By Jessica Ostfeld

So, how are whales fairing during the COVID-19 crisis?

Humans make oceans surprisingly noisy environments. Boat traffic, naval sonar, and explosions have all been linked to whales abandoning important habitats and changing course while swimming. Such disturbances mean whales usually steer clear of ports and busy shorelines.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed all that. Ocean-going shipping has fallen sharply. Whale watching and pleasure boating trips have been canceled or restricted due to social distancing and shelter-in-place orders.

As a result, while the world stays home, whales are rediscovering the parts of the ocean they often avoid. A pair of fin whales was sighted off the coast of France near the normally busy port city of Marseille.  Sperm whales were seen swimming through the ship-free Strait of Messina of Italy.  Locals even spotted killer whales in Vancouver’s Indian Arm for the first time in 59 years.

Apparently the natural world likes the economic slow down. Saw a pod of four Orca whales in Indian Arm yesterday. First time in my 59 years I have seen whales this far up the Arm. #northvan pic.twitter.com/WYoi6RrJcT

— Jim Hanson, District Councillor (@jimhanson_nv) March 28, 2020

According to Didier Reault, the head of the Calanques National Park board (adjacent to where the fin whales were spotted in France), “It is clear that the lockdown of humans is helping nature and biodiversity rediscover their natural spaces. With the lockdown, nothing is happening, it is dead quiet. And animals, be they fin whales or other marine species, are clearly rediscovering their confidence and peace, allowing them to come closer to shore.”

Whales aren’t the only animals taking advantage of our absence. Kashmiri goats have invaded the streets of Llandudno, Wales. Usually nocturnal, wild boars have been spotted out and about during the day in Barcelona, Spain. Mountain lions prowled the streets in Boulder, Colorado, one even taking a nap in a tree along a normally busy pedestrian-way. In Rio de Janeiro, baby turtles have been able to make their cumbersome journey to the sea without the usual, stressful human interruptions.

Some suggest that the animals haven’t actually changed their behavior, people are just paying more attention. Often people are too busy hustling from work to school to wherever to pay close attention to their surroundings. Now, stuck at home, people may be noticing more about the natural environment.

While it may be true that society’s observation skills are heightened, scientists do think that animal behavior has changed to some extent. Joanna Lambert, a wildlife biologist at the University of Colorado-Boulder asserted that even though people are slowing down and paying more attention, “animals are out and about more than they might otherwise be, and this is especially true with mammals (which are easily noticeable due to their larger size).”

Human absence may prove beneficial to population numbers as well. Fewer cars on the road should reduce roadkill. This is especially important for species that live near roadways, such as hedgehogs and amphibians. For whales and other marine mammals, less marine traffic will likely mean fewer ship strikes.

While human absence is enjoyed by some wildlife, it may pose problems for others. There are fears that poaching will increasedue to economic hardship caused by COVID-19. For example, wildlife reserves throughout Africa rely on tourism which has drastically declined, leaving funding is scarce. According to the Nature Conservancy’s Matt Brown, “When people don’t have any other alternative for income, our prediction — and we’re seeing this in South Africa — is that poaching will go up for high-value products like rhino horn and ivory.”

Even though people often think of themselves as separate from nature, the impacts human absence is having on whales and other wildlife during COVID-19 shows just how connected we are. When human behaviors change, so do the behaviors of wildlife. When humans lack the resources to protect vulnerable wildlife, their lives are likely lost. When ecologically harmful activities are halted, such as shipping, wildlife sees benefits. Our actions and inactions have consequences that reverberate throughout the natural world we inhabit.

While many of us are impatient for the return to some semblance of what we know as normal, let us consider what that means to other inhabitants of our planet. When will we next spot a rare whale?