A Resurgence of Sperm Whales
In A Resurgence of Sperm Whales, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how sperm whales, once on the brink of extinction, now swim in the hundreds off the coast of Sri Lanka. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
Lesson Express
Q: How did sperm whales come so close to extinction?
A: Seagoing nations hunted them into extinction.
Q: Why are some whale populations now recovering?
A: In the 1980s, many countries came together and agreed to end commercial whaling.
Q: How did the guide find out about the sperm whales?
A: After their civil war, Sri Lankan fishermen returned to the sea and reported huge numbers of whales.
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