Endangered Animals Wronged by Man
There is no doubt that most of the freaky weird animals that live on this planet do so in the oceans. A prime example being the prowfish, which reside as far down as 2,000 feet beneath the surface, although young ones tend to stay more in middle levels of water near jellyfish. In fact juveniles have even been seen to hide in jellyfish bells when they feel threatened by some predator or another, although, they, themselves often prey on their own protectors. As a result, this behavior has served to keep them safe from the most dangerous of all predators on earth. Namely man.
Not so lucky, however, are other marine wildlife. While no one would think of eating a prowfish, many sea creatures have become animals endangered by the insatiable appetites of humans over the centuries. In fact, due to a long history of whaling, the Atlantic Ocean’s right whales are now known to be the most endangered species of cetaceans. In fact, even the name right whale was given to them because seamen during the 17th and 18th centuries considered them to be “the right ones to hunt” since the they tended to swim close to shore and their bodies floated after they were killed.
Commonly seen off the coast of Long Island and as far north as Martha’s Vineyard, right whales generally breed in the waters near northern Florida and Georgia before moving up to Cape Cod in the spring and Bay of Fundy by summer. Mature animals are generally 35-60 feet long and can weigh up to 117 tons. Their heads comprise almost one quarter of the length of their dark gray or black rounded bodies, and they have bowed-shaped lower jaws.
Although they have been protected by the government since the 1930’s, only 350 animals are known to exist today.
