VOA常速英语2014--Whale Sightings Break Record in Southern California

 

Whale Sightings Break Record in Southern California

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA — Tourists are flocking to the southern California coast for whale-watching tours.  In the last month, a record number of the huge marine¹ mammals have been seen off the coast of Long Beach, just south of Los Angeles.  Marine biologists are trying to figure out why. 

Near two of the busiest ports in the United States, ships are not the only giants moving through the ocean.  Captain Dan Salas of Harbor Breeze Cruises has been seeing sprays of water coming out of the ocean, followed by splashes from giant tails.

“In the last month or so we have seen so many whales that it’s been just absolutely incredible,” he said.

Salas runs whale watching cruises off the coast of Long Beach seven days a week throughout the year.  He said typically visitors had a 75 to 80 percent chance of seeing a whale.

“We have been 100 percent of the time seeing whales in the last month.  Not typical,” said Salas.

Marine biologist Kera Mathes is trying to solve this mystery.

“I’ve been out there for a few years and I’ve never had anything like that before, nor have I ever heard of anything like that before.  I think a traffic jam is a good way to talk about it,” she said.

Mathes said it’s been recording-breaking.  She’s seen more than double the number of grey whales last month than in previous Decembers.  In that same period, she’s also seen many different species in these waters. 

“We’ve also had orca sightings here, killer² whales.  We’ve seen sperm³ whales.  We’ve had a humpback whale in the area; the second largest animal - the fin⁴ whale, as well - all within a very short period of time,” Mathes said.

Mathes said the reason for the increased sightings could be that more people are out here looking for whales.  The animals could also be swimming closer to shore.  Or an increased food supply in these waters could be attracting more whales.  Where is that food coming from? 

Captain Salas said one theory was that the water in this area was much cleaner these days, bringing in more marine life.

“The water was very polluted back 20 years ago.  We’d rarely see a dolphin or sea lion.  Now today, the waters here off of Los Angeles are so clean that we almost every day we’ll see dolphins and sea lions before we even leave the harbor,” he said.

Mathes said global climate change could be bringing more food to the area.  Climate change could also be causing the whales to shift their migration⁵ routes. 

Regardless of why the whales are congregating⁶ here, tourist Kathy Burton said she was just enjoying nature’s show.

“That was a surprise.  I thought that was going to be it, just the one whale, and then the dolphins at the beginning and thought we were going to be heading back,” she said.

 

But 11 kilometers off shore, the ship came near a pod of whales traveling together, ending another extraordinary trip for the tourists, the boat captain and the scientists on board.

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

3 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

4 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

5 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

6 congregating   

（使）集合，聚集( congregate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The spatial distribution patterns of larvae and pupae are congregating distribution. 幼虫和蛹的空间分布均为聚集分布。
• He says victims of violence are congregating there because they feel safer. 他说暴力的受害者聚集在这里因为他们觉得更安全。