Why Are Whales So Important To Humans?

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Nathaniel Hobby Profile
Nathaniel Hobby answered
Whales are today important to humans because they are among the most intelligent mammals on the planet and therefore an important subject of study.  Historically, in less enlightened days, whales were considered economically important because they provided much of the oil that lit domestic lamps in the home in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Whales seem to have figured in human myths and stories for many hundreds of years.  The King James Bible contains the famous story of Jonah being swallowed by a whale, but interestingly, a similar story also appears in the Koran.

The hunting of whales is today regulated by a body called the International Whaling Commission, and currently there is a moratorium - a legal state of suspension - on commercial whaling.

Whales are marine mammals (rather than fish) belonging scientifically to the order Cetacea, along with dolphins and porpoises.  There are a number of different species of whale, including the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale and beluga whale.  These whales eat a wide variety of food including aquatic animals.  There are also whales called baleen whales who filter seawater through their mouths, extracting small organism such as krill (tiny shrimp).  This group includes some of the best-known whales - the minke whale, humpback whale  and the blue whale - which, at more than 100 feet long and more than 130 tons in weight, is the biggest animal ever to have existed.

Al l whales are very efficient at breathing (much more efficient than humans, for example, and have nasal openings called blowholes on top of their head.

Although some whales are becoming rare, there are in fact millions of whales in the oceans.  Whaling on an industrial scale for centuries meant that by the middle of the twentieth century, some species had been hunted almost to extinction and remain on the list of endangered species - hence the international ban on whaling for food.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Whales are important to the ocean's ecosystem. If they go extinct then there will be a major imbalance in food chains and/or food webs. These amazing creatures are non-renewable. We should try to protect them to the best of our abilities.
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Anonymous answered
The reason we should stop whaling is not because whales are important to humans, its to do with the fact that we have no right to drive an animal to the brink of extinction. Most whale species are now endangered, almost totally down to the action of whaling, or at least human intervention. Whales are the largest creatures to have ever inhabited the earth. They are, they have been million years in the evolutionary making and they are beautiful creatures, but we humans choose to drive them to the brink of death just for a 'delicacy'. Aside from the fact that killing a whale by whaling techniques is agonizing, those are the reasons we shouldn't hunt whales, not because they are important to us.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
The whales are important to the ecosystem if the whaling carries on there will be a major change in food chains or food webs, whales are not replaceable and should have more time to live instead of people trying to hunt for them.
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Anonymous answered
They are important because they effect the ecosystem and without them they can effect the animals around them.
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Anonymous answered
Anytime a species goes extinct or even endangered, it interrupts the natural order.  Humans are part of this order.  The problem is that we tend to do the most damage to our own ecosystem.  We need the whales.  The ocean is extremely important to our survival and the survival of the planet and whales are essential to ocean.  Whaling is one of the most harmful things that is being done to our planet.  Something must be done to stop whaling.  The problem is that very few people are actively doing anything to stop it.  For more information on how you can help stop whaling check out www.seashepherd.org
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Whales arre not only important to people but to the earth too. I say this because with out the whales many other organisms can not survive.
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Anonymous answered
I think  that whaling is very disgusting thing to do a living creatures . It is not like us humans would like to be hunted down and eaten as snack .
Taylor Richardson Profile
Blue whales are an endangered species. We should stop whaling because that is an example of animal cruelty. There are endless reasons why we should stop whaling, and I can't name them all. So I will emclose this site. Good luck! www.greenpeace.org
 
and some more!!
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Over 97% of species that ever lived are now extinct.

I'm not making the moral judgement on induced extinction/protection but I can't find a compelling reason for their conservation except human vanity.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Well I don't think so mr wats your name
you should stop killing whales and the are so impotant what if you were them would you like them to kill you no you wouldnt

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