The rarest marine animals that may soon disappear due to human activity Bashny.Net

Animals from this collection to date are in a desperate situation: they are extinct species. In most cases, this contributes to human activity, manages a variety of ways to influence the environment. < Website lists the species of marine mammals, which may not be soon.

1. Narwhal - a form close to the vulnerable polozheniyuEti unique animals resembling unicorns live in the cold Arctic waters. In the Middle Ages because of the "horns", which is believed to possess magical powers, narwhal destroyed in large quantities. However, today and unusual tusk may cause the killing of whales.



In addition, earlier to hunt narwhals Eskimos used hand-held harpoons, and these days are often hunted by motor boats and harpoons automatic. Everything else, narwhals - are among the most vulnerable to climate change and environmental pollution of marine mammals in the Arctic

. Narwhal is listed in the International Red Book and the Red Book of Russia. The total population of this species is about 80 thousand individuals.

2. The southern whales, endangered species vymiraniyaTri whale species belonging to this genus are found in different regions of the globe. Southern right whale inhabit the Southern Ocean area, the North Atlantic right whale lives in the western Atlantic Ocean, and the Japanese whale - in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. All of these species are listed in the International Red Book. Moreover, the North Atlantic right whales, and Japanese are among the most endangered whales in the world. Thus, the number of North Atlantic right whales is presently about 300 - 350 individuals, and the Japanese whales - about 500 individuals

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Due to the relatively slow movement, tendency to swim close to the coast and the high content of fat, southern right whales in the past been one of the most coveted spoils whalers. And today, despite the fact that whaling is banned in most countries, a person is still the biggest threat to these species.

According to scientists, one of the main reasons for reducing the number of southern right whales is that the latter often fatally injure vessels. And besides, southern right whales, like other cetaceans, often get entangled in fishing gear. These two man-made factors, such as the North Atlantic right whale up 48% of all deaths of this kind.

3. Vaquita, kind of on the verge ischeznoveniyaEto the smallest marine mammal (the length is not more than 145 cm) lives exclusively in the shallow lagoons of the northern part of the Gulf of California. Scientists estimate that only a wild left from 100 to 300 individuals of this species, which makes it the most threatened position compared with other members of the order Cetacea.



Today, the number of Californian pig continues to decline, and this is primarily due to the fact that animals are often caught in gill nets (netting, is put along the coast). For example, according to research conducted in El Golfo de Santa Clara, one of the three largest harbors, where dwell Californian pig, fishing nets are responsible for approximately forty deaths of these animals per year (the there die every year about 17% of the population in California pigs living in the harbor of El Golfo de Santa Clara). Scientists suggest that a total ban on the use of fishing nets in the habitat of these animals will help save a rare species.

4. The blue whale, an endangered vidEschё until the early 20th century, the largest animals on Earth were common in almost all the oceans (the estimated number was then 202 thousand - 311 thousand individuals). But then they started hunting, and a century view almost completely disappeared. When in 1966, entered into force on an international ban on the catch of blue whales, the number of species began to increase gradually. Today, according to researchers in the wild there are about 10-25 thousand blue whales.



Because of their enormous size adult blue whales have no natural enemies. However, they can be fatally injured after a collision with large vessels, as well as die entangled in fishing nets. In addition, the increased background noise in the ocean, in particular because of the sonar, prevents whales to navigate in space and "communicate" with each other, which in turn makes it difficult to find a partner for reproduction.



via www.nat-geo.ru/nature/47510-samye-redkie-morskie-mlekopitayushchie/