You’ll be forgiven here if the answer is no, but did you know that February is Humpback Whale Awareness Month?
You might be wondering why in the world there might be a Humpback Whale Awareness Month, but I assure you it’s real, and it’s designed to, you guessed it, help provide awareness to a mammal that is an integral part of our marine ecosystem.
It was started in Hawaii in 2008 by then-governor Linda Lingle, who issued the proclamation as a way to celebrate these beautiful creatures and increase public interest for getting involved in their protection. Hawaii, a prime whale-watching locale and apparently now a hotbed for tiger shark attacks, is also home to the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, which is of course devoted to the protection of these whales.
How Was Humpback Whale Awareness Month Started?
The humpback whale – a friendly, highly intelligent mammal – was in dire straits by 1985, when 95% of the population was gone due to extreme hunting practices that saw humans harvesting the animal for its oil, meat, and baleen. In response, the International Whaling Commission issued a moratorium on commercial whaling for ten years in order to rehabilitate the population, and it worked wonders, as the humpback whale did begin to recover from those devastating numbers.
These days, the humpback whale is thriving, and while whaling is still legal in some corners of the world, only a couple of humpbacks are caught each year. It’s kind of a miracle considering just how prevalent commercial whaling had been, dating back centuries.
And you know what, Humpback Whale Awareness Month clearly must be working, because the humpback whale has actually recently been taken off the endangered species list through these years and years of dedicated conservation efforts.
How Can You Spread the Awareness of Humpback Whales?
Well, reading this article is certainly a start, considering you’re now more aware of humpback whales and their plight than you were before clicking on this link.
Maybe you can start a humpback whale-watching club in your hometown, or just a good old-fashioned humpback whale appreciation group, where you and a few friends can get together once a week, sit in a circle, and run through a detailed, bulleted list of all the reasons why the humpback whale is so majestic.
You know, stuff like that.
