Human Pollution Making Killer Whales Impervious To Our Weaponry
“Given the present findings, it’s now thought that sperm whales may be important sentinels of ocean health, revealing what organic pollutants persist in the marine environment. They may also provide information on specific regions of the Pacific, especially because females and juveniles tend to stay within a 621-mile range. Sierra Rayne of the University of Victoria and colleagues conducted earlier research on free-ranging orcas, also known as killer whales, and found evidence that they too retain pollutants. In this case, chemical markers for flame retardant compounds were detected in killer whale blubber biopsy samples.”
— Great. Not only are we poisoning the ocean and filling the sea-creatures we like to eat with mercury, we’re making the ones that kill us fire-resistant.