Latest News - 29th Feb 2012

Navy Versus Whales and Dolphins (Caution – Snooze Alert) (At Least Until the Explosives Detonate)

Marine watch along the Marina

Call for jet skis, boats to be banned in Dolphin Sanctuary

Lonely death of the river pig

Latest News - 28th Feb 2012

Baby whale dies in coastal bay

Tracking Device on Orca Whale “Mike” Useless, Fails After Three Days

A dolphin would have sex with a swimmer when she came to observe.
(Spanish)

Dead dolphin on beach Kalardovo
(Croatian)

Dolphins use unique whistles - scientists

Stolen killer whale sculpture by legendary B.C. artist Bill Reid found 

Keet has moved to SeaWorld San Diego

"SAN DIEGO -- Keet, a killer whale who has been moved multiple times, re-joined SeaWorld San Diego on Monday from sister theme park SeaWorld San Antonio.


The killer whale was flown in a tank from Texas to Lindbergh Field aboard a C-130 cargo plane, according to a SeaWorld spokesperson. The whale and a team of logistics personnel, animal care specialists, and veterinarians arrived between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

After arriving, Keet was transferred from the airport to SeaWorld on the back of a large flat-bed semi-truck. It took about two hours to drive slowly to SeaWorld and to transfer him to a large tank.

The 3,000-pound, 19-year-old whale, was born at SeaWorld San Antonio and transferred to San Diego in 1999. In early 2000 he was sent to SeaWorld Ohio. The next year he was sent back to San Diego, where he stayed until he was transferred back to San Antonio in 2004. Now, he is back in San Diego.

According to a SeaWorld spokesperson, Keet was brought back to San Diego "to enhance the groupings of the killer whale family."

Source

(All relavent pages on Cetacean Cousins have been updated)

Latest News - 27th Feb 2012

Second Port River calf dies

Dolphin killed by boat propeller, wildlife group says

Killer whale family, open to the public this spring Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
(Japanese)

5 sea world does not know even close
(Japanese)

Why not grow a child of the dolphin
(Japanese)

Porpoise washes dead on beach at De Haan-Wenduine
(Dutch)

Marineland dolphin extends longevity mark

The Government of the Ukraine shows a heart for dolphins

Latest News - 26th Feb 2012

Watty in Thames stunt to protect breeding whales

Satellite Tagging to Provide Insights Into Killer Whales’ Locations

North Atlantic Killer Whales Feeding on Sunfish

Whale carcass near the Commander Islands
(Russian)

Airline busted over dolphin cargo

Dolphin stampede off California coast

Fishing poses threat to dolphins

Latest News - 25th Feb 2012

Dolphin's death at Minnesota Zoo still a mystery

Orca's head scanned for internal damage

Dead porpoises Scheveningen / Zandvoort

Scientists have discovered a bowhead whale carcass near one of the Commander Islands
(Russian)

By the end of the year in Novosibirsk built Dolphinarium
(Russian)

Two Harbour porpoises stranded in the Netherlands and Belgium
(Dutch)

Latest News - 24th Feb 2012

Juvenile Whale Found In Watershed Creek

Dolphin and seal found dead on Waterford beach

Does a Whale's Nose Know the Way to Food?

Renovated Whale Sanctuary Visitor Center Blessed

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust 2011 sightings and strandings summary

Zoophilic and environmentalists: how to punish murderers who kill dolphins
(Italian)

Latest News - 23rd Feb 2012

Irrawaddy Dolphins are Firm Fisherman’s Friends 

Rare Whales caught on Tape

New Zealand Angler Accidentally Hooks a Killer Whale

Illegal fishing blamed for rare dolphin deaths

Mutsu minke whale washed ashore on the coast
(Japanese)

Genvoa Aquarium, dolphins get signed bath Renzo Piano
(Italian)

Endangered animals: the pink dolphin
(Spanish)

Ava Plays With Dolphin, Octopus At Aquarium

Latest News - 22nd Feb 2012

Seems a quiet day in the news:

Dead Sperm Whale Too Much for Tunisian Municipality to Handle

Whaler's Bid to Block Sea Shepherd Rejected by U.S. Court

Did sonar cause orca’s death?

Dolphin mutilation sickening

Misery of the dolphins in 'flying coffins'

Latest News - 21st Feb 2012

Amazon called on to stop selling whale meat


Meet Susan, the Port River's newest dolphin


Beluga whale sightings in SNH marine renewables report


Humpback whale spotted off Achill coast


Is headless porpoise washed up at Brancaster Beach further proof of killer whales off the North Norfolk coast?


Gray whales are straying far from usual grounds


Dead dolphin in NY; possible Massachusetts link


Sperm Whale found dead in Nabeul, Tunisia
(Arabic)


Baby Born in Loro Parque
(Spanish)


Environmentalists have opposed the construction of the aquarium at the Kiev zoo
(Russian)


Dead dolphin beached in Stintino
(Portuguese)

Desperate rescue "stet whales!"

(Korean)

Latest News - 20th Feb 2012

Dead whale washes ashore in Norfolk, USA English) Why whales and dolphins should qualify as ‘non-human people’ (English) US court setback for Japanese whalers US court setback for Japanese whalers (English) Whales turn up on surprising side of Pacific (English) Whale researchers call for speed restrictions in Hauraki Gulf (English) Humpback dolphins set free from nets off Kovalam, 1 dies (English) Only 42 left of endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in northern Palawan (English) Baby dolphin dies in Port River (English)

Latest News - 18th Feb 2012

Lost whale to Bungotakada  (Japanese)

From Anapa to Kazakhstan sent dolphins, fur seals and sea lion

Anapa. February 14. Kazakhstan Today - On Saturday, a special flight from Anapa airport in Almaty were sent to two dolphins, fur seals and sea lion, reports Kazakhstan Today. from the Dolphinarium, located on Utrish, they were brought to the airport on a special transport, which was admitted to the aircraft, accompanied by the service aviation security, the press-service airlines "Basel Aero". "The main difficulty was to load the animals on a plane as quickly as the air temperature at the time of" planting "reached - 16C. airport staff can easily cope with this problem" - said in a news release. On board the aircraft for the dolphins was equipped with a special plastic tub, and a cat and a lion traveled in special cells. The total mass of the living cargo was 3 tons, the press service of the airline. The hyperlink to the Kazakhstan Today news agency is required. uri_string Agency


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Dolfinarium Harderwijk porpoises find new home

There bathing two new residents in the deep basin at Ecomare. They are porpoises. Actually, that's a weird name for these animals because they are not fish and they are not brown. The whales are the smallest of the North Sea. At sea it is difficult for a porpoise spotting. They never had to jump from the water. When you Ecomare them both above and below water view. Very special to see them up close to swimming, you even hear them breathing again before they go underground.




Whales

Porpoises belong to the Dutch seas. Until the middle of the last century you could very easily from country to see porpoises along the coast, but some fifty years ago they seemed gone. Since 1995, they come in large numbers in the North Sea. Also in the Wadden Sea you can nowadays, especially in spring and in calm weather, porpoise spotting.



Michael and Jose

The porpoises at Ecomare are a female and a male and they are called Jose and Michael. They are ever stranded and picked up by SOS Dolphin Foundation. Because they save themselves for various reasons, they can not return to sea. Jose is in July last year stranded in Katwijk. After a speedy recovery, she returned to sea in October, but the same day she miscarried again. Michael in 2009, found on the beach. He was only 1 or 2 months old. Porpoises learn to hunt from their mother and have remained there at least six months required. Michael has not had enough hunting lessons for themselves in the wild to save. Normally porpoises who can not return to sea at the Dolphinarium. In consultation with SOS Dolphin Foundation and the Dolphinarium is Ecomare a second permanent housing for porpoises created.



