Whales are Superheroes

One of SBMM’s newest exhibits focuses on the positive impact that whales have on climate change and efforts to make the Santa Barbara Channel a Whale Heritage Area.

Our Newest Permanent Exhibit

Whales help sustain the entire living system of the ocean. They have the power to inspire us to care about our oceans. Almost 30% of the world’s 93 whale and dolphin species have been documented in the Santa Barbara Channel, making our local waters one of the best places in the world to go whale watching.

Whales have a powerful and positive influence on the function of oceans, global carbon storage, and the health of commercial fisheries. Whales serve as nutrient pumps, feasting on fish and invertebrates at depths. Many whales release fecal matter at the surface, fertilizing the surface of the sea. Their poop packs a powerful energetic punch, providing critical nutrients like nitrogen and iron to stimulate the growth of microscopic plant plankton (phytoplankton) in the photic zone, the uppermost layer of the world’s oceans bathed in sunlight. This fertilizer enhances ecosystem productivity. Additionally, it is the phytoplankton that is the base of all life in our world’s oceans. Not only do phytoplankton provide life sustaining oxygen through photosynthesis, but they also consume carbon dioxide on a scale equivalent to forests and other land plants.

The turbulence of whales diving, surfacing, and exhaling stirs the water column, mixing vital nutrients, thus increasing the biodiversity of the ocean. More biodiversity equals more carbon stored. Increases in the abundance of phytoplankton means more CO2 being removed from the atmosphere, thus mitigating the impacts of climate change.

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Healthy populations of whales enhance the levels of carbon transfer to the deep ocean through “whale falls.” When a whale dies, its carcass sometimes descends to the deep ocean floor. The carcass of a single large whale transports 190,000 tons of carbon, the equivalent of the carbon produced by 80,000 cars per year. A great whale on average can capture over 33 tons of carbon in their lifetime and take it with them when they die and sink to the deep sea, keeping the carbon out of circulation for thousands of years. These deep oceans are what we call "carbon sinks" because they trap and hold excess carbon from the atmosphere, and therefore help counteract global warming.

By conservative estimates, the historical global whale population was six times greater than it is today. With their unique ecological contributions taken into consideration, this dramatic decline is likely to have had profound effects throughout the oceans. Now that we know whales play a critical role in enhancing the productivity of marine ecosystems, we need to do everything we can to continue to save whales for their sakes and for ours.

SBMM is in the application process to make the Santa Barbara Channel a Whale Heritage Area. Whale Heritage Areas formally recognize destinations around the world that support and demonstrate the importance of cetaceans through culture, education, research, and conservation. With the designation of a Whale Heritage Area, SBMM hopes to use these magnificent iconic species to address the importance of marine conservation and ocean stewardship. The goal is to engage not only the local communities as whale protectors, but educate all tourists of the importance of direct connection to sustainable oceans.

Most commonly, these whales are seen on an annual basis in our channel: Blue Whale; Fin Whale; Humpback Whale; Gray Whale; Minke Whale; Killer whale; Common dolphin (both long-beaked and short-beaked); Bottlenose dolphin (both coastal and offshore); Risso’s dolphin; and Pacific white-sided dolphin.

Not as common, but can be seen: Sei whale; Bryde’s whale; Sperm whale; Draft sperm whale; Pygmy sperm whale; Baird’s beaked whale; Cuvier’s beaked whale; Short-finned pilot whale; False killer; hale; Dall’s porpoise; Harbor porpoise; and Northern right whale dolphin.

Visit Other SBMM Exhibits

A visit to the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is one of the best things to do in Santa Barbara, particularly for families. Discover 13,000 years of human interaction with the Santa Barbara Channel inside the doors of this hidden gem, overlooking the scenic Santa Barbara Harbor. Highlights include a handmade Chumash plank canoe, the rare Point Conception Lighthouse lens, a working periscope, interactive sport fishing and tattoo exhibits, and artifacts that tell stories of nearby shipwrecks, the growth of surfing and hardhat diving, the impact of commercial fisheries, and how a local oil spill in the 1960s helped spur the environmental movement. Kids of all ages love the entertaining hands-on children’s area, and don’t miss the nautical-related films playing in the upstairs Munger theater. The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is a must-do for locals and visitors alike.