With the intensive economic and nature-destroying activities of humans, it is pretty obvious that ocean water is not exactly clean. But have you thought about the organic waste that comes from the marine species? Whales especially seem quite productive in polluting the waters that we use for surfing, swimming, snorkeling and other leisure activities. 

About 2.2 million species live in the ocean, according to a scientific study from August 2011. This means that there are so many creatures in the ocean that produce organic waste in its waters.

The good news is that their urine and feces are rich in nutrients and used by other species. Thus, this waste, especially the whales’ one maintains the overall health of the fragile ocean ecosystems and has a major role in supporting the food webs.

The Role of Whales

Joe Roman, a conservation biologist studies the various marine mammals and all aspects of their impact on the ocean ecosystems. According to him whales are major contributors of nutrient-rich waste in the oceans. It is not easy, however, to measure the exact quantities of their daily waste. According to Roman the scientists can estimate the approximate quantities by looking at the data for other large marine animals, e.g. dolphins, seals and others, kept in captivity. Although there is no direct relationship to whales, this information still gives a general idea.

The ‘Heavy Artillery’

Spotting the whales’ poop in the water is much easier. The feces of these animals are usually accompanied by wide plankton nets, explains Roman. Whales often relieve themselves at the surface before diving in the depths to feed. In these moments, they release massive fecal clouds, called ‘nutrient plumes’. They ensure rich nutrition for plenty ocean creatures and provide them with iron, nitrogen and phosphorous. For these animals this is an essential source of food and a key to their survival.

Thousands species of marine tiny organisms such as algae and phytoplankton use these nutrients in the whale pee and poop to grow up and develop. Then, phytoplankton will be eaten by larger zooplankton which will be then used as a food by fish. This fish will be then eaten by whales and this closes the food circle. 

Also, whales are not just releasing nutrients, but they redistribute them. They feed in the ocean depths and then relieve themselves at the water surface. Thus, they connect the surface-dwelling marine creatures with nutrients that are out of their reach - deep in the ocean.

How Much of Whale Pee Is There in the Ocean?

It cannot be exactly calculated how much urine is produced by all whales in the ocean -- but with just one fin whale producing about 257 gallons of pee per day, the number is likely in the millions. 

Luckily, their waste products are being put to good use by the other ocean animals. Just to give you some idea about the quantity, think about all the water in the ocean. It has a volume of about 321 million cubic miles. This means that even thousands of gallons of whale waste are simply nothing to worry about.