Carers

The caretakers of Ecomare in 2011 all internship at SOS Dolphin and Porpoise Bay of the Dolphinarium. The first few weeks, there remains also a caretaker of the Dolphinarium on Texel, the animals and guardians to supervise.



Learn?

Ecomare wants people to see what's living in the Wadden and North Sea in order to increase support for protection. The porpoises help us a more complete story. In our encyclopedia you can read more about porpoises.


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Examination of dead killer whale on Long Beach Peninsula, February 12, 2012

A detailed external and internal examination was conducted on February 12, 2012 of a stranded killer whale that washed up just north of Long Beach, Washington on the morning of February 11. The 12’3” (3.75m) juvenile female was taken to a secure location for a full necropsy by biologists and volunteers from a number of organizations that are part of the Northwest Marine Mammal Stranding Network, including Portland State University, Cascadia Research, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Mammal Investigations, Seaside Aquarium, Seattle Seal Sitters, the Makah Tribe, and NOAA Fisheries.




Photographs of the dorsal fin and saddle patch were matched to catalogs of known killer whales by biologists from National Marine Fisheries Service and the Center for Whale Research. She has been identified as L112, a member of the Southern Resident L Pod. Born in 2009, she was the second surviving calf of L86.



The whale was moderately decomposed and in good overall body condition. Internal exam revealed significant trauma around the head, chest and right side; at this point the cause of these injuries is unknown. There have been reports of sonar activity in the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the past week and a half and members of K and L pod were reportedly in the area at the time as well. We do not know if this whale was among those in the area but the possibility is under consideration. The skeleton will be cleaned and closely evaluated by Portland State University for signs of fracture and the head has been retained intact for biological scanning. Additionally, samples were taken for a variety of analyses: genetics, contaminants, bacteriology, virology, food habits, biotoxins and histopathology. The processing of these tissue samples could take several weeks or months and will hopefully provide insight into the origin of the traumatic injuries or other factors that may have contributed to the death of this whale.



This is the second killer whale to strand on the Long Beach peninsula in the past three months. The first case was a killer whale calf that stranded north of the Seaview Beach approach on November 14, 2011. The carcass was promptly collected and transported to Portland State University, where thorough necropsy was conducted by Portland State University, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Mammal Investigations, Cascadia Research, NOAA, and Dr. Stephen Raverty. A genetics sample was taken and the female calf has been confirmed as an eastern North Pacific offshore. A congenital defect was determined to be the cause of death in this case.

Source

Dead orca washes ashore near Long Beach

A dead orca washed ashore Saturday near Long Beach, Wash., just weeks after two other whales were found dead on the beach.




The 12-foot female orca washed ashore about a mile north of the Cranberry approach, Tiffany Boothe of the Seaside Aquarium wrote in an e-mail. She said that obvious external signs of decomposition confirmed the whale had been dead for a while, and the animal was moved for a necropsy, which was performed Sunday by Portland State University biology professor Debbie Duffield and Cascadia Research biologists.



The necropsy revealed hemorrhaging, indicating major trauma, Boothe wrote.



The whale's exact age was not confirmed, but the size indicates she was between 3 and 6 years old. Boothe said the whale could be a resident belonging to the "L pod," but that has not been confirmed by photo identification and DNA testing.

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Dolphin Discovery Welcomes a Newborn Dolphin

Dolphin Discovery Isla Mujeres is pleased to welcome a newborn dolphin to the family! On December 10, 2011, 19 year old mother Olympia gave birth to her second child, a beautiful baby girl who entered the world swimming like a champ! Baby and mom are doing great, Olympia is normally a shy lady but since giving birth she has gained confidence and loves showing off her little girl.




Our veterinarians and biologists have been with the baby girl 24 hours a day, monitoring her breathing, frequency of feeding and her swimming. She is in perfect health, learning from her mother and enjoying interactions with our team. She will stay close by her mother’s side for at least a year and a half, the bond between mother and daughter is tight! The highly successful and renowned reproduction program of Dolphin Discovery continues, with this latest addition to the family, we celebrate 54 dolphin births, congratulations team and welcome to the world little girl!



Please enjoy this incredible video of the birth of a newborn dolphin, it is a joy to watch the miracle of a new life coming in to this world!

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Southern illegal capture a large dolphin 5 "Let him go.

Jeju District Court in Korea in the first eight days 'trial dolphins' were held. Dolphins caught illegally to return to the sea so that when the prosecution and the dolphins may die tight countered claims of tourism businesses. The trial was held bangsaeng associated with dolphins is the first time the incident was reported in July last year. At the time National Maritime Police Agency , Jeju dolphins caught illegally sold dolgoraesyo vendor name and purchased nine dolphin fishermen back to Seoul Grand Park is operated by tour operators to sell or her money in the Jeju area for tourism businesses with representatives heomo (53),

Mr. including two patients were booked. fishermen from 1990 to August 2010 Jeju Island off the coast of dolphins caught in fishing nets of 7,000,000 to 1,000 thousand won in a being who takes deungege heossi Jeju tourism businesses that represent the police investigation Results revealed. the prosecution at a trial day in captivity show dongwondwae illegal money being used in court to five dolphins to sea to return immediately insisted molsuhae. Dolphins caught incidentally to afford the current susaneopbeop regulations are to be released immediately. this court to the defendant that dolphins emit asked if the chances of survival. Southern illegally trapped a large dolphin < photos > heossineun had conducted an exercise to show "whale research in Korea, there is a lack of related data. The Dolphins do not adapt to nature can not loosen them could die," he said.

Yet "The Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Research Institute and the Whale, etc. right after I saved jiluihae official response to the submitted material will, "he said. day southern Jeju big dolphin in front of the court to keep a gathering 'hot pink Dolphins' 10 people, including their members, such as whale pattern hat this happened, tell him to let the dolphins sing urged. These "great whales dolphins Institute of Southern Studies at the Jeju is home to only 114 mariman" and "Trapped in accordance with susaneopbeop dolphins in the wild should return immediately," he said.

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Enrique Norten in Davos presents its project to revitalize Xochimilco

(CNNMéxico) - For four years, the Mexican architect Enrique Norten led a revitalization project of Xochimilco, an area south of Mexico City famous for its canals, in 1987 declared a world heritage site.

The draft Norten goes around the area irrigated by canals and chinampas crops (a technique Hispanic), where 40% of the population lives below poverty levels. This is its glory back to the channels, which had already decontamination projects, and creating a flower market, sports centers, archaeological areas and research centers

"It is a very fragile right now. Therefore the project is holistic. There's a part that affects the physical space, but also work with the regeneration of the economic sustainability of the area to keep people, maintaining economic vocations traditional "Norten said in an interview with CNNMéxico.

Norten is also planning the construction of an aquarium and dolphinarium, an amphitheater, a water park, private participation in development, along with interaction and education programs for visitors and locals.

"Getting these agricultural convictions is not to lose what remains of Xochimilco with the messy real estate development," he said.

The curious gaze, the scraggly beard and vitality of the architect stressed this week between the Arab sheiks, Swiss billionaires and the hurried executives who gathered in Davos, at the annual meeting of World Economic Forum.

Born in Mexico City and lives in New York, chairman of the firm Ten Arquitectos , which he founded in 1996, Norten is the author of buildings like the National Arts Centre, designed from the perspective of the artist or designer.

