| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | May 20, 2022 |
| Year | 2022 |
| Quantity | 575,000 |
| Denomination |
 PERMANENT™ (P).Current monetary value: $0.92. |
| Series | Endangered Whales |
| Series Time Span | 2022 |
| Postal Administration | Canada |
| Condition | Name | Avg Value |
|---|
This souvenir sheet features the five stamps from the Endangered Whales issue, illustrated by David Miller.
This stamp issue features illustrations by David Miller that capture the grace and beauty of these five magnificent mammals swimming past an unseen lens in their underwater environment.
Graceful and intelligent, whales are magnificent marine mammals. This stamp issue celebrates the remarkable beauty and diversity of whales found in Canadian waters. It also raises awareness of the plight of five species – the blue whale, beluga whale, killer whale, northern bottlenose whale and North Atlantic right whale – that have populations assessed as Endangered by the Committee on the Status of Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
Canada Post has a longstanding tradition of showcasing Canadian wildlife and using stamps to raise awareness of the impacts of human activity on fragile animal populations.
Some populations of these species have been assessed as Endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Threats vary but include chemical and biological contaminants, stresses caused by noise and physical disturbances, collisions with vessels, entanglement in fishing gear and debris, reduced availability of food, hunting and the impacts of climate change.
At up to 30 metres long, the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest animal on Earth. The species faces a fragile future in both its Atlantic and Pacific populations.
The beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) is well adapted to swimming under ice because it lacks a dorsal fin. It is at risk in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Cumberland Sound and Ungava Bay.
The killer whale (Orcinus orca) is a highly social animal that lives in family-based pods. This species is seeing a steady decline in its southern resident population in the Northeast Pacific.
The northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus) is curious by nature. There are only an estimated 164 remaining on the Scotian Shelf, one of its deep-water habitats in the North Atlantic.
The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is named for once being an easy and profitable target for hunters. It is disappearing so rapidly that it could soon be extinct, with an estimated 350 individuals remaining worldwide.
This Official First Day Cover for the Endangered Whales stamp issue features an underwater illustration by David Miller and a green background that ties into the designs of the stamp issue’s uncut press sheet and booklet.
This stamp issue features illustrations by David Miller that capture the grace and beauty of these five magnificent mammals swimming past an unseen lens in their underwater environment. The cancel mark is a line drawing of a whale’s tail.
Graceful and intelligent, whales are magnificent marine mammals. This stamp issue celebrates the remarkable beauty and diversity of whales found in Canadian waters. It also raises awareness of the plight of five species – the blue whale, beluga whale, killer whale, northern bottlenose whale and North Atlantic right whale – that have populations assessed as Endangered by the Committee on the Status of Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
Canada Post has a longstanding tradition of showcasing Canadian wildlife and using stamps to raise awareness of the impacts of human activity on fragile animal populations.
The issue was cancelled in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which is home to many whale rescue, stewardship and research efforts. May 20 was chosen as the issue date, as whales are often sighted off the coasts of Canada between May and October.
Some populations of these species have been assessed as Endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Threats vary but include chemical and biological contaminants, stresses caused by noise and physical disturbances, collisions with vessels, entanglement in fishing gear and debris, reduced availability of food, hunting and the impacts of climate change.
At up to 30 metres long, the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest animal on Earth. The species faces a fragile future in both its Atlantic and Pacific populations.
The beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) is well adapted to swimming under ice because it lacks a dorsal fin. It is at risk in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Cumberland Sound and Ungava Bay.
The killer whale (Orcinus orca) is a highly social animal that lives in family-based pods. This species is seeing a steady decline in its southern resident population in the Northeast Pacific.
The northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus) is curious by nature. There are only an estimated 164 remaining on the Scotian Shelf, one of its deep-water habitats in the North Atlantic.
The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is named for once being an easy and profitable target for hunters. It is disappearing so rapidly that it could soon be extinct, with an estimated 350 individuals remaining worldwide.
Canadian waters are home to more than half of the approximately 60 species of whales found in the world. Unfortunately, the five featured on these stamps have populations that have been assessed as Endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Seven other species are also at risk.
Whales are affected by many human-related threats, from pollution to climate change. They are entangled in fishing gear, struck by ships and disturbed by boat traffic. And their ability to communicate and echolocate is hampered by noise from ships, marine construction and seismic surveys.
Highly intelligent and remarkably graceful for their size, whales not only are warm-blooded air breathers, like us, but also share many of our behaviours.
Relatives of the narwhal, belugas enjoy close physical contact and are vocal communicators that use a diversity of clicks and whistles. Once heavily hunted and captured for aquariums, they now number fewer than 1,000 in the St. Lawrence Estuary.
Killer whale populations were also affected by hunting and capture. Orcas, as they are also known, live in family-based pods that have unique dialects of sounds and cultures that have been handed down through generations. Residents off British Columbia’s southern coast now number only about 75.
The largest animal on Earth, blue whales are so loud, they can communicate over distances of up to 1,600 kilometres. These gentle giants once made up 90 percent of the commercial whaling catch. Today, they likely number fewer than 10,000 worldwide – down from a total once estimated at over 350,000.
Curious and acrobatic, North Atlantic right whales were also decimated by the whaling industry. Now facing possible extinction, their global population is estimated at fewer than 350 individuals – and is continuing to decline.
Found only in the North Atlantic, the northern bottlenose whale has been recorded diving to depths of more than 2.3 kilometres. Commercial hunters exploited the curiosity of these social animals, whose year-round population in Canada’s Scotian Shelf is an estimated 164 individuals.
It is hoped that conservation efforts will enable the recovery of these remarkable species before it is too late.