Killer whales moving in on polar bears' territory

RESEARCHERS say melting Arctic sea ice is enticing more killer whales to Nunavut waters where they are competing with Inuit hunters for food and threatening to replace polar bears as the North's top predators.

Scientists from the University of Manitoba interviewed hunters from 11 of the territory's communities about their observations on the habits of killer whales seen in the area. The findings are published in the online journal Aquatic Biosystems.
Lead author Steven Ferguson, who is with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Freshwater Institute at the university, said the Inuit are seeing more killer whales. The powerful predators tend to avoid sea ice but that ice is disappearing.

Once in the Arctic, he said, killer whales have been seen to use a variety of hunting tactics to feast on belugas, seals and narwhals.

Sea ice often provides the only cover such mammals have to escape one of the Orcas. Seals can get out of the water onto the ice and other whales can manoeuvre into ice-packed areas where the killer whale's dorsal fin prevents it from following.

"If we lose that sea ice, they are now going to be out in the open water and don't have the kind of strategies to reduce the risk of a killer whale catching them and eating them," Ferguson said. "We just might see a lot of mortality in some of the more southerly areas."

He suggested the killer whales could be behind a massive transition within the whole Arctic ecosystem.

"This change of what animals live in the Arctic is likely going to happen with the warming but we didn't anticipate that... killer whales might be removing certain susceptible prey and maybe temperate species will move up to take their place."

Ferguson also suggests that while the population of other whales and seals is relatively healthy, killer whales could cause problems for the Inuit who will be increasingly competing against the giant mammals for food.

Inuit have long expressed concern about the apparent increase in killer whales.

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Rescued the young whale stranded North Sea beach

During the Spring Festival, several Chongqing Weizhou in the North Sea beach visitors find a stranded whale, they reported to the police station. Police and third twice it returned to the sea, but the strange thing is, the young whale on the beach or continue to the red, we can only put it in the fish holding cages.This left the North Sea after a few visitors, this has been concerned about the fate of the lost baby whale, so in the microblogging to a friend about the North Sea. Reporters After several days of tracking, the morning of January 29 that the young whale has returned to the sea. 　　

January 26, a North Sea rescue stranded whale Weizhou news, attracted the concern of many users. Chongqing netizen "cyndi_1981" in micro-Bo wrote: "the morning to save a small Japanese sperm whale, Weizhou Island in the deep seas, and once it is placed at the beach, swim back to the stranded, no option but to foster in the fishermen's cages in the , we will contact the local police departments agreed to do the check after it released, we will leave tomorrow Weizhou Island, and I am very worried for this first small whales, who will help continue to focus on a small whale that the final fate of the first ah? "

Microblogging still photos. Post time is January 23 (New Year). From the micro-blog content to see, "cyndi_1981" New Year's Day 9:00 with friends more, they live in the north of the island near the beach, fishing fun, the young whale found stranded. They dig pits on the beach, whale water to soak in the sea, trying to push it back into the sea but afraid of hurting it, and finally the police.

Weizhou border police station came, and they are a whale into the sea, only to whales swim in the ocean for a swim back to the beach again 27, the reporter contacted the police station Renjiang Ping is director of holiday, he was introduced to save the whales through.

"New Year's Day morning, after receiving reports of tourists, I and four police rushed to the beach, we estimate that the whale is relatively heavy, so bring a lot more people, thought it a wonderful reflection of the sea to swim out to it can we previously saved the stranded whale, and some experience. "But he went to the scene to see, this whale is not large, only about 40 kg.

They hold to the whale near the sea, to push deep inside for a while, let it swim out to. But the founding director of the experience is not useful, and so they returned to shore, whale tour also turned back again stranded on the beach.

We believe that water may be deep enough and decided to find a whale boat farther into the sea. In order to avoid moving the injured whales, we got home and from fishermen foam box, and borrowed a small boat, pulled out of Weizhou attractions outside the beach ridge down the river, "We were like, the original beach north, big waves where the wave is small in the water a few meters deep, should be no problem! "

May be surprising is that whales do not go to the deep middle, but went straight to swim to the pier on the beach side, once again stranded ... ...

Rescued: protect whales return to deep-sea fishery sailing

Founding director their desperation, to Weizhou fishery station owners call Lee, Lee owners understand the situation on the phone and said, estimated that the whale's head was injured organ for navigation, making it impossible to identify the direction of . He suggested that the first whale fishermen fish stocked in cages and let it rest a few days, and then by the fishery department.

29 am, Lee owners told reporters, after his inspection, this should be a whale of whale, he could not confirm the species, probably less than six months old, whales should be injured in strong winds incursion into the beach. Three days of morning, they used the fishery boat to rest for two days of the whale to the sea three sea miles away, put it back in the sea.　　

Chongqing netizen "cyndi_1981" microblogging also caused Beijing Animal Protection Association, concerned attention. Beijing Shang animal behavior experts said, according to the habits of whales, young whale is needed in a breast-fed before the age of the mother whale will not leave because it was learning from swallowing broken up six months of fish, "if this is really rescued whales, then, is with the mother whale was lost. "Longchamp said, there may be a small whale and the finless porpoise looks like.

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Rescued dolphin recovering in Orlando

ORLANDO --
A stranded Atlantic dolphin was rescued in Panama City earlier this week and was then transported to SeaWorld's Cetacean Rehabilitation Facility in Orlando.

The dolphin received fluids and was reported to be eating on a regular basis.

SeaWorld animal care experts are providing around the clock supervision.

For 45 years, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has helped more than 20,000 animals in need.

SeaWorld’s animal rescue team is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Dolphin: Prince's birthday event, Aichi / day at the Mihama

World record in the dolphin breeding hybrids in Mihama-cho Minamichita Beach Land "Prince" celebrating the 27th birthday of 19 years, the event will be held 27 to 29 interact with pudding.




Purine females born between mother and father of Risso's dolphin and bottlenose dolphin. According to the beach land, hybrids are often short-lived, active in the pudding is in the energy dolphin show.



Event will present a favorite food cake made with squid "Birth Festival Award" and "Birthday Party" among others. Birthday party songs in chorus, and kissing Prince, and able memorial photography, 10 participants come basis, to 1,000 yen Elementary. [] A. Arai



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2nd Dolphin at Harderwijk is pregnant

Finagain dolphin is the dolphin with the most beautiful eyes. Als ik diep in Finagains ogen kijk, moet ik altijd een beetje aan Bambi denken. If I look deep into Finagains eyes, I always thought a bit of Bambi. Finagain heeft net als Bambi van die prachtige, grote bruine ogen. Finagain, like Bambi on that beautiful, big brown eyes. Vind jij Finagains ogen ook mooi? Do you Finagains eyes too?


Finagain is bijna 20 jaar oud. Finagain is almost 20 years old. Zij heeft al eerder baby's gehad in het Dolfinarium en heeft dus al ervaring met het moederschap. She has already had babies in the Dolphinarium and therefore has some experience with motherhood. Één van haar baby's is Tsalka, één van de sterren van de Droomwensshow! One of her babies is Tsalka, one of the stars of the show Dream Wish! Finagain is in mei uitgerekend, dat is nog even wachten! Finagain in May calculated that still wait!

Ben jij creatief? Are you creative? Doe dan mee aan de namenwedstrijd en verzin een naam voor de baby van Finagain! Then enter the name game and make up a name for the baby Finagain!

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Dolphin stranded at park, taken to Orlando for rehab

PANAMA CITY BEACH — A dolphin stranded at St. Andrews State Park that was rescued by Gulf World Marine Park employees was on her way to the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in Orlando on Wednesday for long-term rehabilitation.

Gulf World’s veterinarian Lydia Staggs found inflammation in the abdomen of the adult female Atlantic spotted dolphin. She said she was unsure what the cause was, but further testing would be done once the dolphin arrived in Orlando. She said the inflammation was not due to a live fetus.

“We say it’s a guarded prognosis because we haven’t diagnosed what is wrong with her,” Staggs said. “When they get down there, they’ll probably do another ultrasound and radiographs, which are X-rays.”

Though Gulf World has X-ray capabilities, they were unable to perform any because the dolphin was not stable and calm enough.

Staggs said an “unusual mortality event” has been declared in this area because there are a higher number of dolphins stranded than usual in the last few years. The declaration, issued in 2010, covers Franklin County to Louisiana, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website. Staggs said the declaration means even if an animal is found dead, they still have to collect samples to determine cause.

Click for more information on the "unusual mortality event."

Christopher Dold, vice president of veterinarian services for SeaWorld, said the most important part of this entire process from rescue through rehabilitation is vigilant monitoring and stabilization.

“The next steps are really a continuation of the first steps; monitor her closely for any signs of disease, try to diagnose the initial problem that caused her to strand and then move forward … hopefully resulting in as quick a recovery as possible and ultimately attempt a release if possible,” Dold said.

He said the testing will take time because they don’t want to stress the dolphin too much at once.

Staggs said if people find a dolphin stranded, they should never try to get it back out into the ocean.

“Don’t release them; call us. … Do not push them back out in the water. We would appreciate that,” Staggs said.

An earlier version of this story appears below:

Gulf World Marine Park employees responded to a call about a stranded dolphin at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, officials wrote in a news release.

The team found the six-foot adult female Atlantic Spotted dolphin at St. Andrews State Park removed it from the area and brought it to Gulf World’s Stranding Facility where Dr. Lydia Staggs collected samples to send to the lab for further analysis, the news release stated.

Staggs also conducted an ultrasound on the dolphin and discovered internal inflammation in the abdomen. A research institute in Orlando, which is one of our standing network partners, has agreed to drive to Panama City Beach to transport the dolphin to Orlando for further rehabilitation, officials wrote.

