Ways to Help Whale Populations
 At some point and time, everyone has heard the now familiar chant of "Save the Whales". While most of us like whales and would never think about doing anything to intentionally hurt them, we don't really think that we can do anything that can help. We probably won't quit our jobs and spend the rest of our days trying to save the whales. The good news is that you don't have to. Just doing a few basic things can help a tremendous amount.
Many times when a task becomes large, it becomes overwhelming and seems impossible. The idea of saving whales can seem like a near impossible feat but much has been done and whale populations have started to rise. If everyone does just a little bit, it can make a huge difference. Here area a few basic tips that you can apply in your daily life that can help save whale populations and the environment for that matter.
Six Things That Help Whales That You Should Do Anyway
Recycle: I know this one is probably one that many people are sick of hearing about. However it is one of the most important. By recycling items, especially plastics, the chance of these items getting into oceans and being consumed by whales decreases significantly. Plastics wind up in our oceans in a variety of ways. People throw them out the windows of their vehicles or on the street, trash gets dumped into the oceans off boats or balloons get released in the air and end up in the ocean. If these things are ingested by whales or other animals, it can kill them. I'm sure many people have seen the photos of the dolphin or other marime animal with the plastic from a canned beverage holder wrapped around the snout of an animal. It has even been depicted in movies. This stuff happens. By simply putting your trash where it belongs, you are doing your part.
Maintain Your Vehicles: Keeping your vehicles maintained is good for the environment as well. If your car is leaking oil or other fluids, it leaks on your driveway and on the streets. The next time a rain comes, your motor oil mixes with the rain, goes into a storm drain and empties into the ocean. Many areas are now marking their drains so that people will know the water goes into the ocean. Regardless of where it goes, chances are it is going somewhere it shouldn't be. If your vehicle is maintained, it won't leak fluids, belch smoke into the air and it will perform better and last longer. You will also get the added benefit of not getting nasty grams from your homeowners association and your friends might start letting you park in their driveway.
Don't Dump Anything Into Drains: We all have chemicals around our house that we need to get rid of from time to time. Whether it is pesticides, cleaners, solvents or other items, they should never be randomly discarded. If you need to get rid of old motor oil, solvents or other items, take them to a recycling center or dispose of them properly. Regardless of whether you dump it in a field, drain, creek, stream, lake or ocean, it will ultimately get in some water source over time.
Pick Up One Piece of Trash a Day: How many times a day do we walk by a piece of trash on the ground and ignore it. It is unfortunate that some people can't take the extra time to put there trash in the proper place. While some may feel entitled to throw their trash anywhere convenient, most of us are smart enough to put it in a trash can. However, if you see a piece of trash on the ground, pick it up and throw it away. It doesn't take a lot of work and it is much nicer to live in an area that is not strewn with litter.
Properly Dispose of Your Butts: If you are a smoker, please put your cigarette butts in a proper recepticle. There is nothing more disgusting that to walk by a place and see cigarette butts scattered everywhere. Many people who would never think of throwing a soda bottle or plastic bad on the ground have no problem throwing cigarette butts on the ground. Additionally, cigarette butts are not something that other people want to pick up.
Go Whale Watching: The best way to get a true appreciation and understanding of whales is by seeing them in their natural environment. By going whale watching, you will not only get to see the size and beauty of these creatures, you will get to learn many other interesting facts about them. When you have witnessed something in person, it gives you a much better appreciation and understanding of why it is so important that they are protected and how important they are to our eco system. Oh and by the way, whale watching is a lot of fun.
If you are in the Newport Beach area and would like to see whales up close, Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach offers whale watching cruises Monday through Sunday. Our tours take approximately 2 to 2 ½ hours to complete.
Single Tickets – Two Hour to 2 ½ Hour Cruise
Adults $30
Seniors (62 and over) $25
Children (11 and under) $18
Children (2 and under) FREE!
Group Rates For 25 or More
Adults $22
Seniors (62 and over) $18
Children (11 and under) $12
Children (2 and under) FREE!
If you would like to order your tickets online, or just give us a call at 562-432-4900. If you have a discount coupon, please present it at the ticket booth.
Other Ways to Help Whales
There are also many other more aggressive ways to help save whales such as letter writing campaigns, donating to organizations and organizing trash clean ups just to name a few. The ideas listed above are just basic things that everyone should do anyway to be a good member of society. None of these ideas involve a ton of time or effort. As basic as it may seem, just doing these things can help protect whales and make the planet a little nicer. If one person does it, it helps a little. If everyone does it, it helps a lot. |