But how does an architect became urban planner? "There is no difference, I've always called architecture of the city, I always liked the city. What I want to convey here is that architecture is not only to buildings 'beautiful', but we have an important social responsibility "said Norten to CNNMéxico


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He died the dolphin in Lido di Dante

The dolphin died in RiccioneDo not made ​​it past the dolphin found beached in Lido di Dante. The whale is dead because this afternoon, Friday, January 20, turtle hospital in Riccione, due to a cardiac arrest. It was a "Striped Dolphin", a girl of about two meters of a species and rare uncommon in the Adriatic.


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Rescuers brace for more dolphin strandings on Outer Cape

WELLFLEET — Wildlife rescuers remained poised for action this week as dolphins continued to beach themselves along the bayside shores of the Outer Cape, no end yet in sight to the exhausting and perplexing stretch of stranding activity that began nearly one month ago.


On Wednesday, nine common dolphins came ashore on a Brewster beach. On Friday, a pregnant female stranded in Wellfleet’s Blackfish Creek. Four more dolphins ran into trouble in the Herring River in Wellfleet on Sunday. All were rescued and successfully released — the Brewster dolphins at Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro, the Wellfleet dolphins at Herring Cove in Provincetown — by trained staff and volunteers with the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s marine mammal rescue team, a group that has been working feverishly for four straight weeks to respond to the unprecedented flurry of strandings.

Since Jan. 12, 132 common dolphins have stranded on a 25-mile stretch of bay coastline from Dennis to Wellfleet. Of those, 37 have been successfully released back into the water. Ninety-two have died.

“The number of dolphins and how quickly we have seen this many animals come in has been unusual for sure. It’s the largest stranding of a single species in this area on record,” Kerry Branon, a spokesperson for IFAW, said Monday as the rescue team organized a command post in Wellfleet ahead of the next low tide.


“We are out there monitoring and ready to rescue any animals,” she said.


By Tuesday, the team was investigating reports of dead dolphins that had come ashore in Wellfleet and Brewster.

The protracted nature of the event has taken its toll on the energies and resources of IFAW’s dedicated staff. Katie Moore, head of the rescue team, said the total number of common dolphins stranded since January is preparing to outpace the average number of strandings to which IFAW responds in an entire year. That average is 228, and it includes not just dolphins but whales and seals.

“So I’ve reached more than half my annual average in a month,” said Moore, who traveled to Washington, D.C., late last week to brief Congress on the crisis. “It’s a real issue for us. … It’s taxing our supplies and our budget as well.”


Moore said her appearance before members of Congress was “a great opportunity” not only to update them on the situation but also to express IFAW’s concerns about “what’s happening to our federal support in all forms.” The organization receives grants from key foundations through NOAA — in particular the John H. Prescott grant program, which is in danger of being cut, she said


The relentless pace of the recent strandings is taxing IFAW’s rescue team not just financially but physically. Last weekend alone represented hours of toil on the mudflats and beaches of Wellfleet for the beleaguered staff and volunteers, whose chores range from fending pecking gulls away from the dolphins to hauling the heavy creatures up and down the sand as efforts to release them get underway.

Whether they will be able to find some respite in the coming weeks remains to be seen. High season for dolphin strandings lasts through April, Branon said.


Small comfort might be offered in the form of an explanation for what is causing the strandings, but even that has eluded the team. Moore said she is awaiting definitive results from nine necropsies that have been performed so far, “but what we are seeing grossly does not indicate any pattern of disease or injury or lesion that would indicate one particular cause for this event. In some respects it would be a relief if we could see that. … We often never come up with that [single] answer, and that is incredibly frustrating.”

There are two known factors that do come into play into the strandings, she said. One is the social nature of the dolphins, whose stick-together approach benefits them when it comes to feeding and eluding predators but “can be detrimental when it comes to stranding,” Moore said.


The other is the hook shape of the Cape, which seems to act as a trap. “Areas in Australia and New Zealand where there are mass strandings have the same geography,” she said. Once the dolphins have ventured inshore, the Cape’s convoluted creeks and marshes can confuse them further, and its gently sloping beaches can serve as a treacherous zone where “the water can slip right out from under them” on a dropping tide.

A recent aerial survey indicated that there could be about 200 dolphins at large in Cape Cod Bay at the moment. IFAW will continue to coordinate with NOAA and with an aerial crew from the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, which is busy counting right whales at this time of year, to glean info on the number of dolphins in the bay.


“Though in some respects I don’t know if I want to know how many are still out there,” Moore said.

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13 m sperm whale dies in beach Belgian

A 13 m sperm whale died on Wednesday after running aground on a beach in Belgium, said the Royal Institute of Natural Science in the country.

The whale ran aground near Zeebrugge, near the resort of Knokke-Heist, and his death was announced by experts in the early afternoon, after spending hours of pain, wound on the beach, according to Jan Haelters of the Institute.

Hundreds of concerned local residents gathered in hopes of helping her, but were stopped by police. "It was very sad to see," said one, Jerome Van Mechelen.


Belgian beached whales in the Strait about 60 km (40 miles) from the North Sea are rare, because of shallow waters and an intense movement of ships. The last two known cases occurred in 2004 and 1994, said the National Institute news agency Belga

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Baby dolphin dies at Minnesota Zoo

APPLE VALLEY, Minn. - The staff and friends of the Minnesota Zoo are mourning the death of a new dolphin calf who passed away Monday after coming down with a sudden illness.

Taijah the baby dolphin began showing signs of acute illness early Monday morning. The zoo's marine mammal staff and veterinarians began working around the clock to monitor and treat Taijah after she showed signs of being sick.

An ultrasound performed that day showed fluid in the stomach and Taijah was immediately put on medication and seemed to be stable until her condition deteriorated late Monday evening.

She later died of the sudden and acute illness.

"This is a very sad day at the Minnesota Zoo," said the Zoo's Director of Biological Programs Kevin Willis. "Known for her spunky personality and playful antics, Taijah was a favorite among staff and guests alike. She was a bright spot in anyone's day."

Taijah was the calf of 24-year-old Allie, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who has been at the Zoo since 2008, and Semo, age 48. She was born in 2010 as part of a cooperative breeding program designed to increase the size and genetic diversity of the population.

A necropsy, the animal version of an autopsy, will be performed today to determine the cause of death.

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Korea's first successful treatment of wild dolphins

ast winter , a small dolphin caught in a net dying 'sanggwaengyi' under intensive care with two survived. whales be attached restored through treatment practices in the country is the first time , according to press Kim Jong - Ho is: [ report ] in December last year, Gyeongnam Tongyeong If nausea offshore sanggwaengyi found in the pound net Trapped in ' enjoy 'and' floor '.

vigor as falls away to the fishermen as soon as discovered barely nine trillion nine trillion dwaetgo care organizations has been taken to. [ Interview : Young Ran, Whale Institute veterinarian ] "at the beginning of the reaction did not have food when the body was discovered what was really tired of the movement was a very dull state. " two months after the appearance of two is the energy at the end of the intensive care and recovery tank can have fun at. specific person moknolrimeun a delight. [Interview: yangjunho, Busan Aquarium Marine Life Exhibition Team] " We ll have a very dark and quiet with all the environment while creating a gradual ours now doegetseupnida more familiar and schemed against. "

in Korea found that whales caught in a net average of six hundred animals a year. all dead, or has been reported to be dead soon. so 'enjoy' and 'floor' for the first time in our country restoration of health, whale be attached. [Interview: bakgyeomjun, Ph.D. Institute of whales] , "Through this opportunity, behavior and ecology for sanggwaengyiui not know if there seems to be used as an opportunity." small country dolphins reacted sanggwaengyineun West Coast to an estimated 30,000 lives, but internationally endangered species are classified in current therapeutic sanggwaengyi enjoyed and cared for in the tank floor as early as late this month, born just moved to plain tank is disclosed.