Gulf World does not currently have space available to continue the long term rehabilitation of the dolphin. Staggs added that the dolphin is being monitored overnight and is in guarded condition.


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Navy Training Blasts Marine Mammals With Harmful Sonar

Wildlife Protection Agency Challenged for Not Doing Its Job

SAN FRANCISCO— A coalition of conservation and American Indian groups today sued the National Marine Fisheries Service for failing to protect thousands of whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea lions from U.S. Navy warfare training exercises along the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington.

Earthjustice, representing InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, Friends of the San Juans, Natural Resources Defense Council and People For Puget Sound, today filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Northern California challenging the Fisheries Service’s approval of the Navy’s training activities in its Northwest Training Range Complex. The lawsuit calls on the agency to mitigate anticipated harm to marine mammals and biologically critical areas within the training range that stretches from Northern California to the Canadian border.

“These training exercises will harm dozens of protected species of marine mammals — Southern resident killer whales, blue whales, humpback whales, dolphins and porpoises — through the use of high-intensity mid-frequency sonar,” said Steve Mashuda, an Earthjustice attorney representing the groups. “The Fisheries Service fell down on the job and failed to require the Navy to take reasonable and effective actions to protect them.”

The Navy uses a vast area of the West Coast for training activities including anti-submarine warfare exercises involving tracking aircraft and sonar; surface-to-air gunnery and missile exercises; air-to-surface bombing exercises; sink exercises; and extensive testing for several new weapons systems.

“Since the beginning of time, the Sinkyone Council’s member tribes have gathered, harvested and fished for traditional cultural marine resources in this area, and they continue to carry out these subsistence ways of life, and their ceremonial activities along this Tribal ancestral coastline. Our traditional cultural lifeways, and our relatives such as the whales and many other species, will be negatively and permanently impacted by the Navy’s activities,” said Priscilla Hunter, chairwoman and cofounder of the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council. “Both NMFS and the Navy have failed in their obligations to conduct government-to-government consultation with the Sinkyone Council and its member Tribes regarding project impacts.”

In late 2010, the Fisheries Service gave the Navy a permit for five years of expanded naval activity that will harm, or “take,” marine mammals and other sealife. The permit allows the Navy to conduct increased training exercises that can harm marine mammals and disrupt their migration, nursing, breeding or feeding, primarily as a result of harassment through exposure to the use of sonar.

“The Navy’s Northwest Training Range is the size of the state of California, yet not one square inch is off-limits to the most harmful aspects of naval testing and training activities,” said Zak Smith, staff attorney for NRDC. “We are asking for common-sense measures to protect the critical wildlife that lives within the training range from exposure to life-threatening effects of sonar. Biologically rich areas like the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary should be protected.”

The Navy’s mid-frequency sonar has been implicated in mass strandings of marine mammals in, among other places, the Bahamas, Greece, the Canary Islands and Spain. In 2004, during war games near Hawaii, the Navy’s sonar was implicated in a mass beaching of up to 200 melon-headed whales in Hanalei Bay. In 2003, the USS Shoup,operating in Washington’s Haro Strait, exposed a group of endangered southern resident killer whales to mid-frequency sonar, causing the animals to stop feeding and attempt to flee the sound.

“In 2003, NMFS learned firsthand the harmful impacts of Navy sonar in Washington waters when active sonar blasts distressed members of J pod, one of our resident pods of endangered orcas,” said Kyle Loring, staff attorney for Friends of the San Juans. “Given this history, it is particularly distressing that NMFS approved the Navy’s use of deafening noises in areas where whales and dolphins use their acute hearing to feed, navigate, and raise their young, even in designated sanctuaries and marine reserves.”

“Whales and other marine mammals don’t stand a chance against the Navy,” said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

The Navy’s mitigation plan for sonar use relies primarily on visual detection of whales or other marine mammals by so-called “ watch-standers”  with binoculars on the decks of ships. If mammals are seen in the vicinity of an exercise, the Navy is to cease sonar use.

“Visual detection can miss anywhere from 25 percent to 95 percent of the marine mammals in an area,” said Heather Trim, director of policy for People for Puget Sound. “It’s particularly unreliable in rough seas or in bad weather. We learn more every day about where whales and other mammals are most likely to be found — we want NMFS to put that knowledge to use to ensure that the Navy’s training avoids those areas when marine mammals are most likely there.”

The litigation is not intended to halt the Navy’s exercises, but asks the Court to require the Fisheries Service to reassess the permits using the latest science and to order the Navy to stay out of biologically critical areas at least at certain times of the year.

Marcie Keever of Friends of the Earth said: “It has become increasingly clear from recent research that the endangered Southern Resident killer whale community uses coastal waters within the Navy’s training range to find salmon during the fall and winter months. NMFS has failed in its duty to assure that the Navy is not pushing the whales closer to extinction.”

Earthjustice is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment.

The InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council is comprised of ten federally recognized Northern California Indian Tribes with ancient and enduring subsistence and cultural ties to the Sinkyone Coast, an area that will be affected by the Navy’s expanded training activities.

NRDC is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, NRDC has worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment.

People for Puget Sound is a regional nonprofit with a 20-year history of using science and engaging citizens to safeguard and improve the health of Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits.

Founded in 1979, Friends of the San Juans pursues its mission to protect the land, water, sea, and livability of the San Juan Islands through science, education, stewardship, and advocacy.

Friends of the Earth fights to defend the environment and create a more healthy and just world. Our campaigns focus on promoting clean energy and solutions to climate change, keeping toxic and risky technologies out of the food we eat and products we use, and protecting marine ecosystems and the people who live and work near them.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit organization with more than 320,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

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Mystery of dolphin's death

AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into how the body of a young dolphin came to be on the rocky seafront of Javea.

The mammal’s tail fin was missing and it is suspected the corpse died at sea but somehow came to be abandoned on the rocks of Montanar, which links the Javea Port and the beach at Arenal.

The dolphin was quickly removed by council workmen and the facts reported to scientists at Valencia University which monitors the numbers of dead marine life found on the coast.

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33 whales shot in New Zealand after rescues failed

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Conservation staff in New Zealand have put down 33 stranded whales after several attempts to refloat them failed.

The pilot whales shot Thursday were the last of 99 that stranded themselves Monday on Farewell Spit on the South Island.

Department of Conservation area manager John Mason says staff and hundreds of volunteers had tried all week to get the whales refloated.
He says they thought they were successful Wednesday when they got the whales into deep water — but were saddened Thursday to find that they had swum back ashore. He says the condition of the whales had significantly deteriorated.
As well as the 33 whales that were shot, 36 had died naturally since Monday and 17 were successfully refloated. Thirteen remain unaccounted for.

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Gray Whale Travels By Oregon

Marine biologists are thrilled to track a western gray whale travel from eastern Russia waters through the Bering Sea, to the Gulf of Alaska and south; cruising past Washington, Oregon and California. Oregon State University's Bruce Mate says nine-year-old Vavara is now off the coast of Mexico. Mate says the tracking the journey helps researchers learn more about the western gray whales which are believed to be endangered with only about 130 living in the world.




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Right Whales Spotted Off Coast

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Two North Atlantic Right Whales are spotted off Volusia County Wednesday.

The female whales migrate to Florida and Georgia at this time every year.

I thought, 'How magnificent.' Beautiful creatures," said Helen Hill.
The females move south every winter to give birth. There are only 400 to 500 of the right whales left in the world.
There have been several sightings this season off the Volusia County coast.

"I saw what appeared to be a whale. The tail of it kind of came out of the water. There were a lot of birds, a lot of dolphins around the area," said Beach Patrol Captain Liz Johnson.

The whales will stay in the area through March, but officials said because of the warm winter they might stay a little longer.
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Gulf World Rescues Stranded Dolphin

Gulf World Marine Park responded to a call about a stranded dolphin at 7:45 a.m. Tuesday morning located at St. Andrews State Park.

A team was sent to assess the dolphin's condition.  When the team arrived on site they discovered it was an adult female Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis) that is approximately six feet long. The team then brought the dolphin to Gulf World's Stranding Facility where Dr. Lydia Staggs collected samples to send to the lab for further analysis.  She also conducted an ultrasound on the dolphin and discovered internal inflammation in the abdomen.

Hubbs -Sea World Research Institute in Orlando, which is one of our standing network partners, has agreed to drive to Panama City Beach to transport the dolphin to Orlando for further rehabilitation.  Gulf World does not currently have space available to continue the long term rehabilitation of the dolphin.

Dr. Staggs reports that the dolphin is being monitored overnight and is in guarded condition.

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Volleyball removed from dolphin's stomach in China

Shanghai, Jan 24 (ANI): Doctors in China managed to remove a toy volleyball from a dolphin, which had been swallowed by the mammal while playing.

A medical team operated on the stomach of five-year-old Jiang Bo in Nanjing in east China's Jiangsu Province, after a long-armed basketball player who volunteered to help, failed to reach it.

According to officials, the procedure on the dolphin at the No. 2 Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University lasted three hours, with the animal sedated.

Jiang Bo, imported from Japan to Nanjing Underwater World, swallowed the ball on Wednesday.

The obstruction placed the aquatic mammal's life at risk, but medical staff were reluctant to cut open the animal to reach it, concerned about how the wound would heal.

Doctors managed to drill a hole in the ball and tried to pull it out after attaching a length of cord.

But just when this seemed likely to succeed, the cord broke.

Undaunted, the veterinary team tried again, this time using medical steel wire, and finally managed to yank out the ball.

The procedure had been expected to take less than 30 minutes, but in the event lasted three hours.

"We can say that Jiang Bo's life is no longer at risk," the Shanghai Daily quoted an official with the aquarium, surnamed Meng as saying.

