Cetacean Cousins Blog

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

2012-02-14T09:19:00.002Z

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.

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Dead orca washes ashore near Long Beach

2012-02-13T09:12:00.001Z

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

2012-02-10T17:20:00.000Z

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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Enrique Norten in Davos presents its project to revitalize Xochimilco

2012-02-09T18:24:00.002Z

(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

2012-02-09T18:23:00.002Z

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

2012-02-09T12:51:00.002Z

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

2012-02-09T12:39:00.001Z

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

2012-02-07T19:07:00.001Z

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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Marine experts helping dolphin

2012-02-07T13:10:00.001Z

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!

2012-02-07T13:08:00.003Z

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

2012-02-04T18:00:00.000Z

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

2012-02-04T17:59:00.005Z

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

2012-02-04T17:59:00.001Z

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

2012-02-03T19:57:00.003Z

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

2012-02-03T19:54:00.000Z

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

2012-02-03T19:51:00.000Z

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

2012-02-02T18:55:00.005Z

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.

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Tangled whale vanishes before help arrives

2012-02-02T18:48:00.002Z

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

2012-02-02T18:47:00.003Z

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

2012-02-02T18:42:00.003Z

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.

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

2012-02-02T18:27:00.001Z

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

2012-02-02T18:26:00.001Z

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

2012-02-02T18:24:00.002Z

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

2012-02-02T18:23:00.000Z

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.

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Dolphin death sparks calls for more fishing restrictions

2012-02-01T18:54:00.001Z

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.

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Rare whales hit by ships

2012-02-01T18:53:00.002Z

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.

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

2012-02-01T18:52:00.003Z

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.

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Inuit traditional knowledge reveals steady migration of killer whales into Nunavut

2012-02-01T18:50:00.002Z

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.

Source

3 Porpoises are pregnant at Harderwijk

2012-02-01T18:41:00.000Z

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?

Source

Killer whales moving in on polar bears' territory

2012-01-31T18:43:00.000Z

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.

Source

Rescued the young whale stranded North Sea beach

2012-01-30T18:24:00.000Z

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.

Source

Rescued dolphin recovering in Orlando

2012-01-27T15:27:00.000Z

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

2012-01-27T10:05:00.001Z

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

2012-01-27T09:14:00.002Z

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

2012-01-26T19:51:00.000Z

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.

Source

Navy Training Blasts Marine Mammals With Harmful Sonar

2012-01-26T19:12:00.001Z

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.

Source

Mystery of dolphin's death

2012-01-26T18:48:00.001Z

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

2012-01-26T09:57:00.000Z

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.

Source

Gray Whale Travels By Oregon

2012-01-26T09:03:00.000Z

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

2012-01-26T09:01:00.000Z

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.
Source

Gulf World Rescues Stranded Dolphin

2012-01-25T19:51:00.000Z

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.

Source

Volleyball removed from dolphin's stomach in China

2012-01-25T19:36:00.002Z

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)

Source

Risso's Dolphin rescued off the coast of Santa Pola

2012-01-25T19:30:00.001Z

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

2012-01-25T19:23:00.003Z

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

2012-01-25T19:18:00.005Z

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.

Source

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

2012-01-25T18:48:00.000Z

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.”

Source

Update on Morgan the Orca

2012-01-25T18:42:00.004Z

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.

Source

Kagoshima Aquarium / not nursing a baby dolphin dies

2012-01-25T18:40:00.001Z

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

Source

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

2012-01-25T09:04:00.000Z

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.

Source

Pod of 90 pilot whales beach in New Zealand

2012-01-24T18:37:00.000Z

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

2012-01-24T18:34:00.000Z

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

2012-01-23T18:47:00.000Z

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

2012-01-23T18:44:00.000Z

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

2012-01-23T18:36:00.000Z

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

2012-01-22T19:15:00.000Z

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

2012-01-22T18:49:00.000Z

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

2012-01-22T18:47:00.000Z

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

2012-01-22T18:46:00.000Z

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

2012-01-20T19:48:00.000Z

(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)

2012-01-20T19:32:00.003Z

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.

Source

Do Dolphins speak during their sleep?

2012-01-20T18:43:00.000Z

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

2012-01-19T18:40:00.002Z

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.

Source

Time for a boil-up - common dolphins sighted

2012-01-19T18:36:00.002Z

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.

Source

Dolphin swallows a volleyball

2012-01-19T18:35:00.003Z

"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

Source

Moss Landing baby whale was premature, undersized

2012-01-18T18:42:00.000Z

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,"

Source

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

2012-01-16T19:37:00.002Z

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.

Source

Endangered dolphins surfaced in Vietnam

2012-01-16T19:36:00.002Z

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.

Source

"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 ...