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Marine experts helping dolphin

WESTERLY, RI (WPRI) - A dolphin has been spotted swimming in the water near the Weekapaug Inn in Westerly.


Officials from Mystic Aquarium and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management are on the scene monitoring the dolphin.


Marine experts say the dolphin is a common dolphin.


Eyewitness News received a tip, including a picture and video via the report it App


A viewer said it appeared the dolphin may be confused or stuck in the water.
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Dolphin Babies!

Dolphin Cove has been blessed to have five healthy and beautiful babies born in their breeding program.



Dolphins have a gestation period of 12 months and will lactate for 18 months.


Dolphin babies known as "calves" are born tail first and are approximately 39–53 in length, weighing 22–44 lbs.



The calf once born usually sinks to the bottom as it is not able to swim yet, the mother quickly lifts her calf to the surface for it's first breath and then spends about 3 minutes teaching the dolphin to swim; which it quickly learns....even though it looks a bit clumsy for a while.


In caring for her calf, a mother dolphin stays close by and attentively directs the calf's movements. The calf is carried in the mother's "slip stream," the hydrodynamic wake that develops as the mother swims.


Calves nurse under water, a process that takes approximately 15 - 30 seconds. The mother's milk is more like a gel, allowing the baby to get a great deal in a very short period of time.


Dolphins are also born with a mustache (tiny hairs on their upper rostrum (mouth)), one of the major characteristics of a mammal. This mustache helps the calf in breast feeding and will eventually fall out.


Dolphin Cove truly loves their babies and it is amazing to watch as the handlers night after night perform their vigilant 24 hour watches, with the veterinarian checking in constantly, just to ensure that the babies and mothers receive the best postnatal care.

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Tagging of orcas raises concern

Federal biologists plan to tag up to six southern resident orcas next month with tiny satellite devices to discover their range of habitat in winter months.

Surveys have shown the animals can travel as far south as Monterey, Calif., and as far as the north coast of British Columbia during winter.

Researchers will use a cross bow or air gun to shoot the dart tags, which have two barbs about 6 centimeters long. The tags provide information for between 16 and 94 days and usually fall off as the whales swim, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service officials say.

Killer whale experts on San Juan are concerned that the darts could injure the orcas.

Ken Balcomb, senior scientist with the Center for Whale Research, applied for a federal permit in 2008 to tag the Puget Sound orcas because at the time he believed the devices were not harmful. He received federal approval in 2009, but later declined to tag any orcas after following orcas that had been darted by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Balcomb determined that the tags caused swelling and extruding tissues in certain cases.

Balcomb and other orca advocates have questioned whether the benefits of tagging were worth harming the orcas, whose population now stands at 89.

Officials at The Whale Museum advocated more passive measures to track the whales, such as listening to their distinctive sounds, visual observation, and teaming up with other researchers.

In a comment letter, they said NOAA has spent thousands of dollars on surveys that found the whales in shallow waters of the West Coast, but little has been done to protect them from naval warfare training in the area.

“Therefore, we cannot see a compelling need to use an invasive technique to show similar data trends when the existing data observations were not used, or were not adequate, to take conservation measures that would have prevented potential impact to whales in areas and times of the year when they have been demonstrated to use the area,” they wrote.

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Whale stranded on beach

Park rangers, fishermen and residents push a whale into deep water after it was found at theParacas National Reserve in Pisco, south of Lima February 3, 2012. 

The whale, which belongsto the Ziphius cavirostris species, is 7 metres (23 ft.) long and weighs 2,500 kg (5,512 lb),according to National Service of Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP). It was found by parkrangers close to the shore on a beach in Paracas. [Photo/Agencies]

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Whale found to be dehydrated

FORT PIERCE — A listless 28-foot, 2-year-old humpback whale that washed into the Fort Pierce Inlet last week and died appears to have had a long, slow demise — possibly extending back to its time in the North Atlantic Ocean, according to researchers.

It was severely underweight, dehydrated and had intestinal infections.

"It was very very sick," said Hubbs-Seaworld Institute researcher Megan Stolen, who performed the autopsy. "There may have been a complete shutdown" of its body.

It had very little blubber, the body fat that humpback whales principally live off after migrating south in the winter from their feeding grounds in the North Atlantic waters.

The juvenile whale only had a couple of fish bones in its stomach and no food in its intestines.

And just before death it did something unheard of — it entered an inlet, said Stolen, whose institute is based in Melbourne Beach.

The 5,000-pound whale apparently was disoriented. Tides probably swept it into the inlet in the middle of night, she said. Startled recreational fishermen first spotted it: an unrecognizable dome of flesh in their boat's spotlight. The bulk of the body was under three feet of water in the shallows immediately west of the Fort Pierce Inlet State Park.

State and federal wildlife conservation officials were alerted and the animal died soon after an official arrived. Within hours on Jan. 25, a hurried autopsy was performed between tides. The probing was done outside on the inlet's north side on the shore of the state park.

About 30 people from private and public groups helped as Stolen probed the animal for five hours. Then the bulk of the carcass was towed far out to sea and untied.

Some cutoff parts were disposed of at the St. Lucie County Landfill.

Stolen took some small samples for testing that hasn't yet been performed.

During the summer the whales fatten up in the North Atlantic Ocean by consuming krill — small shrimplike creatures — and small fish. "They pass through the oceans" off the eastern seaboard, she said. During their 16,000-mile annual journey "they depend on the worldwide ecosystem."

Somewhere in the long journey the animal that ended up in the inlet sickened.

Researchers say finding the whale at the time of its demise was important because that lets them see a whale body before it started decomposing. Most dead whales are never found.

"The faster we heard about them the better," she said. Anyone finding a dying or dead whale should call the state at 1-888-404-3922.

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Dolphin Diary: February 3

OUR NEW BABY
We finally have a new little bundle of joy.

Oriana (Takanna) has had the first calf of the season. The calf has been named Kalea, chosen through a competition run by the Maritime Museum.

Kalea has a few cuts and scratches but seems to be doing well.

Kalea is Oriana’s first calf. Unfortunately many first born calves do not survive in the Port River due to the build-up of pollution in the mother’s milk.

Boat traffic is also a major threat to our dolphins. The calves are particularly threatened by boat traffic because they spend a lot more time on the surface and are not nearly as good swimmers as the older dolphins.

Oriana appears to be a great mum and has been by Kalea’s side. It is so cute to watch the new calves, it takes them a while to learn to swim properly and often when they surface to take a breath they will lift their whole head out of the water.

Hopefully Kalea will survive and will go on to live a long and happy life.

OUR LITTLE SURVIVOR
Also this month I have been really excited to see one of our young dolphins Ali.

Ali is an incredible survivor. She will turn one this month and sadly lost her beautiful mum, Millie when she was only eight months old.

At such a young age it is unlikely that a calf would be able to survive without its mum. Calves usually stay with their mums for at least three years.

Not long after Millie died I saw Ali a few times with another female dolphin, Georgie and initially thought she may have adopted her.

Towards the end of last year I saw Georgie and no sign of Ali which was concerning. I tried to remain positive and didn’t give up hope.

Earlier this month I was so excited to see her in the Inner Port and over the last few weeks have seen her a few times swimming with a couple of the male dolphins.

Incredibly Ali looks very healthy and is doing well. She appears to be catching her own fish and surviving without any milk.

This is an amazing story of survival - what a little Aussie battler she is.

Other dolphins I have seen this month have been Wave, Tallula, Bronny, Ripple, Bianca, Hope, Marianna, Star, Georgie, Ollie, Rob Roy, and Twinkle.