"But of course he will require long-term recovery treatment.

"We'll give him post-operation care and adjust his diet," the official said

Jiang Bo was returned to the aquarium later.

Before turning to doctors, the aquarium had made an appeal for people with long arms to reach down into the dolphin's stomach to retrieve the ball.

This strategy has been used successfully in similar incidents elsewhere.

Meng Da, a professional basketball player with a Jiangsu Province club, rushed to the aquarium on Wednesday, but his efforts were in vain.

Although 1.95-meters tall, Meng could not quite reach the ball.

2.26-meter tall Zhang Mengyong, the tallest man in the province, was on standby to make an attempt, should the doctors have failed.

Staff saw him drag the ball deep down into the pool, but when he resurfaced, it was gone. (ANI)

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Risso's Dolphin rescued off the coast of Santa Pola

Troops of the Marine Unit of the Local Police of Santa Pola (Alicante), aided by a Maritime Rescue boat Red Cross, have rescued a dolphin gray cauldron of about 3.5 meters long and located very close to the shore the onset of the Great Beach and the sea that swept to go his way without further incident, as reported in a statement the City of Santa Pola.

 Around 09.00 am on Tuesday, from Santa Pola Nautical Club informed the local police in the presence of a large whale in the channel and beached boat launch next to the club and close to the shore of Great Playa.

Maritime Unit members posted to the site found the fin of a dolphin approaching large turning toward shore in the Great Beach, so it began operations needed to approach the animal and try to rescue him.

After several attempts, finally managed to tie the dolphin with a rope. In those moments came a Maritime Rescue boat Santa Pola, one of whose crew, equipped with wet suit, jumped into the water and checked by touch that the animal did not suffer any injury.

 Thus, the protocol was activated action foreseen for these cases and reported the incident to the Local Police Headquarters, the Local Development Agency and the Department of Environment. Also contacted the Department of Zoology, University of Valencia, who were instructed to follow the guidelines with the animal.

Following these instructions, the Marine Unit identified the whale as an exemplary pilot whale Risso's dolphin - Granpus griseus - included in the National Catalogue of Endangered Species, with an approximate length of 3.5 meters.

Subsequently, the whale towed to deeper waters, where it was released and was observed until finally continued his march, said the source.

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In summer open Evpatoria biggest dolphinarium in Ukraine

In summer open Evpatoria biggest dolphinarium in Ukraine Simferopol. On January 25. Interfax-Ukraine- Evpatoria in completing the construction of a new dolphinarium, which will become the territory of Ukraine.

As reported Tuesday, the official website of Evpatoria city council, the Dolphinarium will be open by the beginning of the holiday season.

For a long time he worked on dolphin-based Evpatoria spas, which accounted for accommodation to rent. Construction of the new building began in 2009, it is located near the sea, at the intersection of Kiev, Moscow and Vladimir Mayakovsky.

As reported on the website, the auditorium being built dolphin is designed for 700 seats. In the center of a swimming pool at 2 cubic meters of water. Two more tanks are designed to hold pinnipeds. Their volume of 400 and 200 cubic meters. Was drilled through which the pool will come seawater. Roofing dolphin is in the form of the dome, and the central part of the pool during the warm season will always be open.

Another component of the new dolphin is a park area, landscaping is receiving special attention. Here were planted new trees established system of water supply, lighting, park laid track.
The collection of marine mammals will be updated. At the end of last year for dolphin acquired five sea lions brought from Russia. And in the coming days, our co-workers will meet a group of southern sea lions, which are imported from Chile. It is true that the lions in the first year will not speak, they only prepare for next season.

"The new dolphinarium will be another highlight of the resort, the modern tourist attraction. Dolphins will have a convenient demonstration pool, where they will be roomy and comfortable, and the audience - roomy wide platform with seats. In the summer of evpatoriytsy and visitors can admire the interesting ideas that perform trained dolphins - amazing smart and graceful marine mammals, "- said in a statement

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More than 43,000 people calling for the release of the orca 'Morgan' living in captivity in a water park in Tenerife

Over 43,000 people have joined the petition actionable Great Ape Project created by asking the Spanish authorities to return to their natural habitat orca 'Morgan', who currently lives in captivity at the Loro Parque in Tenerife.

According to the petition, keep 'Morgan' in captivity seriously threatens their health and welfare of the whale in captivity and reduced survival rates. Thus, the free a killer whale has a life expectancy of 50 years while in captivity is reduced to eight. In addition, animals with serious illnesses, undermine their reproductive capacity and can lead to death, as detailed in a note actionable.

The journey to 'Morgan' began in June 2010, when found on the shore of Walden Sea in Holland, weakened and wounded. He was sent to the dolphinarium Hardewijk for recovery, where it was exhibited to the public after that. At that time, scientists and researchers who form the Free Morgan Group began a struggle to prevent her being brought to a water park and was returned to its natural habitat.

The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture did not examine the reports submitted by the group which called for their release. She remained in captivity and was transferred to Loro Parque in Tenerife after a court decision.

The petition in actionable calls for its release. Every time someone supports the request, send an email to the Spanish and Dutch authorities, as well as MEPs and those responsible for Loro Parque in Tenerife.

"There is actionable for this: put a platform available to any person or organization, anywhere, so you can start a campaign and its goal on the issues that most concern them," said Francisco Polo, founder and director of actionable. "Great Ape Project has succeeded in creating a movement and tens of thousands of people are demanding the release of 'Morgan'" he adds.

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Finback whale carcass in Ocean City cut up to determine how it die, then buried in north end beach

OCEAN CITY — The second largest animal on Earth created an equally huge mess on the Seventh Street beach.

Ocean City Public Works crews raced the tide Tuesday to dispose of a dead finback whale that washed ashore Monday creating an oily, smelly mess within sniffing distance of the island’s most populous north-end neighborhoods.

“You can smell it,” Fire Capt. Robert Stanton said. “A friend of mine got some of the oil on his shoes when he was on the beach yesterday. Now he can’t drive his car. The smell is untenable. So he’ll be walking.”

The Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine identified the specimen as a 60-foot finback whale. The finback whale is the second largest animal ever to have lived on planet Earth. These whales can dwarf even the biggest dinosaurs. Only the blue whale is bigger.

Experts with the center spent the day taking tissue samples and performing a necropsy, the animal equivalent of an autopsy. They found multiple broken bones, suggesting the leviathan was struck by a ship, center Director Bob Schoelkopf said.

“Animals are feeding, and they come up to take a breath, and they get hit,” Schoelkopf said.
Before the city could do anything with the decomposing whale, employees first had to build sand ramps over jetties and outfall pipes north of Seventh Street to ferry the whale chunks to a burial site on the beach near the Ocean City-Longport Bridge.

Burying whales is a tradition born from practicality in southern New Jersey. There is simply no easy way to get rid of 50 tons of rotting, disgusting blubber and bone. Towing the floating whale back out to sea would create a navigational hazard for boats and create problems for other beach towns if the whale floated back to shore.

Business Administrator Michael Dattilo said the beach at Seventh Street was not deep enough to dig a whale’s grave without tapping groundwater. The city was fortunate to have leased a specially designed dumptruck this month for beach maintenance, which made the disposal job easier, he said.

Staff with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center used a portable grinding wheel to sharpen flensing knives they used to dissect the whale. These tools haven’t changed much since the 1700s when Cape May County had a thriving whaling industry.

Workers from the center sliced the whale into manageable pieces. A heavy front-end loader with gripping claws loaded slabs of blubber into the dumptruck, which carted them to bigger beaches on the north end.

Workers raced the tide, which was expected to block truck access to the burial site at the jetties. Dattilo said work would resume once the tides permit.

He said they did not expect to complete the work Tuesday, and would continue today, if needed.
Schoelkopf said finback whales eat small fish called sand lances off the coast of New Jersey. Instead of teeth, they use baleen to filter water from their food.

They are among the faster species of whale and are nicknamed “the greyhound of the sea,” according to the American Cetacean Society.

Adults grow to more than 80 feet and 70 tons. They are found globally, including occasional sightings off southern New Jersey, Schoelkopf said.

The U.S. Coast Guard enforces strict speed limits off the New Jersey coast from November to April to protect whales, particularly the critically endangered northern right whale. Boats 65 feet or longer must operate 10 knots per hour or less in designated areas along the Atlantic coast, including the mouth of the Delaware Bay and New York Bay.

About two right whales die from boat strikes every year, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. This is a serious threat to the western North Atlantic population, believed to number fewer than 400 individuals.

Schoelkopf said the center is trying to determine whether the finback whale was already dead when a boat struck it. Based on its advanced decomposition, it had been floating for at least a week, he said.

But in Ocean City the whale proved to be a spectacle for hundreds of visitors who crowded the Boardwalk for a rare chance to see one, dead or not. Strandings are unusual enough in southern New Jersey that part of Strathmere known as Whale Beach was named for one of the behemoths buried there.

The winds changed in the city’s favor on Tuesday, casting the offensive odors seaward.
Police closed three blocks of beach to give workers room. Spectators stood on trash cans and Boardwalk railings to get a better look.

A bus from the Shores at Wesley Manor dropped off Alice Kistner and several other residents who wanted to see the marine mammal. Kistner, 89, said she always wanted to see a whale.
“I never saw anything like that before. It’s a sad thing,” she said.

Kim Wetzel of Upper Township brought her 7-year-old twins, Katy and Ricky, to the Boardwalk to see the whale.

“They were sad that it died. I told them it had an accident,” Wetzel said. “We definitely want to go to Sea World now.”

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Update on Morgan the Orca

Morgan, January 20, 2012

Pictures speak louder than words. That's why we're glad we can show beautiful images of Morgan while she swims for the first time with all the adult orcas: Keto, Tekoa, Kohana and Skyla. Another special milestone for Morgan!

