Giant whales move into Greenland waters as ice disappears
Thursday, 20 August 2026
Warm-up
- What animals live in cold seas near the Arctic?
- How does melting ice change life for people and animals?
- Have you ever seen a whale in a photo or video? What happened?
Vocabulary
- melt
- to change from ice to water because of heat
- survey
- a study that collects information over time or an area
- estimate
- to make a careful guess about a number or amount
- coastal
- near the sea along the edge of the land
- habitat
- the natural home of an animal or plant
- satellite
- a machine in space used to collect or send information
- adapt
- to change in order to live well in a new situation
- frenzy
- wild and very busy activity, often for a short time
Reading
Sea ice is disappearing from East Greenland. Melting ice opens coastal waters. Giant whales can now move in and feed there in summer.
A long survey found many humpback, minke, and fin whales in ice-free seas. Ship teams saw no humpbacks before 2006. In 2007 they saw seven. By 2024, there were 150 ship sightings. The team also ran aerial surveys in 2015 and 2024.
Scientists used satellite tags and reports from Inuit hunters. They estimate about 4,000 humpbacks, 6,000 fin, and 6,000 minke whales visited the Greenland Sea in summer 2024. They call the busy feeding time seasonal Arctic feeding frenzies.
Warmer water and more fish help the whales adapt. But some Arctic animals are losing habitat. Narwhals and belugas may be pushed out. It is not clear if whale numbers grew, or if many moved from West Greenland.
Comprehension
- Where are whales moving when the sea ice disappears?
- Which three whale species does the report mention?
- How many humpbacks were seen in 2007?
- How many ship sightings of humpbacks were there by 2024?
- What numbers do scientists estimate for summer 2024 visitors?
Grammar focus
Some/any/much/many
Use some in positive sentences and any in questions or negatives. Use many for countable plural things (whales, fish) and much for uncountable things (ice, water). (Examples constructed.)
- Some whales now visit the Greenland Sea in summer.
- There is much less sea ice in East Greenland.
Grammar exercise
Choose the correct option in each sentence.
- During summer, the sea has (many / much) small fish.
- Scientists saw (some / any) whales near the coast.
- There is not (many / much) sea ice now.
- Did you see (some / any) whales yesterday?
- Visitors noticed (many / much) whale tracks on the beach.
Discussion
- Should people protect new whale areas or traditional hunting areas more?
- What changes from climate change can you see in your country?
- How can tourism help whales without harming them?
- What data would you collect to track whale numbers?
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