This month’s photos are all of Oriana and Kalea except for one photo of Ali swimming alongside Ollie.

Have a great month. Look out for the next update on Friday, March 2.

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Recovered porpoises back to sea

Friday morning, two porpoises which last year were found alive on the beach back to sea. The two small cetaceans were cared for in recent months in the shelter of SOS Dolphin Foundation. After a successful rehabilitation and transportation in winter conditions, both animals over the Wadden Sea in the back.

For the employees of SOS Dolphin was equally biting in the cold. It was freezing when the dolphins strand transport around 07.00 hours left for Lauwersoog. On the boat were the animals sheltered in a transport box and were kept wet with lukewarm water. Jolanda Meerbeek SOS Dolphin on reducing the Porpoises in midwinter: "The winter weather offers important additional measures for transportation. But porpoises swim naturally during the winter months for the Dutch coast. Especially in the months of February and March they are much observed. "

Meerbeek speaks of a successful operation. "Porpoises are sometimes injured or ill to visit our shores. Replacing the sea is the last step and most of the recovery process. " 2011 was a busy year for SOS Dolphin. Earlier, four animals were collected in 2011 successfully returned to nature.The porpoises are off on Friday takes the total to six animals, a record number for an off year for SOS Dolphin.

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Crews Respond to Whale Entangled in Maui Waters

Coast Guard Crews spent Thursday responding to an entangled whale reported about six miles south of Maalaea Bay.

The incident was reported at around 8 a.m. by the Maui Diamond 2 charter boat. The Coast Guard received reports that an adult male humpback was entangled in fishing net from its head to tail, and was dragging two orange buoys.

The Coast Guard was joined by a marine mammal specialist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in launching a response boat to evaluate and tag the whale. In addition to the response boat, a Coast Guard Auxiliary airplane was also launched to observe from the air.

“We had a great opportunity here with the Maui Diamond 2 standing-by the animal and we wanted to respond as quickly as possible,” said Eric Roberts, 14th Coast Guard District marine mammal response manager, in a statement.

“Hopefully, our team will have the ability to tag the whale and gather enough information to allow a team of advanced responders to relocate and free the animal,” Roberts said.

Mariners who spot distressed or entangled marine mammals should report the sightings to the NOAA Fisheries Hotline (at 888-256-9840), or the US Coast Guard (on channel 16).

Whale

The correspondent of "Komsomolskaya Pravda" Conference to dolphinarium on Prytytskaga and looked like really get along Dolphins

 I heard that dolphins are there still freezing! - I called the editor indignant reader. - It's what should be a boiler to heat the water so much? Everything is covered only hilenkim tent, as there can ever be warm when it's cold at 25 degrees ...

In the wording of the call the reader take to heart: Many have already visited with my kids on the idea.

Without ringing come to the dolphinarium. In the pool immediately noticed two beluga whales and a dolphin.

- And where the second dolphin? - I asked an employee dolphinarium.

- Swim at a depth!

And I've already noticed it herself, and, frankly, even from the heart was relieved.

While the employee was distracted (named coach), I put her hand into the water - tepid! Furtively licked fingers - brackish water, although it gives a little bleach. Boiler anywhere, of course, not.

- We are constantly heats the water in the pool and keep a stable temperature of 20 degrees Celsius - assured me dolphin trainer Alexander. - Well, you yourself think, because we are using them (pointing to the frolicking dolphins, hand and beluga whales. - Ed.) Earn money. In our interest to have everything in order. Following the presentation the more children are left to swim with dolphins - and, of course, not in cold water!

- And how do you warm enough water?

In fact, it turned out it's simple: the dolphinarium is water-heating system. In the pool you can see three tubes: one gives a filtered, heated and has salt water (saline solution was prepared in a special tank and let the tube with the incoming water), and two other tubes derive water from the pool.

I confess, for beluga whales and dolphins became a little calmer, let him and cramped, but warm.

Source

Tangled whale vanishes before help arrives

WAIANAE (HawaiiNewsNow) – Fishermen on two separate boats spotted a whale tangled in marine debris early Wednesday morning. They reported the whale was wrapped in rope and towing three crab pots and a floating flag. It was first spotted off Barber's Point and was seen later near Kaena Point.

The U.S. Coast Guard sent a boat and helicopter hoping to find the whale. A marine specialist from NOAA was on the boat and was hoping to disentangle the whale, but by the time they arrived on scene the whale had vanished.

The rescue effort will resume if the whale is seen again.

"They are going to attempt to try and take the line off the whale if they can locate the whale. If they can't do that, they are going to try and tag the whale so they can track it," said Coast Guard Public Affairs Officer Gene Maestas.

Untangling whales is dangerous work, but scientists are willing to take the risk, especially with humpback whales because they are an endangered species.

It is unknown what kind of whale was seen Wednesday.

Mysteries of Killer Whales Uncovered in the Antarctic

Two of the world’s leading experts on the world’s top marine predator are now in Antarctica, tagging and photographing a creature whose remarkably cooperative hunting behavior and transmission of knowledge across generations may be rivaled only by humans.
by fen montaigne

On the afternoon of January 10, at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, whale researchers Robert L. Pitman and John W. Durban stood on the bridge of a cruise ship, peering through binoculars for signs of killer whales. The Weddell Sea, where English explorer Ernest Shackleton and his men were locked in the sea ice nearly a century ago, was calm and studded with icebergs. It was raining, an increasingly common occurrence in summer in this rapidly warming part of Antarctica.

Around 3 p.m., Pitman spotted several of the distinctive triangular dorsal fins of killer whales two miles ahead. Soon, roughly 40 killer whales appeared on all sides of the cruise ship, the National Geographic Explorer, delighting the nearly 150 passengers on board.

Pitman and Durban stepped into a rubber Zodiac driven by a ship’s naturalist and cruised slowly toward the whales. Two large female killer whales approached, rolled on their sides, and “took a long look at us with wide open eyes as they passed a few feet under the Zodiac,” Pitman later recalled. One of the females surfaced next to the boat, and Durban, cradling a black crossbow, fired a satellite tag onto the middle of the whale’s dorsal fin. When the second female rolled on the surface, Durban fired a dart that would provide a tissue sample for scientific analysis. “Our skin donor,” Pitman said later.

Thus began more than a month of killer whale research in the Antarctic, conducted by two of the world’s leading experts on these top predators, whose killing power, Pitman says, “probably hasn’t been rivaled since dinosaurs quit the earth 65 million years ago.” I was a lecturer aboard the Explorer, and was able to watch the pair work for more than a week in the Antarctic.

As many as 50,000 killer whales roam the world’s oceans today, and roughly half of them are believed to live in Antarctic waters. Yet though killer whales may be the most recognizable creatures in the marine world, a Baseline data is key as climate change and other human impacts rapidly alter the whales’ habitats. great deal about them remains a mystery, especially in the Antarctic, and Pitman and Durban are now gathering basic information about their behavior and feeding habits. This baseline data is particularly important since climate change and other human impacts, such as overfishing and the accumulation of toxic chemicals, are rapidly altering the whales’ habitats and their prey.

Scientists worldwide are still sorting out how many species and sub-species of killer whales — also known as orcas — exist in places like Alaska, the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. and Canada, and the North Atlantic. In Antarctica, Pitman and Durban — who work for the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service in La Jolla, Calif. — have played a role in identifying three main types of killer whales in Antarctic waters and a fourth in the sub-Antarctic. The populations — likely separate species — differ in their distinctive black, white, and gray patterning; in the shapes of their dorsal fins and heads; in their geographic range; and in their food and foraging habits. Each individual has unique markings on the saddle behind the dorsal fin, and Pitman and Durban — who have amassed a collection of 40,000 photos of killer whales from Antarctic waters — have gotten to the point where they can recognize individuals and extended families.