Since her arrival in Loro Parque, Morgan gradually introduced to the other killer whales. Morgan resides alternately with the different animals. The killer whales swim together with them and get to know each scan. Morgan is doing well also participate in the sessions with her caregivers.

Weighing is one of the first parts that Morgan has learned. An orca can weigh it is necessary that the side slip. If successful, the animal on the special orca sliding scale. Morgan has in recent weeks show that they are not inferior to the other orcas. She has now, with evidence of the trainers and copying from the other animals realize how it works. Meanwhile, she weighed weekly.
On her departure from Harderwijk, she weighed about 1075 pounds. In Loro Parque she has more room to move so the expectation was that she would lose weight. But Morgan eats well, about 40 pounds per day, moves well and now weighs 1113 pounds!

The behavior of killer whales in all Orca Ocean is carefully monitored. Not only the caregivers but also by researchers and students who work on Orca Ocen intensive research. The pools are in different places hydrophones installed. Continuous sounds of the animals are included. These sounds are later analyzed and used for various studies.

However, it is difficult to analyze if there are multiple sounds killer whales swim all sounds. Therefore, the students ethogrammen. These are detailed reports of objective behavior and the location of individual animals. This way is clearly the sounds of the animals originate. In nature it appears very difficult. There, by means of photography determine which animals are present in one shot, but even with the pictures it is difficult to conclude what animal certain noises.
to Orca Ocean animals are always visible making this study very well can be performed, of course, be the sounds of Morgan also included. A valuable study that more and more insight into the acoustic world of orcas.

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Kagoshima Aquarium / not nursing a baby dolphin dies

25 Wednesday morning baby dolphins in Kagoshima, Kagoshima City Aquarium, died. Weak and could not be seen by feeding on day 5 after birth. Birth of the museum is the first six cases of dolphins that die shortly after birth or stillbirth either. 

Baby "naga" (2009 estimate) male born around 1:00 am on December 21 and 50 minutes. Swam as a nestling in Naga will swim well at around 4:00 am from May 25, was seen struggling in the water look. As 23:05 minutes, museum officials confirmed the death. 

According to the museum, baby dolphin can be the key to survival in breast-feeding within 48 hours after birth. We lived more than 48 hours, look for Naga nipples "look for milk (just Yuu)" was an action show, breastfeeding was not identified at all

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Officials perform necropsy on humpback whale that died at Fort Pierce Inlet

FORT PIERCE— Results of a necropsy from a humpback whale that died overnight Monday won't be known for several weeks, marine conservation officials said Tuesday.

The 28-foot-long juvenile whale beached in the shallows at the inlet and officials had to wait for the tide to rise to help in moving the animal to Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, where construction equipment was used to pull it onto a beach, said Blair Mase, a federal marine mammal stranding coordinator.
"Something must have been wrong for it to come to shore," Mase said. "It was thin and in poor body condition."
Crews from the institute and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute conducted the necropsy outside, which isn't unusual when considering the mammal's size of 5,000 to 6,000 pounds, said Megan Stolen, research biologist with Hubbs Sea World Research Institute, a nonprofit arm of Sea World.
After the necropsy Tuesday, crews towed the carcass out to sea for disposal, Mase said.
Despite its weight, Stolen said the whale was "emaciated" and should have weighed double that amount.

"It was definitely a very sick whale," Stolen said. "Its stomach was virtually empty."
The whale at Fort Pierce Inlet was alive when fisherman Vince Randolph reported finding it. He and friends were flounder-gigging at 10:30 p.m. Monday in the area of Dynamite Point when they spotted something large sticking out of the water.


"We were freaking when we realized it was a whale and it was alive" in about 5 feet of water, Randolph said.
They alerted a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official in a passing boat and wildlife officials were called in.

But the animal expired.
"It is not common to have a fresh specimen," Mase said. "We should be able to learn a lot from it."
In Florida, humpback whales that die usually are juveniles. Of the five humpback whales that have died along Florida's coastline in the past five years, four were juveniles, Mase said.
Humpback whales are an endangered species. During this time of year, humpback whales migrate south in the ocean off Florida. The whales are dark gray and have large white fins.
Staff writer Keona Gardner contributed to this report.


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Pod of 90 pilot whales beach in New Zealand

Nelson - New Zealand officials report pilot whales have beached close to Farewell Spit, Golden Bay, in the northern part of New Zealand's South Island. This is the second time pilot whales have beached in this area in a month, and the third time in two months.

BBC says conservation workers are keeping the pod of about 90 whales cool by keeping them covered and watered. According to AFP, the conservation staff hopes the whales would refloat themselves at high tide later in the evening. ABC Online reports that 22 of the whales have died.
Project Jonah chief executive Kimberly Muncaster, said the whales became stranded at Farewell Spit just after midday. Herald Sun reports she said: "It was very sad. But there was nothing more that we could have done." Project Jonah marine mammal medics have given the whales first aid.
In a similar incident early in the month, seven died out of 25 that beached. In November, 47 whales died out of 65 that got stranded.

Regional conservation area manager John Mason, said: "We generally get one stranding a summer and we occasionally get two, but since I've been here in the past 10 years, we've never had three." According to ABC Online, Mason said: "The hope is they'll refloat themselves at high tide tonight...Given our past experience, we're not overly optimistic that this is going to happen, so we'll be out there tomorrow morning at first light, and if they're still there, we'll work towards having an assisted refloat with our volunteers."

Sky News reports that Muncaster also said: "There's a small chance the whales may refloat on tonight's high tide at 11pm, but we will be back at first light to assess the situation and assist DOC (the Department of Conservation) in their rescue response. Hopefully we'll be able to keep as many whales as possible alive until nightfall."

Source

UPDATE:

Collingwood - Efforts are ongoing to refloat a pod of pilot whales stranded on the beach at Golden Bay, NZ. Forty whales that were refloated on yesterday's high tide restranded themselves.

For the 99 pilot whales that stranded themselves on Monday at Farewell Spit on New Zealand's South Island, their fight for survival is matched only by the massive efforts of the dedicated volunteers trying to save them. Fifty to 90 Project Jonah volunteers have worked alongside the Department of Conservation to provide first aid to the whales since they stranded Monday, unfortunately 34 died overnight and another 40 remained stranded and still in danger.

Volunteers did glean some comfort from the 17 whales who managed to refloat themselves overnight. Project Jonah said the whales continued "to make their way out of the bay and were last reported to be swimming strongly with about 28 metres of water beneath them." Unfortunately, added the organization, whose members freely donate their time to helping these marine mammals, 40 pilot whales who were actively refloated, restranded themselves on the beach. Thirty-five remained alive this afternoon.

Strandings at Golden Bay are not uncommon said Project Jonah, but refloating the whales is difficult in an area where tides come in and recede rapidly. CEO, Kimberly Muncaster said the 40 pilot whales refloated, "didn’t move quickly enough in the right direction and got caught on the sand."

According to the American Cetacean Society, pilot whales are a part of the dolphin family and second only in size to killer whales. Males are much larger than females, with adults measuring up to 20 feet (6.1 m) and weighing up to 3 tons. Females, they add, "measure up to 16 feet (4.9 m) and weigh up to 1.5 tons."

Kerry O'Brien, a Marine Mammal Medic volunteer, who is currently in the far north of NZ and prepping for potential strandings there, has colleagues in Golden Bay helping the pilot whales. She told Digital Journal:

It is a highly dangerous time for cetaceans when they strand. They come in fast and furious with all their body weight, hence the injuries. They can also roll over one another and get entangled causing more injuries and can also suffocate or drown.

EMB: How do medics help the whales?

KO: If medics are alerted to a possible stranding, its a lot better to be able to assist them at this early stage rather than what happens in remote areas when they are found a day later, and are so are very unwell. This usually means a higher mortality rate.

EMB: What happens to the whales when they strand?

KO: Being out of the water is not natural for them. Being pelagic, they only know deep water so it's all very stressful for them. Body heat rises, their skin dries out and they suffer from sunburn. Their skin is very, very delicate and we must be extremely cautious when we handle them.

EMB: So how do you treat them?

KO: It's airway clear, keeping them wet and cool (continuously) protecting them from other animals or people. We keep them as calm as we possibly can. I find once a whale gets to know me, they calm down after a while and respond to calm quiet voices. As the hours pass, I find they love a lullaby or gentle humming. Treatment does get more complicated depending how long they are beached.

The major problem these heavy mammals face, is not a simple one. No longer supported by the buoyancy of the water, their weight crushes their own internal organs. This makes a rapid return to the ocean even more urgent.

Despite theories, nobody has a concrete answer as to why cetaceans mass strand and although it happens frequently, it is still a scarcely understood phenomenon.

Project Jonah is now reporting that the 34 remaining whales are back in the water after being refloated again. "One whale is in a Project Jonah pontoon," they said, "and is acting as a lure to the rest of the pod as we try to encourage the animals out to sea."

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Speeding powerboat hits orca in New Zealand

Two boatloads of families out for a day's fishing last Friday were left watching in horror as an orca they stopped to watch was struck by a high-speed boat off the East Pier in Ahuriri.

Napier man Paul Roche was on one of the boats with his family and, like the group on the second boat, had cut their engines as they were inside the 200m buoys which indicate the 5 knot speed zone.

They had spotted the sole orca about noon, not far from shore where it appeared to be playing with a stingray.

"Then we saw this boat coming at full speed," Mr Roche said.

"I thought 'far out' that's moving pretty fast. It ran it over."

The group saw blood coming from the orca as it began swimming off toward Westshore.

They followed it for about half an hour.

