Bodies of whales and dolphins that have washed up on shore have been found with such high contamination levels that they qualify as toxic and require to be specially disposed of.
Domestic sewage, Industrial waste, Oil spills, Agricultural and domestic Runoff all cause disease in the cetaceans and inpact their ability to reproduce. Whales and dolphins have such high levels of it because they are predators and are at the top of the food chain. DDT and PCBs (pollutants that are found in common pesticides and industrial chemicals) accumulate in living things as it moves up the food chain.
Canada's Beluga whale population has, for 25 years, remained the same; a small 1000-1200 whales. This is a result of the toxic chemicals found in washed up beluga carcasses on Saint Lawrence Banks. Canada has restricted the use of DDT and PCBs in hopes that the "population in peril" will increase by 3% a year. This chemical pollution has a great impact on the cetaceans of our seas and oceans.
