Arctic seas highly polluted – Killer Whales tell it all

Killer whales are found throughout arctic Norway, including Svalbard and the Barents Sea. Blubber samples taken from killer whales in Tysfjord, as part of the research carried out by the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) has shown that Norwegian killer whales are the most toxic mammals in the Arctic. The blubber was full of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides and even a flame retardent often used on carpets. Killer whales are regarded as indicators of the health of our marine environment. Whales are particularly vulnerable to contaminants because they feed at the top of the food chain and therefore accumulate contaminants from the species they prey on. The study clearly shows that the arctic seas are not as clean as they should be.