In what experts are saying is a sign of El Niño coming, Oregon has witnessed humpback whales in the Columbia River this week. The first sighting was on Sept. 19 and several residents living along Astoria-Megler Bridge, Fort Columbia State Park and Chinook have spotted between seven and 10 of the enormous whales, according to News Oxy.
Tuesday morning, Sept. 22, photographer Harvey Chatfield saw a humpback whale for the first time farther east than they have ever come before. He posted beautiful pictures of the humpbacks enjoying some "river time" spouting about.
"That's where resources are," said Bruce Mate, the director of the Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, according to News Max. "They're not finding a lot off shore in areas where they're accustomed to feeding . . . It might be more common to see humpbacks in the river . . . particularly if the El Niño events become more common or closer together."
"It's really great to be able to see it," Biologist Deborah Jacques, who studies pelicans, "but you also wonder what's going on out in the ocean. Is there poor productivity out there this year with the blob and El Niño conditions?" Jacques also commented that she had never seen humpbacks this far from the ocean either.
El Niño has also been thought to be the reason for all of the sharks along the Pacific coast this year, according to the Inquisitr. Experts are certain that this year's El Niño will bring "widespread climate disruption" with effects on several species.