Stranded dolphin found dead days after rejoining pod; other Gulf Coast region news

2012-01-16T18:30:00.000Z

A spotted dolphin that had beached itself on a northwest Florida beach earlier this month was found dead less than a week after being released, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.
Two men had spotted the dolphin floating upside down in shallow waters. After righting the animal it seemed to recover. The men guided the dolphin back into open water where it joined its pod and swam away.

On Friday, however, the same dolphin washed up near the same beach in a state of decomposition.
there are between 15 and 20 strandings a year in that area. Although most are deceased, about four live strandings are reported each year on northwest Florida beaches.
In other Gulf Coast region news:
Florida man charged with exposing himself to jail officer: Michael Rivers was charged with lewd exhibition in front of a jail employee after exposing himself to a Florida correctional officer, The Northwest Florida Daily News reports. Rivers knocked on a window to get a female officer's attention. When the woman looked up, Rivers had exposed penis and was holding it while looking at her, according to an arrest report.

Armed robbery of cab driver leads to arrest: Tyree Desmond Lindsey of Pensacola was arrested Saturday following the armed robbery of a cab driver, the Pensacola News Journal reports. After reaching his destination, Lindsey took out a small handgun and demanded money, according to the police report. The driver complied, left the scene and called police. Lindsey was found at the home where he had been dropped off. He was wanted on a number of federal warrants.
Man punches step dad after being asked to stop staring: A 42-year-old man faces domestic violence battery charges after attacking his stepfather Jan. 3, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports. The younger man had been staring at the older man, who asked him to stop. When the older man stood up, his stepson punched him in the eye, the report said. The suspect had been "acting mad" all day, his mother told police.

Source

Thirty dolphins stranded on Cape beaches

2012-01-15T21:06:00.002Z

A team of about 35 people worked to rescue about 30 dolphins that were stranded on Cape beaches today.

The rescue teams included volunteers and workers from the New England Aquarium and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Rescuers were able to put 11 of the dolphins back into the water. Eight of the dolphins were stranded in areas that were inaccessible to rescuers and about 10 dolphins died while stranded, according to Kerry Branon of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Six to eight rescuers loaded each stranded dolphin onto a specialized stretcher or cart with wheels made for rolling on sand, then released the dolphins into the water in groups, according to Branon.

“The dolphins were healthy enough that we could just release them,” Branon said. “They are social animals, so we released them in groups.”

Branon said it is too early to know if there is any weather-related pattern in the strandings, but she said oceanic animal strandings are actually common on the Cape between January and April.

“Cape Cod is one of the largest stranding hotspots in the world,” Branon said, emphasizing the beachy topography of the region. She said sometimes many dolphins become stranded together because they travel to shore in a group when one is injured.

Branon’s group runs tests on all of the dead dolphins to determine the causes of their deaths.

Anyone who spots a stranded animal can report it to the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s 24-hour hotline 508-743-9548.

“Tomorrow we will go out and scour the beaches and go to the places that the inaccessible animals were last sighted, and do our best to rescue them,” Branon said.

Source

Children of sperm whale washed ashore on the coast

2012-01-15T21:05:00.001Z

Around 9:00 Friday morning, was launched one female head of a sperm whale on the coast of磯原町磯原磯原Kitaibaraki City, found that out for the count. 4 m whale is about 10 centimeters long. Children stray from the herd and seen. According to the city's Department of Agriculture, the whale washed up around the city since then shipwrecked on Takahagi in February 2010, about two years.

According to the MPD, around 7:30 yesterday morning, the whale was once found in the same place and found about 5 km to the south, it was returned to the ocean by the surfers in the vicinity. Then shipwrecked on the coast until about 9:00 in the same磯原, Butsuketarashiku berth and head, were wounded.

Veterinary staff and was diagnosed Prefecture Oarai Aqua World Aquarium rushed, intense weakness, pick up power to live well in aquariums but determined not to talk to the sea, using anesthesia were euthanized. Shinobu's hawk hill vets (75) is "seriously damage the head and mouth, there is no ability to eat. Lost its direction and flow of the tide and sea temperature changes and may stray from the herd," he said.

How the city had pulled the whale watching, male office workers (40) ", but sorry, he can not live from euthanasia is unavoidable," he said.

Whale was pulled into the hole dug by heavy machinery on the beach buried.

Source

Sri Lanka Navy saves injured whale

2012-01-15T20:54:00.002Z

Jan 15, Kalpitiya: Sri Lanka's peacetime Navy not only comes to the aid of stranded Indian fishermen off the coast in Sri Lankan waters but also aids injured and beached marine mammals.

The Sri Lankan Navy personnel attached to SLNS Vijaya in the North-western Naval Area came to the aid of an injured whale which has washed ashore dangerously to shallow waters on the Vella beach in Kalpitiya of the northwestern coast on Friday (13).