"It was in trouble and didn't look good, blood was running out like a tap."

Mr Roche said they had waved out to the speeding boat and it returned to the spot before taking off again toward the port breakwater.

He said while trailing the orca to Westshore they were called out to by a man who asked that if they saw his kontiki long-line could they retrieve it for him. He believed it had been severed by the same boat.

"We weren't too sure what to do or who to call," Mr Roche said, adding that in the end they called the Aquarium of New Zealand for advice.

They were told that boat strikes on surfacing whales did happen from time to time and there was little that could be done.

"But we were surprised at the speed the boat was going inside the buoys. If they had been going inside the speed limit it could have been avoided."

He said the incident had left his children upset and he himself was annoyed that the boat had been exceeding the inshore limit.

"I read about the jetskiers speeding inside the buoys and then we saw this. It's not good."

Hawke's Bay Regional Council harbourmaster Phil Norman said powerboats "frequently" flouted inshore speed limits along the Hardinge Rd foreshore as the inner harbour area.

"Part of it may be ignorance, that they just don't know about the limits, but a lot of people simply don't care."

He said signs about the limits were clearly in place at boat launching areas and authorities would be upping their surveillance and issuing infringement notices to offenders.

Mr Roche said he would be speaking to Mr Norman.

Source

Hedzer porpoise fin on the mend

It seems to go well with the young porpoise that stranded yesterday on Schiermonnikoog.

The animal is called Hedzer, named after the man who found him. Hedzer in the care of SOS Dolphin foundation day and night being watched. Necessary because the injured and weakened animal has a long way to go before he can return to the sea.

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Dolphin at Harderwijk is Pregnant

This year there will be a number of animals pregnant. Six to be exact! The next two weeks they will one by one neatly to imagine, as it should.

Naomi dolphin may ball rolling. Naomi is a dolphin now thirteen years. Next Saturday is her birthday and she is fourteen years old! Naomi is not an experienced mother. Dolphins learn much from each other, so Naomi has in recent years in the delivery room may already cheating with the other mothers and babies. Naomi is calculated approximately in June. Until then, it is exciting in the delivery room! Are you now so curious who the others are pregnant? Keep a close eye on the nursery!

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Dolphins die from antibiotics overdose

The two dolphins found dead at the Conny-Land amusement park in November died from brain damage resulting from an overdose of antibiotics.

Thurgau’s cantonal prosecutor has confimed the results of an investigation carried out by Zurich University’s veterinary department.

The prosecutor says foul play from a third party has been ruled out.

Investigations are still ongoing to see whether the two vets who prescribed the drug are legally liable.

The death of the two dolphins at the park in Lipperswill sparked national and international dismay.

In Sweden over 1,000 signatures were collected calling for the park to be closed down.

Parliament already received a petition from OceanCare in November demanding the closure of Conny-Land and a ban on dolphin imports.

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Illegal capture immediately stopped

Only recently Jungmun Seogwipo Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-Pacific Land and dolphin show, a fisherman for dolphin being traded illegally intercepted and turned out to be an endangered species dolphin Southern larger.

Two dolphins regulation International Whaling Convention (ICRW) in accordance with international protected species the Pacific, Japan has been living in the water. Jeju is the only domestic habitat, and there is only about 100 animals. Southern dolphin illegal trapping itself is a big problem, but the show is to imprison the captured dolphins are shocking: Coast Guard party committed the crime last July eoeopin and performances, and vendor representatives susaneopbeop booked on charges of violating said. Eoeopin the last year in August since 1990 in waters off Jeju Island and the Southern Operation Hooked on a large dolphin whenever the net without dropping to 26 7 to 10 million maridang palahon is accused of being a circle.

Officials performing companies also take over the train with them, or else the show as a tribute and exchange is accused of: a dolphin, because keeping a large moimin hatpingkeudolpinseu southern Jeju, life sunryedan ​​Peace Association, Writers of South Korea, Jeju Environmental Movement Union participation environment, Jeju press conference on the 20th Regiment, etc., performance, and Southern and the largest dolphin is still strongly condemned neglect, urged an immediate bangsaenghal. For current law to require that syojang punish officials said.

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Experts get approval to satellite tag endangered killer whales in the Pacific

Approval has been given for a controversial plan to satellite tag an endangered species of killer whale that plies the waters off the Pacific Coast.

Researchers hope the tracking devices will reveal the orcas’ activities during the winter, but another expert said the tagging could harm the vulnerable whales.

Southern resident killer whales are one of the most studied marine mammal species in the world, yet very little is known about where they go and what they eat during the winter months.

Brad Hanson, a wildlife biologist at the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, has U.S. government approval to attach the tiny tracking devices to the dorsal fins of six whales per season.

“We’re trying to get better information about what they’re doing during the winter. This is a period of time where a number of animals seem to disappear from the population,” Mr. Hanson said in an interview.

“Trying to better understand what the risk factors during the winter are would potentially help management biologists ... make sure we have what’s necessary to meet the recovery goals that are in the recovery plan.”

But Ken Balcomb, a senior scientist at the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbour, Wash., has seen other killer whales that were tagged off Alaska and is concerned.

“They’re heavy-duty barbs, and the only way (the tag) comes off is tearing away flesh and leaving a golf-ball sized hole.”

The current southern resident population is 89, assuming a young calf spotted Dec. 17 is still alive, Mr. Balcomb said.

The whales travel in three separate family pods labelled J, K and L.

The average lifespan of a female killer whale is about 52, but Mr. Balcomb said one of the females in J-pod is close to 100. Males don’t live as long, to an average of about 29, but a male in J-pod died last year at the age of 60.

Southern residents spend their summers around Washington state waters and off southern Vancouver Island. In the winter, they’ve been spotted as far north as Haida Gwaii and as far south as Monterey, Calif.

Mr. Balcomb, who’s been studying southern residents for decades, said his concern is the barbs could cause an internal infection, like the minor puncture wound that killed a 20-year-old resident whale a few years ago.

“Because these whales live in an urban environment that has a lot of toxins and a lot of problems for their immune and reproductive system, they’re especially susceptible to these injuries.”

Mr. Hanson has tagged more than 250 whales from 15 different species and said there has been no adverse impacts connected to survival.

“There’s been a lot of concern voiced about that. It’s one of these things where we feel this is within the range of natural sorts of occurring tissue impact that affect the animals.”

Both Mr. Hanson and Mr. Balcomb agree the whales often have cuts and scrapes on their hides and have many scars.

None of the resident whales have been tagged yet. Mr. Hanson is hoping to head out next month, but the residents aren’t easy to find and in poor weather, they may not be able to tag the animals.

“They are sort of moving needles in a haystack,” he said.

The tag is about the size of a nine-volt battery and it would be shot from a cross bow or pneumatic gun into the dorsal fin.

The tags can remain attached anywhere from three to nine weeks until they fall out, leaving the wound to heal on its own, Mr. Hanson said.

“Obviously, the further out we go from the tag date the more interesting the information, the more valuable it is for these longer-term monitoring periods.”

The transmitter could last about six straight weeks, but in order to stretch out the life cycle, they would turn off and on the transmitter, he said.

Researchers hope to be able to follow the whales to collect samples of anything left of what the orca’s have eaten and any fecal matter to determine what they’ve been eating.

While transient killer whales eat mammals, the diet of resident whales is mostly salmon. Mr. Hanson said they believe the whales eat Chinook salmon but that’s part of what he hopes the tagging process will help determine.

A cross-border scientific panel is already looking into the possibility that limiting the lucrative Chinook fishery could improve the survival rate of the resident population. A decision from the panel is expected at the end of this year.

Mr. Hanson said he hopes their research will be able to contribute some information for the panel, along with more data about where the whales hang out in order to designate critical habitat areas under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Mr. Balcomb isn’t sure the benefits of such a study would outweigh the possible dangers.

“(They) really don’t have this planned out very well. But that doesn’t tell us any more than what we already know, that they go as far south as California and as far north as Haida Gwaii.”

However, Mr. Hanson’s research on other whales, including transient killer whale in Alaska and whales in Hawaii that look like orcas and are called false killer whales, has surprised those who have been following those whales for decades.

He said he found both species went much further away than experts believed.

Mr. Hanson expects that once scientists know more about where the residents go, it will lead to more studies.

“That’s sort of my goal for Southern residents is that once we have a better ideal of where we think these guys are going, then we would probably redesign our acoustic recorder deployments to essentially target those areas they appear to be spending their time and then see if that pattern continues.”

Source

Eastern's largest aquarium 'Marine Science Cheju June debut

Direct translation from Korean:

Jeju the largest aquarium in the East ', Jeju Ocean Science' as early as June this year, the grand appearance that is expected to be released.
서귀포시 성산읍 고성리 127-1번지 일대 9만3685㎡ 규모로 건립되는 제주해양관은 2008년 제2차 국가균형발전위원회에서 선정한 '광역경제권 30대 선도프로젝트' 사업으로 추진되고 있다.

Jeju Self-Governing Province, ordered the first private investment in the property business (BTO) is also.

Total of 122.5 billion won (103.1 billion won private investment) invested in the business started in 2009, is expected to be completed in June this year.

State of Marine Science (CEO giminnyeon) are engaged in the merchant marine aquarium hall and marine ecology, marine facilities such as theaters with plans to operate as a professional hyuyangeop.

In particular, containing 450 species of marine life species will show galleries. Dolphins, walruses, seals and a variety of theater performances unfolding chapters to attract domestic and foreign tourists expected to be a leading tourist attractions are.

Self-Governing Province of Jeju next month in this business for free international city through a comprehensive examination of the Council specified in Jeju investment promotion district plans.

Maritime Museum of the future employment of 142 people in more than 80% of hiring local residents that the plan is expected to create jobs are being followed.

