Perspective — Intra-Species Communication
Perspective is an editorial column I write regularly for FiNS Magazine. This installment is entitled “Intra-Species Communication”:
I’m just wrapping up another season observing and photographing humpback whales in the Kingdom of Tonga — my fifth in fact. Over the years, I’ve seen and learned a lot about these magnificent animals. Perhaps more importantly, I’ve learned a lot about what we don’t know about them (and ourselves).
For instance, humpbacks in the southern hemisphere tend to have white bellies, whereas northern-hemisphere humpbacks tend to be dark all over. There are exceptions to the rule, of course, and I have noticed one or two whales here with primarily dark colouration each previous season.
This year, however, there seems to have been an explosion in the number of dark whales. I’ve positively ID-ed seven — all adults, which means that they’ve either been around all the time without anyone noticing, or that they’ve come from someplace else.
Ok, but no big deal, you say?
I’ve also photographed and ID-ed four individuals with completely white pectoral fins. Most humpbacks have pectoral fins that are white on the bottom, but dark on top. The ones I’ve seen, again all adults, have pectoral fins that are white on both sides.
I’m not sure about other humpback whale populations, but I’m quite sure this trait is rare in the Tongan population. Old-timers here can, at most, recall seeing a couple such whales over the past fifteen years or so. Suddenly, there are at least four here, all adults…hmmmm.
I’ve asked a few of my cetacean researcher friends what’s going on, and in short, no one’s certain, which really isn’t too surprising given our limited understanding of large cetaceans in general.
As fascinating as observations like this are, perhaps the most puzzling thing concerning whales for me is not the whales themselves, but people.
This year, as in the past, I’ve been asked (sometimes accosted with) by tourists from New Zealand and Australia questions like: “Why do Japanese people want to kill all the whales?” and “Are you here to hunt the whales?”
Setting aside for the moment that I’m not Japanese, it’s amazing how little people understand about each other, much less how little we understand about whales.
Anti-whaling NGOs, mass media and politicians in the southern hemisphere have convinced many people that everyone in Japan consumes whale everyday.
The inconvenient reality that very few people in Japan actually consume any whale at all doesn’t get in the way of anti-Japanese sentiment, sushi boycotts (silly but real), and emotionally charged diatribes about the plight of whales in the face of voracious heathens hell-bent on hunting them to extinction.
It’s all I can do in these instances to try to explain the facts. Some people listen; others prefer to hang on to their self-righteous indignation, however ill-founded.
Most Japanese people do not consume whale; in fact, most would rather go whale watching than have whale for dinner. Whale watching is a growing industry; whale eating is not. The Japanese government’s efforts to legalise whaling have nothing to do with public opinion or desire. Those are the facts.
The full scope of the issues involved with the whaling debate is too complex and involved for a short column like this. But if you can at least see that the general media hype is completely untrue, then at least we will have made some progress toward understanding one another, before trying to understand another species.
19 Oct 06 07:33
As much as we may dislike a cultures dietary customs, we must accept the fact that in the big pictue we are all one planet one people.
Its too bad the Japanese get the bad reputation for eating whale, when so many asian cultures eat shark fin soup, or other cultures obsession with Rinocerous horn.
I dont want to eat a dog, rat, or bat, but these items are staples in some countries, and we as citizens of the world have to accept it. The natives of Alaska have eaten whale for centuries, and there is nothing wrong with out.
Hunting a specieis for sport or other gratification is short sided and selfish
19 Oct 06 08:18
Hi Doug,
You are absolutely right. I think for people who have travelled a lot and lived in other countries, this is easier to understand. Those who have not may have a more difficult time seeing this, especially if their leaders and some of the prominent NGOs whip them into an emotional frenzy.
Iceland just announced that it is resuming commercial whaling. I wonder what percentage of the people in Iceland actually support this move? I do not know Iceland well enough to assess this, but I would want to know this first before blindly condemning Iceland.
Note 21 Oct: Just found this reference to a poll from an article on CNN about the recent announcement by Iceland that it will resume commercial whaling:
It is not clear that there is much of a market for the catch either. A recent poll found only 1.1 percent of Icelanders eat whale meat once a week or more, while 82.4 percent of 16 to 24-year-olds never eat it.
If this is even remotely accurate, it seems like the situation in Iceland could be similar to that in Japan — The government may be doing things that the people do not support.
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/10/20/tbr.whales/index.html
19 Oct 06 08:39
Call me naive, but it is my opinion that in so-called ‘first-world’ countries that pride themselves on representative government, it is the responsibility of each and every person of voting status to make sure the politicians who supposedly represent them actually do so, not promote policies for their country that run counter to their personal stand. It is the abdication of responsibility that allows people to assuage their consciences and slide out from under the ethical burden, ultimately perpetuating it.
OK, now I’m going to get off my self-righteous butt and have another coffee, if I don’t hurt myself falling of this mountainous moral high ground…
19 Oct 06 08:48
Hi Naive,
Of course, in a perfect world. But how many governments and populations of voting status actually behave in such a manner?
Also, the term first-world has enormous scope. Assuming Japan falls into the first-world category, how much does the form of government and social structure in Japan have in common with other first-world nations? Arguably not a lot, which makes it quite difficult to have an apples-to-apples comparison.
Go get that coffee, and watch your step
20 Oct 06 21:33
Hi, Tony,
I remember you had asked from an Austrarian tourist“Why do Jaapanese people want to kill all the whales?”
I am sorry to put on semblance of indiffrisense.
I am always asked about about etaing a matter of eating whales or soup of shark fin by fo my foreign friends.
I have eaten them, but I am not charmed by them.
I think it is troublesome to answer the question.
Bucause some Japaneses love to eat whales now, but I do not to want to eat them.
And Japanese goverment would like to maintain to catch whales.
I can not understand why some people want to eat them.
I am going to antactica on November with European tourists.
I will be anxious at questions about whales.
Haaaaa…
21 Oct 06 11:23
Hi Chieko,
It’s quite clear inside Japan that most people don’t eat whale and don’t want to eat whale, but outside Japan, many people think that everyone in Japan eats whale often. The media has done a very bad job with getting the facts right. I’m sure the people on your trip to Antarctica will ask you about this. Just explain that no one you know eats whale! Have fun, and see you in January.
21 Oct 06 18:23
Hi Tony,
I will strive to explain we don’t eat whale usually.
Or I might pretend not to speak English.
See you soon!