But what has driven the men to pursue killer whale research is not the minutiae of markings or migration routes, but rather the extraordinary culture and habits of these cetaceans, whose cooperative hunting behavior and intergenerational transmission of knowledge is rivaled only by humans, Durban and Pitman contend.

Killer whales — Orcinus orca — are long-lived, with females surviving for up to 90 years or more. The whales travel in extended family groups, with As many as four generations of killer whales travel together, passing on cultural information from one generation to the next. offspring generally remaining with their mothers their entire lives. Stable groups of whales join together in pods composed of different matrilines (a dominant female and her offspring), and these related whales all communicate in a distinct dialect using an array of clicks, whistles, and pulsed calls. Killer whales — which gestate for 17 months — are believed to recognize their mother’s calls in utero and are born with the ability to immediately communicate.

As many as four generations of killer whales will travel together, passing on astonishingly sophisticated group hunting behavior from one generation to the next.

“You’ve got individuals that are spending 50, 60, 80 years together, and you can do a lot of things when you’re spending a lot of time with your family and related individuals,” Pitman told me in an interview. “You can hunt cooperatively. You can make sacrifices that other animals wouldn’t make. If you kill 50,000 seals in your lifetime, you get pretty good at it. And if you learn a few things you pass them on to your offspring. It makes them quite remarkable and very human-like in the things they do.”

“We have grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and great-great-grandmothers traveling in groups together with younger whales, imparting cultural knowledge,” added Durban.

Three years ago, farther south along the western Antarctic Peninsula, Pitman and Durban spent three weeks observing such behavior among a group of pack ice killer whales, also known as large type-B Antarctic killer whales. The men studied a hunting technique known as “wave-washing,” in which a pod of whales moves through ice floes, its members lifting their heads out of the water — a behavior known as “spy-hopping” — looking for their preferred meal: fat, fish-eating Weddell seals. Once they spotted a seal on an ice floe, the whales called in reinforcements and, two to seven abreast, swam toward the floe and washed the seal off the ice by creating a large wave with powerful strokes of their tails. Pitman and Durban then observed what they call the “butchering” of seals, with the whales first drowning the seals and then meticulously stripping off their skin to get at the choice flesh.

“It was shocking to see,” said Pitman. “You’re not used to animals doing things that are so canny.”


Pitman and Durban are now aboard the 331-foot Explorer, where they will remain until mid-February, as guests of Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Expeditions. As visiting scientists, they use the ship as a research platform, and even rely on passengers to help take close-up photos of the killer whales’ distinctive markings, an example of the “citizen science” that has helped identify hundreds of individual killer whales in hot spots such as Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Pitman, 62, who has a sweeping mustache, has worked in the Antarctic for more than two decades and has studied killer whales for the past 15 years. Durban, 35, a burly Englishman with a black beard, first worked with killer whales as a 16-year-old assistant to a pioneering whale researcher in Washington state.

The 40 whales the men encountered in the Weddell Sea likely comprised three matrilines and belonged to an “ecotype” — or possibly new species — of Antarctic killer whale they refer to as a “small type-B”, related to the larger type-B “wave-wash” hunters. But little is known about the small type-B’s; Pitman and Durban have occasionally seen them feeding on gentoo and chinstrap penguins, but never on seals, and one of the goals of this year’s research is to get a better sense of what the small type-B’s are eating. The small type-B’s are roughly half the mass of a larger Antarctic killer whale, the type-A, which is found in more open water and hunts minke whales. Type-A males can grow to nearly 30 feet in length and weigh up to 10 tons.

In the three weeks since the female killer whale was tagged, she and her pod have traveled many hundreds of miles in the Weddell Sea, sometimes skirting the pack ice. Durban and Pitman have tagged 15 Antarctic killer whales with the 1.4-ounce satellite transmitters over the last three years, and the results have greatly expanded knowledge of their habits, preferred One whale made a 6,000-mile round-trip journey from Antarctica to Brazil in just 42 days. habitats, and migrations. Six of the tagged type-B killer whales made rapid migrations, following a nearly identical northerly trajectory, past the Falkland Islands and beyond to the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil. One of the whales made a 6,000-mile round-trip journey from the Antarctic Peninsula to Brazilian waters and back again in just 42 days. Durban and Pitman believe the whales make these previously unknown migrations for one main purpose: shedding and renewing their skin, something they would be unable to do in frigid Antarctic waters because they would lose too much heat.

Four days after the scientists tagged the whale in the Weddell Sea, the Explorer was off the western Antarctic Peninsula, in the Gerlache Strait, a breathtaking passage flanked on both sides by glaciated mountains. There, the scientists encountered some old friends — an extended family group of roughly 70 small, type-B killer whales that spend much of their time in the strait.

Durban and Pitman photographed nearly all of the whales, and Durban — who possesses a photographic memory for killer whale markings — recognized many of the individuals from earlier encounters. Durban was unable to get positioned for a tagging shot with the crossbow, but 10 days later, on the following cruise, he managed to shoot a $2,500 satellite tag, as well as a $4,500 dive-depth tag, onto two killer whales in the Gerlache Strait. The depth tag would reveal some information on feeding habits they had long been looking for.

This is the kind of work that scientists worldwide are doing as they intensify research into a marine mammal long thought of as one species but that likely, in fact, comprises several distinct species. Genetic testing, for example, shows that so-called transient, mammal-eating killer whales in the Pacific Northwest diverged from the resident, fish-eating whales a half-million years ago and should perhaps be recognized as a distinct species, despite being found now in the same waters. This is not a purely academic matter, as distinct species, evolved to live in certain regions and eat certain prey, may be more vulnerable to environmental change.

Biologist Roger Payne played a key role in helping end the wholesale slaughter of whales. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he discusses the mysteries of these legendary marine mammals and the threats they continue to face.
READ MORE That change is happening rapidly. Many groups of these apex predators have accumulated extremely high levels of PCBs and other toxic chemicals, with potentially harmful effects on development and reproduction. Global warming is also altering their world and that of their prey. As Arctic summer sea ice melts, for example, what will become of the predator-prey relationship between gray whales and killer whales as they gray whale migration extends deeper into the Arctic Ocean?

Meanwhile, in Antarctica, Pitman and Durban continue to unlock mysteries of killer whales. Last week, the depth tag they affixed to a killer whale in the Gerlache Strait showed that the whales were repeatedly making deep, nighttime dives of up to 1,900 feet off the western Antarctic Peninsula, an indication — for the first time — that these whales were most likely eating fish and squid on or near the sea floor.

Follow the tagged whales here

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Southern Indian Ocean humpback whales sing different songs

Washington, Feb 2 (ANI): Scientists have found that humpback whales on both sides of the southern Indian Ocean sing different tunes.

The finding is unusual since humpbacks in the same ocean basin usually all sing very similar songs.

The results of the study-conducted by researchers from Wildlife Conservation Society, Columbia University, and Australia -contradict previous humpback whale song comparisons.

Generally, when songs from populations in the same ocean basins are compared, researchers find that the songs contain similar parts or “themes.”

The differences in song between the Indian Ocean humpback populations most likely indicate a limited exchange between the two regions and may shed new light on how whale culture spreads.

“In the Northern Hemisphere, within an ocean basin whales sing songs that are composed of the same themes. However, whales in the southern Indian Ocean are singing almost completely different songs. Songs from Madagascar and Western Australia only shared one similar theme, the rest of the themes were completely different,” said lead author Anita Murray, who conducted the research while a graduate student at Columbia University and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Murray is currently pursuing her doctorate at the University of Queensland in Australia.