Ohseungik Jeju Free International City general manager, "Until now, the Jeju Development of the 23 different projects for the investment promotion district are given in 1.13 trillion won of investment to look at the effect," said, "In the future, Jeju Investment Promotion Zone specifies the target business improve the investment environment, including additional excavation will also actively support the I, "he said. "Headline Jeju

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Marine tank at Minnesota Zoo targeted for repairs

Saltwater has taken its toll, Minnesota Zoo officials say. If cash allows, they would also like to install seats


Fifteen years after the Minnesota Zoo opened Discovery Bay, the $25 million marine center that was then the biggest addition in its history, saltwater is eating away at its innards and it needs a lot of work.

A $7 million allocation for "asset preservation" recommended by Gov. Mark Dayton is the latest sign that for all its outward pizzazz, the zoo is a state facility unlike any other.

But there's also hope that the cost of merely attacking structural issues won't keep the zoo from adding some long-needed enhancements in the dolphin area, zoo officials say, not the least of which would be real seats for visitors -- definitely an upgrade from the concrete risers.

The biggest problem

"We're hoping to do needed preventive maintenance now on a 15-year-old building that isn't failing and certainly isn't 'moldy,'" contrary to reports, zoo director Lee Ehmke said.

But 1.1 million gallons of saltwater is hard on the building materials around it. "It notoriously finds its way into things," Ehmke said. "We're trying to exercise due diligence and address it before it becomes chronic or catastrophic. We're nowhere near that now."

The severity of the problem isn't totally known and will need careful study, he said. Using its own money, the zoo is proceeding with those studies in hopes of fast-tracking the work if lawmakers approve the recommendation.

Enhancements, too?

Officials hope there will be money left over to perk up the place a bit.

"There are things that were never completed in the original building, including seating for our guests in the theater," Ehmke said. "Right now, concrete risers serve as seats. The plan had been for bench seating: more comfortable, and accommodating more people. But that was never installed. And since dolphins are extremely sensitive to noise and vibration, we were never able to go in later and install them. If the budget allows, we can now do that," as the animals will have to be moved off site anyway.

Other things also need work, he said.

"The audio-visual system that's part of the show is dated. We'd like to upgrade that. If money's left over, we'd like to improve the aquarium exhibits on the lower level."

How certain?

There's no guarantee that lawmakers will approve the full $7 million, which was all the governor chose from a $35 million request.

But the zoo did get almost all of the asset-preservation money the governor recommended last year.

How long will it take?

"I really can't give a full timeline," Ehmke said. "There's an enormous series of logistics to work out. We want to minimize downtime and do the work outside of our peak season. The dolphins will be here through the summer at a minimum, and we hope to start work later this year."

The extent of the downtime "honestly, really depends on the scope -- what we discover as we assess the building. We'd like to keep it under six months, but a couple of years ago we helped out the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago [by temporarily housing marine species] and they had a similar scope of work and I think it took them close to nine months.

"Best case, we don't miss peak season -- but that's best case."

Source

Turn down the volume in the ocean

(CNN) -- For many millions of years, the oceans have been filled with the sounds of a geologically and biologically active planet: waves, rain, earthquakes and the songs of life from snapping shrimp to great whales. Before the age of engine-driven ships, the resounding voices of the great whales could be heard across an ocean.

Today, in much of the Northern Hemisphere, commercial shipping clouds the marine acoustic environment with fog banks of noise, and the near continuous pounding of seismic airguns in search of fossil fuels beneath the seafloor thunder throughout the waters. In the ocean's very quietest moments, blue whales singing off the Grand Banks of Canada can sometimes be heard more than 1,500 miles away off the coast of Puerto Rico. But on most days, that distance is a mere 50 to 100 miles.

Over the past decade, scientists who study noise in the ocean have tried to understand how loud, man-made sounds disturb or injure whales and other marine mammals, even driving some to strand on beaches and die.

It is time for us to focus on the more pernicious influence of chronic, large-scale noise on marine life.

Whales, dolphins and seals use sounds to communicate, navigate, find food and detect predators. The rising level of cumulative noise from energy exploration, offshore development and commercial shipping is a constant disruption on their social networks. For life in today's ocean, the basic activities that we depend on for our lives on land are being eroded by the increasing amount of human noise beneath the waves.

These stark realities are worrying. But emerging technologies for quantifying and visualizing the effects of noise pollution can help drive a paradigm shift in how we perceive, monitor, manage and mitigate human sounds in the ocean. Ocean noise is a global problem, but the U.S. should step up and lead the way.

First, we must extend fledgling efforts to fully comprehend the acoustic footprint of our offshore and coastal activities. As a nation, we are failing the oceans by lacking a sufficiently effective program for listening to them.

The U.S. should develop and maintain dedicated undersea acoustic monitoring networks as integral parts of ocean observing systems. This would be lead by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and enabled through private and academic partnerships. Such a plan has been developed; now it should be implemented.

Second, we should encourage and accelerate the development of noise-reduction technologies. Thanks to proactive collaborations among industries, scientists, environmentalists and government officials, efforts are underway within the U.N.'s International Maritime Organization to develop quieting technologies for the most pervasive global noise source: large commercial ships. These and related technologies for reducing noise in oil exploration and marine construction should be standardized.

Finally, federal regulation on ocean noise must be changed. For decades, regulators have focused entirely on the short-term effects of one action at a time. A more holistic and biologically relevant risk assessment system, centered on the concepts of ocean acoustic habitats and ecosystems, is sorely needed. Emerging trends in marine spatial planning are encouraging signs, as is NOAA's support of two groups that are developing geospatial tools for mapping underwater noise and marine mammal distributions in U.S. waters.

The loss of acoustic habitats for marine species that rely on sound to live and prosper is increasing. Solutions are available. The question is whether we humans value and will invest in a healthy ocean ecosystem that supports life, and in doing so, sustain our own health and future.

Source

Man arm length 1.05 m will attempt to rescue dolphins eating Volleyball (Figure)

Man arm length 1.05 m will attempt to rescue dolphins eating Volleyball (Figure)

Posted 2012年01月20日11:22 China Radio Network Microblogging

This dolphin swallowed a play volleyball (Source: Fan Xiaolin She Yangzi Evening News)

Zhang Mengyong arm length of 1.05 meters (Source: Yangtze Evening News)

　　Zhongguang Wang, Beijing, January 20, 2007 (Jiangsu Taiwan correspondent for Health Yang) The Voice of China "CNR News" reported that Nanjing Underwater World Dolphins 5-year-old Jiang Bo eating a volleyball , leading to not eat, life-threatening news After media reports affect a lot of people after the heart, this morning, Nanjing Underwater World invited up to 2 meters tall and 26, the arm up to 1.05 meters to meet the Zhang Mengyong save dolphins, Zhang Mengyong Yancheng today, starting from 2:00, 5 o'clock Rescued dolphin arrived in Nanjing, our mind at the moment

Video: Dolphin volleyball card swallowed in the stomach overnight treatment failed

Source: Jiangsu Satellite TV "Good Morning, Jiangsu,"

who has arrived in Nanjing Underwater World site.

　　Jiang Bo afternoon before eating a dolphin for it to play a volleyball last night in Nanjing Underwater World has invited a number of medical personnel to Nanjing Underwater World to remove the body of volleyball for the Jiang Bo, but take a lot of ways, starting with large medical clamp is 2 m 2 dolphins around the body out into the medical forceps to try to come up with this volleyball but without success, because volleyball is a very smooth appearance, with some of the role of gastric juice may not be successful, and finally remove the of a grain size of foreign body, and finally tested after the above piece of foreign matter is indeed a piece of rubber volleyball.

　　Because this work is not completed, the underwater world has come up with other ways to try to use the microwave apparatus is to use heat to melt the surface of the volleyball, hoping to be plucked out of a hole and then removed, the result was not successful, because with the microwave apparatus no way to volleyball on the surface, is not such a high temperature burn a hole, and finally adopted the method used to set a noose volleyball, the final success or not, that is now a variety of methods are used, or not a success.

　　2 am yesterday, when the one came from Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, such a high special-shaped actor, his name is Zhang Mengyong, he is Yancheng starting from 2:00, 5:00 arrived at Nanjing Underwater World, We are now waiting for is mobilized from the hospital to clear some of the latest endoscopic instrument, such as endoscopic instrument, once in place we will call Zhang Mengyong try to get out from inside the stomach Dolphin volleyball.

　　He received enthusiastic public phone because there are some media contacts with him, he was the first time that this news is, he himself is the rule of his leg in Yancheng City, part of his leg injury is not now way to normal walking, but now after receiving this news, he was the first time from Yancheng went to Nanjing to help the dolphins, to rescue, trying to remove his stomach foreign body.

　　Reporter: Jiang Bo in front of only about 2 meters long dolphin is now a small staff with a special device that iron transport in the wood on board, the following also has a scroll wheel, and now the situation was Jiang Bo more normal, because with a sponge and a towel to help it protected the bleeding point, and can see that dolphins are very active now and vitality, it is kept in the swinging tail and fins, the current situation is still relatively normal, now waiting for the vehicle, ready to transport on the train dolphins, to the hospital.

　　Next the staff will use the microwave apparatus will probably burn a hole so the sphere and then use medical forceps Huokou out, this approach may be more successful, but the hospital in the end is how to do, we will have next next arrive at the hospital will know, if this situation is not so smoothly, it may make 2 meters high 26's Yancheng this expert in this underwater world will be removed by hand directly to the volleyball event.

　　That Zhang Mengyong he would own 1.05 m long arm out into the dolphin's stomach inside Jiang Bo pulled it out directly, it may be the case, but we still want to smooth the volleyball in the hospital out, so let us a little less painful by the Jiang Bo.

