by Amanda Witherell
Geez,,,whales are like pandas and koalas, right? They usually get all the love when it comes to conservation and protection. Not when there’s money to be made! As someone who used to spend time out in the middle of the Atlantic hoping to glimpse even a fin of one of these rare whales, it’s distressing to see the federal government bending to the pressures of industry…again. Whales may be the largest mammals, but tankers, cruise ships, car ferries, and even whale watching boats are a hell of a lot bigger and should be more tender when plying our communal seas. Researchers say large, fast-moving ships rarely notice if and when they’ve nailed a whale.