“The reason for this anomaly remains a mystery. It could be the influence of singing whales from other ocean basins, such as the South Pacific or Atlantic, indicating an exchange of individuals between oceans which is unique to the Southern Hemisphere,” she said.

The songs of humpback whales are generally sung by male individuals on a population’s winter breeding grounds, migratory routes, and summer feeding grounds. The songs themselves are complex arrangements of parts or “themes,” consisting of ascending and descending wails, moans, and shrieks that are repeated in cycles lasting up to 30 minutes.

The transmission of songs between individuals from different populations is likely to occur on feeding grounds or during migration when whales from different populations mix. Or, transmission of song may occur when individual male “troubadours” travel to different breeding grounds between breeding seasons or possibly during the same breeding season.

The research team made recordings of humpback whale songs in two locations in coastal Madagascar and three locations along Western Australia during the 2006 breeding season.

Research teams in both regions used hydrophones to record the songs of 19 individual whales. Overall, the authors captured more than 20 hours of whole and partial songs for visual and audio analysis. The comparison revealed few similarities between songs; of the eleven themes recorded in both regions, only one theme was shared by both populations.

Due to the limited duration of the study (only one breeding season), researchers point out that continued analysis of songs in Madagascar and Australia are needed to examine the reasons for the limited similarity in repertoire.

The finding appeared in the January edition of Marine Mammal Science and is available on the journal’s website.

Source

Number of visitors to the fading effect of opening the black sea Kirara decreased for three consecutive years

鹿子前Kujuku Island Aquarium of the city Sasebo (Kirara sea) is the number of visitors in 2011 about 40 million people are expected to one day be expected to achieve a profit for three consecutive years from the opening, found . However, the effect is diminished open, director Akihiro Kawakubo is "12 years with possible deficits year will test the ability" that you are. 　

Large tank outside the museum to exhibit the type of fish Kujuku Island, opened in July 2009 to highlight the nation's largest jellyfish exhibit facilities. The number of visitors was 560,000 in fiscal 2009, fiscal 2010 was 18,000, down about 15% of 47. There are negative factors such as fiscal year ending 11 becomes free of earthquake and highway East, with numbers expected to be close to the target year on year, down 15 percent, Kawakubo director was "playing catch of dolphins jumping and popular exhibitions . in the harsh conditions were investigated "and that. 　

However, the effect of fading is inevitable open. The museum's third sector designated administrator, will be operated by Parushi com, black minute is paid to the city, minutes to compensate for the deficit that the city, approximately 280 million yen in fiscal 2009 surplus also, 90 million yen in fiscal 10 year downward trend in the outlook of just under 11 million yen.City of FY 12 the number of visitors expected to produce up to about 10% lower, and that people could fall below the profit line 10000-380037. 　

The PR and the city museum of natural study and exhibition ninety-nine Island, has been to increase the ability to attract customers and to attract tourists in Shanghai due to the route.

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Dolphin: One witness at the harbor head dies Forest - Wakayama / Tanabe

31 night Tanabe harbor the forest woods, found dead in the head of a dolphin. Yesterday afternoon and found the head of one of two horses have been spotted swimming in the harbor.

According to the province, at 1.8 meters long, had a scrape or bleeding in the abdomen, the cause of death is unknown. The dolphins were seen in the figure is now 30 days have not been confirmed. Bodies a day were burned in the city. T. Gil - Nomo -

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Construction of the Dolphinarium has faced protests of environmentalists

Construction of the Dolphinarium in the Novosibirsk zoo has faced protests from environmentalists. As the director Rostislav Shilo Novosibirsk Zoo in January at the zoo began preparations for the construction of the dolphinarium - site cleared and fenced with a fence. 1.5 hectares of land owned by a fenced zoo, and an area of 0.8 hectares - Botanical Garden (owned by the Novosibirsk region). According to Rostislav Shilo, Botanical Garden advocates opposed to dolphin became the second section. "I did not have (those) 0.8 hectares to plant a normal dolphin. I can move (the building), but it will be ugly, there is another pavilion for small monkeys and penguins "- explained his actions Rostislav Shilo. According to zoo director, at the disputed site there are no trees, only abandoned greenhouse. According to Rostislav Shilo, all necessary permits to begin construction have been received, but environmentalists protest addressed to the governor of the region could seriously impede the process. Earlier it was planned to begin construction in January and conclude in late 2012

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Training dolphins than the care of children should carefully

Dolphins are very fond of children and adults are an animal. During the Spring Festival this year, Nanchang New Zoo opened to the public, the province's first professional Dolphin Pavilion. Performance Hall in the dolphin's performance not only won the warm applause of adults and children, and the story behind the dolphin show is also wonderful.

1 pm, two reporters and the zoo had close contact with cute dolphin to dolphin trainer to understand the story behind the training.

Dolphin is not absolutely stunning performance to win the applause

February 1, the sun warm, the new zoo in Nanchang aquarium to watch the dolphin show filled with adults and children. Performance management is divided into huge ocean areas, spectator stands area, work area and lounge area disinfection, blue pool in the sunlight becomes crystal clear.

Started at 2 pm show, performing on stage two of their training with a dolphin trainer performance. Two dolphins in the water way through, sometimes jumping, sometimes hula hoop, sometimes standing, a series of actions the audience amazed. Jump in the water process, the issue of dolphin sound dolphin is so amazed the audience again and again the voice and the constant stream of applause.

"Very good, very cute dolphins." 5-year-old Tong Tong constantly took her mother's sleeve, said. Ms. Zhao said, watching the weather today is very good with children to the zoo to watch the dolphin show, want their children to more contact with the natural physical and mental pleasure.

Behind the scenes

Dolphins eat 8 kilograms of fish on physical performance guarantee

Reporters from the responsible person from the park learned that two male dolphins were named Yingying and Ao Ao. They are now 6 years old, and the life of dolphins up to 20 years of age, so the two dolphins are prime. Staff, the growth of these two adult dolphins in Japan, to Chang before specially trained in Xiamen, a period of time, January 5 air to Nanchang.

Dolphin pool six meters deep, the water temperature remained constant temperature 19 ℃. Rest area near the dolphin must pass through the junction, the staff on the ground placed a blanket soaked in disinfectant, must be stepped out of people's shoes and blankets for disinfection. Dolphin pool of water in accordance with the proportion of marine water quality and other configurations, such as pH, oxygen, salt content, PH value and other similar proportion with water.

Dolphin is the staple food of all kinds of deep-sea fish, such as bar waves, mullet, blue of the Pacific saury, croaker, etc. Staff told reporters that each dolphin eat about eight kilograms of fish per day. For dolphins, the performances are exhausting every weight of living, the breeder to ensure that the dolphin's belly is a belly full.

Park dolphin trainer Ray quiet, 25-year-old, Changsha. As a father, he told reporters, trained dolphins to take care of children need more than patience to take care of and carefully protected.

Lei Jing told reporters that this year's New Year's Eve, New Year can not go home because he was not particularly happy, then stood silently in the pool side. At this time seems to know he was not happy like dolphins, swam to his side a long time refused to go away, he issued against the crisp sound, as if to sing like him. And he looked so lonely and there will be no dolphins are not happy.

Lei Jing said, the training process is boring, but also happy. Is most proud of when an action can learn to teach the dolphin again. Although sometimes dozens of times on an action to teach dolphins also may not be, but this time the patient is still mine. He told reporters that, as a trainer with patience and his temper is necessary. Because it will affect the dolphin trainer's temper temper, will also affect the quality of the performances when the dolphin show.