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Do Dolphins speak during their sleep?

Péos, Mininos, Cécil, Teha, and Amtan are performing dolphins at the Planète Sauvage dolphinarium in Port-Saint-Père, France. Every day, as music and sounds of the sea play in the background, they show off their swimming, jumping, and ball-catching skills for an adoring audience and squawk and whistle just like dolphins should. But at night, they make strange noises that researchers believe are imitations of humpback whale songs included in the performance soundtrack. If so, the identification of this unexpected repertoire would mark the first time that dolphins have been heard to rehearse new sounds hours after hearing them rather than right away, providing insights into how they store and process memories.

Researchers discovered the dolphins' midnight melodies by accident. Ethologist Martine Hausberger of the University of Rennes 1 in France and her colleagues had hung underwater microphones in the tank because little is known about what dolphins sound like at night. One night, they suddenly heard 25 new sounds (see below) that the dolphins had never made before, although they weren't sure which of the five animals was talking. Because dolphins are known for mimicry, the researchers examined their complex daytime environment to determine where the noises might be coming from. They finally zeroed in on the new soundtrack that Planète Sauvage was playing during performances, which included music, sea gulls' calls, the dolphins' own whistles, and humpback whale calls.

When the researchers used a computer program to compare auditory recordings of the whale calls with the mysterious nighttime noises, it showed that the two sounds were very similar. And because the dolphins had been captive their entire lives, they couldn't have picked them up from real whales.

To get a second opinion, the team asked 20 human volunteers to listen to humpback whale sounds and wild dolphin sounds. Then the researchers played the nighttime vocalizations and asked the volunteers whether the sounds came from a whale or a dolphin. About 76% of the time, the volunteers classified the imitations as sounds from real whales, the researchers reported online in December in Frontiers in Comparative Psychology. Until now, dolphins have been known to mimic sounds (including whale sounds) only right after hearing them. Because the dolphins didn't make these noises during the show, the finding suggests that they waited to practice the sounds hours later.

So why would dolphins want to mimic whales? Hausberger believes that it might be because the shows prime the animals to learn and remember information. "The shows are a really special time in the day," she says, because the dolphins get rewards for performing well. During the rest of the day, the park is open and people can view the tank, chatter, and applaud. "There are lots of things they could mimic but don't. ... It's really remarkable the only mimicry [we] found was this one." She wants to find out whether the dolphins are asleep and dreaming when they mimic, which might mean that dreams help dolphins etch new information into their memories, just like in humans. She plans to capture electroencephalogram recordings of the dolphins' brains at night, which would show whether this is the case.

Peter Tyack, a biologist at the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom who studies animal vocalization, says that the idea that dolphins might delay their rehearsals for hours is intriguing. But he isn't convinced from the small number of recordings that the researchers obtained that the dolphins were imitating whales. "I have heard sounds in the field that sound quite a bit like the [whalelike sounds]," he says. In addition, he says, dolphins make so many different sounds that it's difficult to pin down one as an imitation of a particular source. But songbirds rehearse their imitations of other noises at night, so he thinks it's not unlikely that dolphins might do the same.

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Killer Whales Targeting Sea Lion Pups, Alarming Scientists

Killer whales and other ocean predators are targeting and killing the pups of a threatened northern sea lion species at an increasingly high rate, scientists warned this week.

Without a reduction in predators, the sea lion population will have difficulty recovering, the researchers added.

Endangered eared seals

The researchers focused on the endangered western population of the Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), which is the largest member of the eared seals family. The population has declined by 80 percent from its peak about four decades ago.

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Time for a boil-up - common dolphins sighted

Hundreds of common dolphin have been spotted in a frenzy of feeding off the Taranaki coast.

The friendly mammals were spotted by Conservation Department marine ranger Callum Lilley near the Tapuae Marine Reserve at about 8am yesterday.

Mr Lilley said he initially saw a couple of splashes and thought it may have been the blow from a whale. There have been several orca sightings in the area recently.

Last week orcas were spotted off Stent Rd, Bell Block, Waitara and Mokau as they hunted for stingray close to the shore.

"We went over to investigate and as we approached, the water came alive with dolphins. There were literally hundreds of them, if not over a thousand," he said.

Mr Lilley said at present there were large numbers of schooling fish off the coast and birds and dolphins were right amongst these boil-ups.

"The dolphins looked to be working together herding kahawai."

Mr Lilley said he saw schools of between 20 and 50 dolphins a couple of times a year but it was very uncommon to witness a group of about a thousand at one time.

"Although it is not unusual to see common dolphins off the coast, it was certainly a treat to witness so many involved in a mass feeding frenzy.

"There were large numbers in every direction you looked," he said.

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Dolphin swallows a volleyball

"Nanjing Underwater World of a dolphin swallowed the wrong volleyball mouth, mouth to the stomach from about 1.2 meters, the underwater world the whole of society now urgently looking for arm length of 1.2 meters of volunteers join forces to save the dolphins." Yesterday, a microblogging save dolphins attracted many people's attention. Is participating in the wedding Dragons players Mengda teammates from a friend that the news, rushed to the underwater world, but unfortunately, because the arm length is not enough only to give up.

Last night, the underwater world with a foreign body forceps invited doctors from the Dolphins to take the ball inside the stomach. But as of 0:00 today, the ball can not get out. The reporter Hua Xiaoli Tao Jing

"Naughty" dolphin eating volleyball endoscopy found a depth of 1.2 m

Yesterday, 14:30, the reporter in the Dolphinarium in the underwater world saw only dolphins eating volleyball. It was isolated in a small staff pool, sometimes stationary, sometimes slowly forward, in addition to relatively poor mental state, the no obvious abnormalities. Next to the pool, two breeder has been look after it.

"It's called Jiang Bo, from Japan, 5 years old this year, to more than four years in Nanjing, has been good as gold." Deng Jun of Nanjing Underwater World manager, told reporters, however, on the day before yesterday afternoon, Jiang Bo rare little bit naughty, give bring their own big trouble. At that time, Jiang Bo alone in the pool to rest, prepare for the next in a performance.The results on the breath, there is a volleyball rolled into the pond from the shore.

Usually either practice or performance, Jiang Bo of volleyball has been very familiar with, so one can see the ball, it biting the volleyball tour to the central pool. I did not expect that, after playing for a while, even the volleyball bitten Jiang Bo, but also directly swallowed. "See it to volleyball swallow, and we are quickly reaching into his mouth Qutao." According to the breeder introduction to Nanjing, Jiang Bo before the base of dolphins in Japan is used in semi-open feeding, it is often possible to swallow marine litter, so the local trainer every day is an important job is to directly reach out to dig garbage mouth, and Jiang Bo also the breeder of such a move is very familiar.

But this time, although Jiang Bo swallow it with the keeper after the ball, but because volleyball is swallowed too deeply, the breeder took a long time, still can not pull out the volleyball. In desperation, the breeder at 10 pm the same day when the doctors go to the Dolphinarium will do a gastroscopy for Jiang Bo. The results show, volleyball stuck in Jiang Bo's stomach from the mouth of about 1.2 meters.

Hand is the safest way to take, but such a "long arm" is really hard to find

Of Jiang Bo, the hand out of volleyball is the safest way to not hurt the gastric mucosa. "Depth of about 1.2 meters, it requires at least the arm length of 1.1 meters." Desperation, the underwater world in thought to the community collection "long arm" volunteers. And just a given piece of microblogging, it was a lot of people forward, attracted wide attention.

The first volunteers arrived at the underwater world is Jiangsu Dragons players Mengda, "to drink this evening wedding, so the afternoon with the team invited a false result, listening to friends say dolphins out of trouble, wanted to come see if can not help. "Mengda last night to get married is a former teammate Chen Fei, and Mengda or his best man," then finished the morning of the bride, the moment just the little things. "But let Mengda some regret that, after measurement, and his arm length only 87 cm, no way to remove the stomach to help Jiang Bo volleyball.

"I come to ask the team of other people." Finish, Mengda just joined the Dragons this season give the players Song Kangming a telephone call center. However, after hanging up the phone, he kept Mengda requirements, "Song Kangming is the longest wingspan our team, but only 2.11 meters, the length of the trunk to get rid of his long arms certainly fail to meet requirements . "

In fact, even Yao Ming may not be able to complete this task, according to Yao Ming in the NBA registration data, and his arm span is only 2.25 m, "arm length is also less than 1.1 m sure."

Dragons players Mengda arm also less than 1.2 meters

Stay in the body easily lead to sepsis, surgery has been done today from last night

"Even the basketball player's arms are not long enough, it seems we can only choose to use foreign body forceps to take out volleyball." Tang Jun said at the beginning do not want to worry about using foreign body forceps is the rubber material can not be taken out all volleyball, leaving a small amount of debris in the stomach can not be a second clean-up. "In fact, we have ready a special foreign body forceps, 2.3 meters long."

Yesterday on the microblogging many users give other solutions, such as surgery or use of vacuum suction. In this regard, Deng Jun expressed "not very feasible." "Dolphin's organizations, especially thick skin, if cut, we must open a great hole, and can not be sutured. As for the vacuum pump, dolphin stomach has three, and now volleyball card in the first stomach, if you really suck, then, is likely to dolphins The other two are sucked out of the stomach, leading to death. "

According to reports, because they can not eat, Jiang Bo lost to rely on the body needs to maintain the nutrient solution. If volleyball is not out to take a long time, foreign body will stimulate the gastric mucosa, bleeding ulcers, and ultimately died because of septicemia. So last night, the underwater world to contact a doctor Jiang Bo take volleyball.

