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El Niņo conditions drive humpback whales to look for food in Columbia River
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2015/09/humpback_whale_sightings_in_co.htmlHumpback whales have been spotted swimming among boaters in the Columbia River, according to a report from Oregon Public Broadcasting.
It's an unusual sight, said Bruce Mate, who has studied marine mammal behavior for more than 40 years. However, warming ocean temperatures have made it difficult for animals lower on the food chain, like anchovies — the whale's food supply — to thrive....
"That's where resources are," said Mate, director of the Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute and Hatfield Marine Science Center. "They're not finding a lot off shore in areas where they're accustomed to feeding."
Mate added, "It might be more common to see humpbacks in the river ... particularly if the El Niño events become more common or closer together."
It's an unusual sight, said Bruce Mate, who has studied marine mammal behavior for more than 40 years. However, warming ocean temperatures have made it difficult for animals lower on the food chain, like anchovies — the whale's food supply — to thrive....
"That's where resources are," said Mate, director of the Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute and Hatfield Marine Science Center. "They're not finding a lot off shore in areas where they're accustomed to feeding."
Mate added, "It might be more common to see humpbacks in the river ... particularly if the El Niño events become more common or closer together."
