The World Wildlife Fund of Russia conducted a survey of tourists in Wrangel Bay, where the most vulnerable population of bowhead whales spends the summer. The study showed that 79% of the surveyed tourists do not have sufficient information about these Red Book animals.
According to scientists, not knowing the behavior of whales, the alarming state of the population and underestimating the fragility of the surrounding nature, a person can approach visiting unique places and communicating with vulnerable animals lightly and unknowingly cause harm.
According to the final report on the preservation of the smallest whale population in Russia, 67% of tourists expected to swim with these animals, and 25% wanted to touch them.
Scientists noted that bowhead whales are extremely shy, and all attempts to purposefully approach them end, at best, with their unhurried departure from humans, and at worst, with a fright of the whale, which is accompanied by sharp tail strokes that are dangerous for humans.
The report emphasizes that most of the tourists planned to go out into the bay on SUP boards, some took drones for whale watching. Scientists emphasize that a large number of drones over whales can create a threat of collision and fall of the apparatus.
In 2020, the Okhotsk population of the bowhead whale was included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation with the status of “endangered”. Scientists have identified a possible downward trend in the already extremely low numbers.
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