After 62 years, there’s new hope for one of the rarest animals on earth. A lone Pacific right whale has been sighted off the BC coast near Haida Gwaii.
Canadian scientist, environmentalist and media personality David Suzuki says he never imagined that a right whale would ever be seen again off the Western shores of Canada.
“This news is about as exciting as it gets for this once abundant giant whale and for all those who care deeply about the survival of critically endangered species.”
Right whales, once abundant throughout the North Pacific, were reduced dramatically in the 1800s by hunters. Only a “few tens of animals” were thought to have survived in the eastern North Pacific, according to Suzuki.
“This rare sighting brings us hope that with careful conservation measures, resilient ecosystems can, indeed, rebound,” said Suzuki in a blog post.
(READ more from DavidSuzuki.com)
Photo: Dr. John Ford, Dept of Fisheries and Oceans