Endoscopic surgery from 20:20 onwards, in order to prevent tamper Jiang Bo, on-site staff hold a total of eight of its body.21:30 or so, doctors began using foreign body forceps volleyball, but because the ball can only see the top, and the surface was slippery, it is difficult to grip pliers. After about 20 minutes, the ball is a little clip up a bit, but soon slipped back. It took another 10 minutes, the ball finally caught up a few inches, "but to the cardiac position, which is where the stomach is relatively narrow."

Then an hour, the volleyball is always up and smooth out the folder. Doctors had to stop trying, decided to use the microwave apparatus on the surface of the ball high temperature burn a hole so you can have a greater focus. As of 0:00 today, surgery is still underway, volleyball has not been removed

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Moss Landing baby whale was premature, undersized

The baby grey whale found Monday on a Moss Landing beach was born undersized and premature, researchers from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories have concluded.
The 700-pound, 13-foot whale was just one day old, amid what seems to be the seasonal high point for grey whale migrations through the Monterey Bay area. Already in distress when it was found, the whale was euthanized and taken to the lab for a necropsy.

"What's unique in this case is the calf was able to make its way to shore and there was separation from the mother," said Stephanie Hughes, marine mammal stranding network coordinator at Moss Landing Marine Lab. "Without mom, it really just didn't have a chance."

Hughes said it's hard to tell whether it was the same one spotted about three miles from shore by a whale-watching boat on Monday. She also said that whale could have been a yearling, since mothers and calfs travel together for up to two years.

However, the boat's crew reported that the whale they spotted was so small they initially mistook it for a sea lion.

Other than being premature, the whale's systems seemed to be normal, Hughes said. There were no signs of trauma.

"Nothing to do with ship strike or anything like that," Hughes said.

Researchers, including veterinarian Dave Casper from UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory, plan to review tissue samples to see if the mother had any infectious diseases, potentially triggering the premature birth.

"It's uncertain what the mother was up against,"

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Hong Kong, China's largest dolphins together CUHK gene database

Xinhua HONG KONG, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) The explanation is the Hong Kong Ocean Park Conservation Foundation recently announced collaboration with the Guangdong Zhongshan University, the establishment of China's largest genetic database dolphins to dolphin populations in recent years, declining the case of different white the relationship between dolphin populations, the development of long-term conservation program.

An area of 1,200 square meters of genetic databases at Sun Yat-sen, there is China's most genetic samples, the most comprehensive coverage of the Chinese white dolphins gene database, co-existence more than 120 stranded dolphins of the internal organs, skin and teeth samples, respectively. from Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Hong Kong dolphins hot water.

From our research see (dolphins) is relatively low genetic diversity, adaptability to the environment is relatively weak in the face of disease resistance is not strong enough, vulnerable to disease, survival is relatively high risk, but has not yet reached the brink of extinction (point).

The explanation is the Swire Institute of Oceanography, University of Hong Kong researcher Gu Licheng said that he expected the number of the Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphins at an annual rate of 2.46 per cent decline. Data show that from 2006 to 2011, a total of 57 dolphins stranded in Hong Kong waters, the majority was found dead.

Hong Kong Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, said Deputy Director Wu Shoujian, these figures and projections is a serious warning, highlighting the urgency of conservation of Chinese White Dolphins. We developed a five-year plan of conservation of Chinese White Dolphins, coordinated through the waters adjacent to wish the Chinese White Dolphins, including a unified scientific research and technology, personnel training and public education on the different species of dolphins formulation of conservation strategies to ensure that the white Dolphin sustainability.

Ocean Park Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, established in 1993's "Ocean Park Conservation Foundation," established in 2005 and "Hong Kong Society for Panda Conservation" merger, focusing on conservation of dolphins and giant pandas and their habitat. Since its inception, the Conservation Fund has financed 50 Chinese white dolphin conservation project, involving sums of more than HK $ 6.1 million.

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Endangered dolphins surfaced in Vietnam

In the scientific world sensation. To the great delight environmentalists in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam biologists found 20 individuals iravadiyskih dolphins. Nobody knows exactly how much now remains of these rare aquatic mammals. According to the World Wildlife Fund as of August 2011, they were there not more than 87 individuals.

Unlike many other members of the family Delphinidae, iravadiysky dolphin ( Orcaella brevirostris ) is under threat of extinction. Found in one place at once 20 animals - this is an incomparable fortune, when these creatures all over the world there are only just a couple of hundred.

Iravadiyskih population of dolphins found during an expedition in a conservation area Kenzyang (Kiên Giang), located in the south of Vietnam, the Vietnamese staff of the Institute of Tropical Biology. "The number of dolphins was larger than previously encountered in the Gulf in the Philippines Malampayya or in any other place in the Mekong River", - reported on the website PC-Games , referring to one of the participants.

In general, iravadiyskity dolphin - being very interesting. It was long thought that this is the only member of the family, which is absolutely devoid of even the least some semblance of "beak" (remember that the beak of dolphins is called a ledge on the face formed by the elongated jaws). In addition, these dolphins - one of the few whales that have neck can move in different directions (the majority of this group is completely immobile).

Despite the fact that, apparently, contacts with people iravadiyskih dolphins began when the latter have only just begun to settle in Southeast Asia, is still known about them is very small. All databases zoologists they appear as "kind, where the data is not enough." We know that these are friendly and the contact animals live in groups of three to six animals.

It is interesting that the adults can move from one group to another (for the majority of dolphins is not typical, to strangers in the groups are wary.) During the study area Dolphins raise their heads out of the water and rotate to see all that surrounds them. They swim slowly, and when breathing is never stick their head completely. That is why they are not so easy to see in the wild.

It is known that iravadiyskie Dolphins can live as in the marine and fresh water. However, some populations almost never go far out to sea, and the inhabitants of the Mekong are exactly similar to the "river" form. At the same time iravadiyskie dolphins living near the coast of Indonesia, almost never go into the river. Based on these data, biologists divide the form into two subspecies - marine and freshwater.

The fishermen of Southeast Asia are very fond of iravadiyskogo dolphin because it helps them to drive the fish into the network. Moreover, observed that these animals are quickly remember where they put people and begin to consciously drive the school of fish right into the trap of knowing for sure that the network will stop him. Two centuries ago almost every fishing village on the Indonesian archipelago had its own "local" school of dolphins that have always chased the fish directly to their networks. It's funny that people of different villages sometimes even sued their neighbors, so if you could lure a flock in their area of ​​fishing (although, in fairness, had to plead with the dolphins).

However, it is a network fishing and ruined in the end, this abundant species. The fact that fish in pens in the network has been involved the whole school, including babies and teenagers. They, unlike adults, are not always able to stop in time, so often entangled in nets and killed. As of mid-twentieth century, infant mortality in many populations iravadiyskogo dolphin reached 60 percent (which apparently led to a drastic decrease in the population). A transition to the inhabitants of this region trawling turned to dolphins catastrophe - the infant mortality rate in some places rose to 80 percent!


May also have played a fateful role and pollution of the marine and river water runoff from fields that contain toxic to many animals, fertilizer, which is intensified by the end of the last century. For example, in some samples of tissues of dead animals found high concentrations of mercury, which is probably of the gold mines, located upstream of the river. As for poaching, then it probably does not affect the decline of this species, as in most countries of the region iravadiysky dolphin is considered a sacred animal and the locals do not touch it. (A careless tourists, heads to hunt for them, a great risk - for them it may drown.)

Thus, since the main problem for iravadiyskih dolphins have long been creating fishing and water pollution, by the initiative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), they were listed as endangered as a species threatened with total destruction. According to the latest report of the World Wildlife Fund, the Mekong is found no more than 85 species of dolphins iravadiyskih. In total there are about 200 individuals, although at the beginning of the century was over five hundred. True, perhaps, the number of dolphin iravadiyskogo by 2005 had fallen more and wine ... zoologists!

Not long ago, Australian scientists have realized that dwells off the coast of the continent's animal Green, previously thought iravadiyskim dolphin, it is not. In 2005, after conducting various studies, including molecular, it was found that animals that make up the Australian population, in fact, belong to another species, which was named Australian snub-nosed dolphin ( Orcaella heinsohn I ). The external differences between the two species are minimal - Orcaella heinsohn I iravadiyskogo different only in that it includes the body color or two, but three colors.

However, as a result of this discovery dolphin population iravadiyskogo immediately reduced to about 230 individuals (the exact number of Australian snub-nosed dolphins, too, no one knows). Now belonging to this type are only those populations that live north of Indonesia. Until this discovery it was thought that around Indonesia for a total of approximately 100 animals inhabit in the mouth of the Irrawaddy River in Burma - 20, and the Mekong - somewhere 85-87. Now the Mekong population "increased" by 20 individuals. However, this still does not inspire much optimism for biologists.

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"The number of dolphins continues to decline further, few cubs reach the age of reproductive capacity" - warns adviser of the World Wildlife Fund's Mekong region by Stefan Ziegler (Stefan Ziegler). The World Wildlife Fund called on the Government of Cambodia, so that it has determined the legal framework for the protection of endangered species. "In conservation areas should be banned trawling" - says the biologist.

According to the World Wildlife Fund in Laos, despite operating in this country have legislation to protect animals, the number of dolphins iravadiyskih also declining and currently there are no more than eight individuals. Most of the population size of these aquatic mammals seen on the border between Cambodia and Laos. Now it is safe to say that these dolphins live in Vietnam (although until now it was believed that there are animals disappeared in the second half of the twentieth century).

Let's hope that the governments in whose territory proceeds Mekong, will take all measures to protect this friendly and useful for fishermen dolphin from extinction. Because otherwise suffer not only the ecosystems in which it resides cetaceans, but also fishermen. No one else will drive them to the fish directly into the network ...