Silver whale
| Silver whale | |
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| Adult silver whale (Balaenoptera argenteus) | |
Vulnerable
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| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota
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| Kingdom: | Animalia
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| Phylum: | Chordata
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| Class: | Mammalia
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| Order: | Artiodactyla
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| Infraorder: | Cetacea
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| Family: | Balaenopteridae
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| Genus: | Megaptera
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| Species: | M. argenteus
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| Binomial name | |
| Megaptera argenteus S.Y. Cho, 1872
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| Synonyms | |
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The silver whale (Megaptera argenteus) is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and along with the humpback whale is one of the two species in the genus Megaptera. Adults range in length from 11–15 m (36–49 ft) and can weigh up to 35 metric tons. The silver whale is known for its pale coloration which derives from a naturally selected preference for albinism. The whale is commonly found off the eastern coast of Hesperida, and populations have been sighted in the Albarine Sea, Promethean Sea, and Tenebric Ocean. Silver whale populations migrate less than their peer species, as their pale coat leads them to favor relatively warmer waters even in the summertime. The silver whale is listed as vulnerable, as it has long been a target for poachers, although legislation to protect the species has been passed by many nations. Their distinctive coloration makes it a must-see for many whale watchers, and various whale-based tourism agencies have sprouted up as a result. The silver whale is the national animal of Haesan.
Taxonomy
Nomenclature
The genus name, Balaenoptera, means winged whale, referring to the small hump found both on the silver whale and the more common humpback whale. The species name argentus comes from the latin for silver, referring to its shiny white skin and doubling as a literal translation of the animal's common Korean name, eungorae, meaning silver whale. The full name was formalized by Haesanite biologist S.Y. Cho (Cho Su-yeong) in her 1872 work Taxonomies of Haesan, which was up to that point the most complete taxonomic register of the fauna of Haesan. In the 1920s, Sanctarian taxonomist Henry Richards started a campaign to rename the silver whale to M. albus, or "white whale" claiming that it was a more accurate biological interpretation. However, due to the longstanding cultural references in Eastern Hesperida to the silver whale, the suggestion was never broadly accepted.
Evolution
The silver whale is estimated to have first evolved from the humpback whale between 3.3 and 1.8 million years ago, as the population naturally selected for albinism that arose from genetic mutations. Biologists now theorize that the mutation allowed the whales to stay cooler in the warm Albarine Sea waters, and thus remain in the more fertile feeding grounds in those waters for longer periods of time. Fossil records also show that the silver whale exerted dominance in the region around 1.4 million years ago, when abnormally high global temperatures further favored the lighter pigmentation of the silver whale. Around that time is when distinct behavioral and mating patterns emerged amongst silver whale populations, and these changes were significant enough to allow total speciation to occur.
Description
Adult silver whales are usually about 11–13 m (36–43 ft) in length, although some can grow up to 14–15 m (46–49 ft) long. Silver whales have been reported to weigh up to 35 metric tonnes. The body is bulky with a thin rostrum and proportionally long flippers, with a very short dorsal fin. Like humpbacks, silver whales have bumps or tubercles on the head and front edge of the flippers. As a rorqual, the silver whale has grooves between the tip of the lower jaw and the navel. The key defining characteristic of the silver whale is its white, sometimes shiny skin, which is both on the dorsal (upper-side) and ventral (underside) of the whale. Silver whales can live for up to 75 to 85 years.
Human Relations
Conservation
Silver whales have long been prized by whalers due to their unique coats, and during the early 20th century they were almost hunted to extinction. As a result, Haesan made whale hunting illegal in 1924, and other nations in the region such as Misumi followed suit in the coming years. Despite these initiatives, widespread poaching of the whales has persisted up until the present day, while boat noise from maritime activity has posed a threat to their migration patterns. Recent international agreements, such as the 2011 Victoria Island Conference between Haesan and the Slokais Islands, have sought to better determine shipping lanes, improve conservation efforts, and crack down on poachers. In 2023, the Hwang government in Haesan passed maritime conservation legislation which sought to reduce environmental noise from busy shipping lanes and increased the legal penalties for whaling and illegal fishing. Despite these efforts, international conservation groups still rate the silver whale as a vulnerable species.
Culture
The silver whale features prominently in Haesanite culture, as it is the nation's national animal. The silver whale has lent its name to various sports teams in Haesan, including the national water polo teams and as the nickname of Hansaeng Jeonyu FC. Whale watching for silver whales is a popular tourist activity off the eastern coast of Haesan and out of western Slokaisian cities like Victoria City, as the whales commonly breach. The silver whale has also become part of speech, often used in the phrase "like catching a silver (white) whale," meaning to hopelessly chase something that is both magnificent and rare.