Holy crap! Whales endangered by seagulls!

[eppur_se_muova]

Whales off the coast of Argentina have acquired a new enemy - seagulls. The gulls have learned to feed on the whales by landing on their backs and just pecking away the skin and blubber - something never seen in any other part of the world.

The attacks around Peninsula Valdes were first noted about 35 years ago but systematic studies have only recently begun. The proportion of whales attacked annualy has soared from 1% in 1974 to 78% today.
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The gulls have learned to attack mothers and calves more often than other whales. In the last survey, 80% of attacks were on mother-calf pairs in what is an important breeding ground - one of few remaining - for the endangered southern right whale.

Recent years have seen a big increase in the number of dead whales, particularly calves. "The mothers spend less time nursing, and we're seeing thinner calves," says Roxana Schteinbarg, director of the Instituto de Conservacion de Ballenas.

Researchers speculate that the kelp gull population increased decades ago with the development of fish processing in the area. Waste from processing plants may have attracted gulls into the area, which then learned to get more food from whales.



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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8116551.stm

[Bonobo]

1. Breaking: Captain Watson Declares War on Seagulls! nt

[jpak]

2. Whale wounds also result in an increase in "whale lice" which feed on wounds

a mini-trophic cascade...