained as a result of encounters with ships.
Has something changed within this past year regarding the whale’s migration routes and ship routes to have increased encounters with one another?
Could there also be another explanation, that perhaps the whales have either died from something else and happened to fall into ships’ paths or been injured by something other than a ship? Could that “something else� involve offshore oil rigs or our Navy?
I don’t have the answers to these questions, but I would like our political representatives to assign an independent investigation into this matter of concern. I don’t think the last carcass should have been hauled to the Navy, which may be playing a role in the death of the blue whales and, as such, could not provide an independent investigation. This should not be allowed to happen again.
I urge readers to request from their representatives that there be an independent investigation regarding the deaths of these whales and that the results be reported to the people so that they can support what is required to prevent more deaths of this endangered mammal.
— Ellie Lambrou, Ventura
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