If Whales Go Silent, What Comes Next? Their Extinction Could Shatter Ocean Ecosystems

An alarming rate of carcasses of whales with empty stomachs washing ashore has been observed in recent years, which has been troubling conservationists and researchers. The famously mesmerizing songs and vocalizations made by various whale subtypes are scarily becoming a thing of the past as whales are suddenly going silent.

What, hypothetically, would happen if the climate crisis continues to worsen, the survival rate of whales dwindles, and one day all whale species go extinct?

It's a dangerously depressing thought, to be sure, but if we do not act with urgency, we may very well continue to lose the songs sung by whales, and ultimately, their lives along with it. Why have whales stopped singing, and why are they dying so startlingly?

Below, we explore the hypothetical scenario in which whales go extinct and what the ecological ramifications may be. Continue reading to stay alert to the dangerous possibility that we may lose whales in the future.

The Animal Welfare Institute explores just this very question, noting right off the bat that: "a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that saving whales could help save the planet and, in turn, humankind." For nearly 400 years, whale hunters have depleted the global whale population, though the Animal Welfare Institute notes that more than 3 million whales were killed for their oil just in the 20th century alone.

Whales, though, play a crucially important ecological role.

"Whale fecal plumes contain valuable nutrients like iron, nitrogen, and phosphorus. They stimulate production of microscopic marine algae, or phytoplankton, which form the base of many marine food chains," per the Animal Welfare Institute.

In turn, phytoplankton feed zooplankton, which then provide a "critical food source" for fish and other marine mammals.

"Whales also transport nutrients in their fecal plumes, urine, sloughed skin, and placental materials horizontally, a phenomenon referred to as the “whale conveyor belt,” as they migrate between nutrient-rich feeding areas and nutrient-limited breeding/birthing areas," according to the Animal Welfare Institute.

Translation: the nutrients that whales provide to many regions of the world through various means would come to an end, threatening the survival of many other marine life.

The climate crisis has gotten so devastatingly impactful that blue whales have stopped singing. Indeed, researchers have discovered that blue whales have gone silent.

As National Geographic explains, "The heatwave reduced the food whales rely on and triggered harmful changes in ocean chemistry, allowing toxic algae to bloom," which “caused the most widespread poisoning of marine mammals ever documented." Krill and anchovies died off en masse, and whale vocalizations were dramatically reduced.

“When you really break it down, it’s like trying to sing while you're starving,” biological oceanographer John Ryan told National Geographic. “They were spending all their time just trying to find food.”

Temperatures are increasing globally, the ocean is becoming less habitable for marine life, food sources are dwindling, and whales are experiencing the devastating effects.

This is the climate crisis being played out before our eyes, as whales and countless other animals suffer immensely.