Why you should give a hoot about whale poop

One of the most significant errors made by humans are that animals, even those we do not always see, do not play a role in our lives. 

And unfortunately, the planet is suffering as a result. 

One such creature playing a silent yet essential role in climate change is the humble whale, specifically its defecation habits. 

A study conducted by the University of Vermont in 2014 found that whales make a difference in the way our oceans function, play a role in carbon storage and even the health of commercial fisheries. 

But whale numbers have declined between 66% and 90%.

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University of Vermont conservation biologist Joe Roman and his colleagues found that baleen and sperm whales, dubbed “great whales”, have their sheer size to thank for being sea “engineers”. 

Whale poop benefits

From their faeces to their carcasses, their very existence keeps ecosystems in check and distributes nutrients through ocean waters. 

Roman found that “faecal plumes” lurking near the surface of water spurs plankton growth.

Phytoplankton, which are small marine algae, are seen as the “powerhouse of the ocean”, forming strong foundations for most food chains, the International Foundation for Animal Welfare (IFAW) explained. 

Tiny but mighty plankton play an important role in carbon sequestration. Picture: iStock

The more whales there are, the more whale faeces there is, which feeds more phytoplankton that feed fish and in turn nourishing sharks, dolphins and many other marine mammals. 

Whale poo and climate change 

Phytoplankton not only feed an array of animals, they also capture large amounts of carbon dioxide which is converted to cellular energy. 

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Carbon dioxide is then stored and consumed by whatever decides to eat phytoplankton. Even if they are not consumed, a dead phytoplankton sinks to the ocean floor while continuing to store CO₂.

Scavengers found deep underwater then feast on fallen phytoplankton, nurturing entire generations of mysterious deep sea animals.

IFAW estimates that billions of metric tons of carbon from our atmosphere are stored on our ocean floors each year.

Marine biologist Asha de Vos said in a TED talk in 2018 that whales transport around 190,000 tons of carbon – the equivalent of 80,000 cars – every year.

Roman found during his study that even commercial fisheries can benefit from whales, with the nutrients they distribute creating higher rates of productivity. 

It is hoped that these benefits will deter whales from becoming yet another casualty in humanity’s destructive agenda and rather revered as essential carbon dioxide mitigators.