For those not convinced, let me dive a little deeper. Today, there are a number of ways in which humans are putting whales and dolphins at risk—from large organisations, such as SeaWorld, keeping large aquatic mammals in harsh conditions in captivity in order to create profit, to commercial whaling ventures around the world, including in Iceland, Norway and Japan, to the food industry where delicacies such as shark-fin soup can fetch around $100 USD per bowl.

Accidental deaths by net capture of fishing fleets and even oil, gas and drilling also threaten the lives of animals in their natural habitats, all so we can turn on our lights or have a tuna sandwich.

Earlier this year, the Ubuntu team attended the Festival of Sustainable Business and had the pleasure of meeting and coming across a fantastic charity, Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Growing up, you think you’re aware of the cruelty that whales and dolphins experience, however what’s not communicated well is quite how important they are to not only the wider ecosystem, but also the dependence humans have on them for our survival.

As sustainability and ESG have taken off in the past few years, we are increasingly seeing individuals and businesses donating money to green initiatives, including tree planting organisations (no issues from us) and carbon capture and storage solutions to offset and negate the current rise in carbon emissions.

But have you ever considered that by donating to less-funded charities that focus on marine life, you’ll also be supporting the carbon cycle? Here’s why.

A single blue whale alone ‘stores’ as much carbon as a staggering 825 trees—that’s a staggering number when you think about the space it takes to plant that number of saplings. According to the Whale & Dolphin Conservation team, by circulating nutrients and fertilising phytoplankton with their excrement, sperm whales in the Southern Ocean help sequester over 19 million trees’ worth of carbon. To add to that staggering fact, if blue whales in the Southern Ocean recovered to pre-whaling levels, they could provide enough nutrients for phytoplankton to store over 6 billion trees’ worth of carbon—that’s right, six billion trees’ worth. It is estimated that as a direct result of whaling, the current populations of large baleen whales now store over 9 million tons less carbon than before whaling.

It’s believed that around 80% of the ocean has yet to be explored, so you can be forgiven for not knowing the ins and outs of the importance of mammals like whales and dolphins in our carbon cycle. It’s a classic case of “out of sight, out of mind”. However, there are two major carbon cutting processes that whales go through, which have been dubbed the “whale pump” and “whale fall”.

1. Whale pump
   The whale pump cycle is all about how they sustain life on Earth and help tackle climate change.
   
   It starts with their feeding, which they do deep, towards the bottom of the ocean before they resurface to breathe in air. It’s this journey back to the top where the whales circulate nutrients and is where the term “whale pump” comes from.
   
   Once the whales reach the surface, they will excrete waste, providing nutrients for phytoplankton (single celled organisms) which they use to grow and reproduce. Phytoplankton live near the surface of the ocean and through photosynthesis, absorb a third of human generated carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Phytoplankton could be referred to as ‘floating rainforests’ as they not only absorb a similar amount to land-based rainforests and ecosystems, but also produce half of the world’s oxygen and produces a healthy, thriving ocean habitat which supports marine life.


2. Whale fall
   Whales play a role even after their death. A single carcass can store carbon for thousands of years, preventing the gas from being released back into the atmosphere—and coining the name, whale fall. In addition, a whale's carcass provides food and shelter for 200 species, which in turn creates a safe and flourishing ecosystem for marine life.

If we could support the rebuilding of whale populations, then we’d see up to 145,000 tonnes of carbon being locked inside a single whale carcass per year. To put that into perspective, 145,000 tonnes of carbon is the equivalent of 41,000 female african elephants, or 16 Eiffel Towers or (if for those more prehistoric minded individuals) 21,000 tyrannosaurus rex.

We already thought whales and dolphins are pretty cool, but after we were educated on the vital role they play in our oceans and world, we thought they were even cooler!

To find out more and to support the future of our not only whales and dolphins but our wider planet, head over to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation website and get involved.