The dolphin is sick, the trainer is very worried. "Once Aoao sick, our whole group of six 24 hours waiting around in it to help it measure breathing, strength, injection, saline drip, for intramuscular injection."


Dolphin Music can cure autism

Dolphin Music is a very beautiful voice, a lot of artists used to sing it inside, in addition to the sound of dolphins as well the role of the treatment of autism. Lei Jing told us a story of his experience: a boy named Tiger, since childhood autism, 4 years old will not call my parents. By touching the dolphins, swim with dolphins, dolphin sounds to listen to his autism has been improved, and finally learned to call Mom and Dad. ADHD children also have a contact process with the Dolphins improved their behavior, learn to feel comfortable.

"It has been said, the dolphins that have been smiling angel you can note that the dolphins either open mouth or closed mouth, the mouth like the mouth up the lines of a smile, I hope can be like Aoao and Ying-Ying angel to bring laughter and joy. "thunder in the quiet end of the interview says.

Source

Dolphin death sparks calls for more fishing restrictions

Conservation groups have renewed calls for a ban on set net and trawling fishing practices following the death of a rare Maui's dolphin.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry says the dolphin died off the Taranaki coast in January after being caught in a set net.

A German-based conservation organisation, NABU International, says gill and trawl net fishing practices should cease in New Zealand.

Its position is supported by both the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Forest and Bird.
WWF's executive director Chris Howe says stopping such fishing practices would give Maui's dolphins a decent chance of survival.

There are fishing restrictions in place to protect the Maui's dolphin, but MAF says this one was outside their normal territory when it became caught in the net.

The Seafood Industry Council says the death of the dolphin was accidental and deeply regrettable.
It says the fisherman involved obeyed the rules by reporting the incident and this shows the industry is serious about its responsibilities.

The council says fishermen will be more vigilant now that it's clear the dolphins may be moving into new areas.

But it rejects a blanket ban on set net and trawling fishing as a knee-jerk reaction to an isolated incident.

Source

Rare whales hit by ships

An examination of the body of a rare Bryde's whale found dead in the water near Waiheke Island this week shows it had been hit by a vessel.

Bryde's whales are critically endangered and there is thought to be just 200 Bryde's whales frequenting the Hauraki Gulf.

The 15 metre long female whale has been buried at Calypso Bay on Motuihe Island.

DOC says in the last 16 years there have been 41 confirmed deaths of Bryde's whales in the Hauraki Gulf.

Eighteen of these dead whales were examined and 15 are most likely to have died as the result of a vessel strike.

It wants commercial ships passing through the gulf to lower their speed to protect the whales.

Researcher Dr Rochelle Constantine says the whales spend the majority of their time less than ten metres below the surface putting them within strike depth of many ships.

Source

Indicted marine biologist denies feeding killer whales during research in Monterey Bay

MONTEREY, Calif. — A marine biologist under federal indictment for allegedly feeding killer whales is denying she ever fed the marine mammals during her research.

Nancy Black told The Monterey County Herald (http://bit.ly/wktlFv) that she was doing orca research in 2005 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — the agency now investigating her.

Black — who is co-owner of Monterey Bay Whale Watch — says she was collecting important data about toxic chemicals in the whales, and that the investigation has hindered that research.

She is charged with four violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act for feeding killer whales during two research trips in Monterey Bay and misleading investigators by editing video footage of her encounters with other whales during a whale watching trip.

Source

Inuit traditional knowledge reveals steady migration of killer whales into Nunavut

Researchers from the University of Manitoba say they have better insight into the behaviour and diet of Canadian Arctic killer whales, thanks to traditional Inuit knowledge.

New research published in the online journal Aquatic Biosystems reveals new details about the species, based on interviews with Inuit hunters and elders from 11 Nunavut communities.

The study shows that melting sea ice is attracting more killer whales, or orca, to Nunavut, where the whales are preying on mammals like seals, belugas, narwhals and even the much larger bowhead whale.

And Inuit hunters are concerned that, as the sea ice continues to melt, they will have to compete with the giant predators for the marine wildlife they hunt for food.

Inuit hunters reported that killer whales “eat whatever they can catch”: mainly other marine mammals including seals (ringed, harp, bearded, and hooded) and whales (narwhal, beluga and bowhead).

There is little evidence to suggest that killer whales eat fish, hunters say.

Instead, Inuit referred to killer whales as “the wolves of the sea,” describing the animals as cooperative pack hunters who can kill by circling and herding single or groups of large sea animals.

Several hunters reported seeing bowhead whales “rammed” to death by a group of much smaller killer whales.

Other hunters said it was common to see killer whales tear into narwhal and “play soccer” with the mammal’s different parts.

The interviews, conducted with 105 Nunavummiut from communities along Hudson Bay and on Baffin Island, also revealed the intelligence and methodology used by killer whales in their hunt: many reported seeing the whales use their tails to create turbulence around ice floes in order to knock entire groups of seals into the water.

Many Inuit also described the predators as picky eaters, selecting only their favourite parts of the prey to eat and leaving behind other pieces, which were sometimes collected by Inuit hunters.

Inuit referred to prey behaviour as aarlungyuk, or the fear of killer whales, when smaller mammals seek refuge from the predator whale in shallow waters.

Even narwhal, which can stab killer whales with their tusks, were reported to have fled to shallow waters until the waiting predator gave up.

The study’s lead research, Dr. Steven Ferguson, said the traditional knowledge has now given researchers a better understanding of the effects of global warming and the loss of sea ice on Arctic species.

While killer whales have been studied extensively in the northeast Pacific ocean, little is known about the animal’s behaviour and prey preference in the Canadian Arctic, although the federal department of fisheries and oceans has documented increased sightings in recent years.

See the complete study here.

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3 Porpoises are pregnant at Harderwijk

Ellen:


Ellen is the last pregnant porpoise who may imagine. Ellen is about seven years old and for the first time mother. She was stranded in 2007 in Domburg. When she was about eighteen years old. Ellen is also to the shelter of SOS Dolphin charged. Ellen has a medical problem, giving them a place in Porpoise Bay has received.
Ellen is a very sweet, quiet porpoise. She seems a tickle and hug his time certainly appreciate. If you ask one of Ellens trainers to describe it, then they all say "it's a very sweet porpoise." She also has a very soft look. What do you think? Ellen looks not cute?

Siepy: 

The naughtiest Siepy porpoise porpoise porpoise from the Bay. She always seems very naughty look. And sometimes it seems like they laugh at you! Siepy in 2007 foundered on Ameland. She was only a few months old and is at a very young age, her mother lost. This unfortunately she could not be put back into the sea.

Siepy now contributes in Porpoise Bay on a cheerful note. During the sessions, it sometimes seems as if Siepy will make you laugh. Siepy was calculated in March. It's been about two months! For Siepy is also the first time that she is pregnant. We find it all very exciting.

Amber:


Amber is pregnant porpoise which was first calculated. Amber you might already know from nursery, because she has already become a mother at the Dolphinarium. She gave birth in 2009 of Kwin. Amber in 2007 foundered on the Maasvlakte. She had already grown, how old it is exactly we do not know. After stranding her to the shelter's Amber of SOS Dolphin brought to recover. The repair went well, but unfortunately could not Amber back to sea because they themselves could catch no fish. Fortunately there's a place in the Porpoise Bay in the Dolphinarium. Looks like she is enjoying herself to have.

Amber is pregnant porpoises of three of the most peaceful. She is of course once been pregnant, so she seems to know what will happen. Amber is calculated around the end of February. Exciting!
If you look at Amber is the Dolphinarium you can easily recognize her! Amber is the largest in the porpoise Porpoise Bay and the tip of its dorsal fin is slightly bent. Amber you'll find in February?

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