The Navy personnel took exhausting seven hours to free the 38-foot Fin Whale that got entangled in a fishing net which had hindered its free movement and made the whale to beach.

They have freed the whale and assisted it to swim to the deep sea off the Dutch Bay in Kalpitiya.

The Navy units patrolling the waters have first spotted the injured whale thrashing in shallow waters with injuries to its fin and abdomen areas.

The navy personnel had pumped water and helped the whale to refloat and breathe and assisted the whale to move back to the deep waters.

Sri Lanka's peacetime Navy as a part of its social responsibility projects assists whale conservation.

Source

Good weather releases whales trapped in ice

2012-01-15T20:42:00.000Z

WASHINGTON - (AFP) - A hundred beluga whales that were left trapped under the ice in Chukotka (Russian Far East) in mid-December were able to reach the open sea by a storm that broke the ice, said Friday AFP agency Transport & Shipping.

"Strong winds have caused the formation of a large crack in the ice allowing the beluga to reach the open sea," said a spokesman for the agency, adding that local authorities had indicated that the end of December sending an icebreaker on the scene to save the whales "was no longer necessary."

Mid-December, the authorities in Chukotka had asked the Russian government to send a tug icebreaker to free the whales were in danger of starvation and exhaustion.

This ship could not approach the area where these whales because of the swell and wind too strong in the Bering Sea (opposite Alaska) but bad weather finally allowed to beluga to escape.

The beluga whale or beluga whale is a protected living in the cold waters of the Russian Far East, and in the White Sea and Barents Sea, the dependencies of the Arctic Ocean, northwest of Russia.

The living space of these mammals, which can be up to six feet and weigh two tons, is threatened by the oil industry, climate change and hunting, according to NGOs animals.

Whales are regularly trapped by ice in the Arctic, but rarely in such numbers.

The most famous was in 1988 when three gray whales were trapped by pack ice north of Alaska.

One died of exhaustion, but the other two had been saved after an exceptional mobilization of volunteers and the media, thanks to a US-Soviet cooperation copy at this time of cold war.

These are ice breakers that had come from the USSR finally freed the trapped whales in U.S. waters.

Source

Dead whale appears in Huatulco Bay

2012-01-14T20:44:00.000Z

Oaxaca • In the Pacific coast, off the coast of the tourist resort of Huatulco, a humpback whale found dead about five feet long. "Apparently got out, he lost track of any trace of pollution at sea," confirmed the state delegate of the Ministry of Environment, Alvaro Esteban Ortiz surrounds.

The official said the whale was found by a group of fishermen in the vicinity of the beach Coyula, was allegedly dragged by the current to the shore by the tide. Presumably he came to die to the coastal areas.

Port staff reported that inspectors from the state delegation of the Federal Environmental Protection (Profepa) and staff of the Universidad del Mar (UMAR) work performed to investigate the reasons of death.

"They have taken laboratory samples will be tested for his death, the studies will be available to researchers at the school for educational purposes, I understand that up a technical report that will be integrated into the file and final opinion."

Reported that the remains of the whale were taken to the Shrine of the Huatulco National Park, where his funeral was held on an unspoiled beach.

Surrounds Ortiz said there are several hypotheses regarding the death of the species, may have been attacked by local fishermen or some orca.

"In general these marine species are losing control of your navigation path, due to problems of temperature, water conditions and pollution levels.

The whale sailed off course and natural area, species usually travels this season and deep water cooler located in the northern part of Mexico, in the vicinity of the beaches of Sinaloa and the Gulf of California. "

In the past 10 months have been placed on the beaches of Oaxaca at least three bodies of whales, other beaches located in Puerto Angel and Salina Cruz.

Source

Dolphin rescues a dog

2012-01-13T20:58:00.000Z

If not for a dolphin swam nearby, then 11-year-old Doberman named Turbo waiting to certain death.

Dog missed his mistress, a resident of the island of Marco, Florida. First and sister lost Turbo - Porsche. But soon the dog is back.

Since the disappearance of the Turbo passed 15 hours, when the dog owner got a call from the police and reported that poor guy found in the channel. And most importantly, that his life is not threatened.

As it turned out, the dog drew attention to the dolphin, which has raised such a fuss that he heard the woman who lives nearby. She led the rescuers.

By the way, the dolphins often come to the rescue, as people and their relatives.

In 2009, Australian wild dolphin called to help people to save their comrade, wounded shark.

Source

Pygmy killer whale released to the wild

2012-01-12T18:57:00.002Z

KOTA KINABALU: The pygmy killer whale which was found stranded on Tanjung Aru beach on Tuesday morning was yesterday released back to the wild.

A group of onlookers cheered when the Sabah Wildlife Department, with the assistance of Dr Lindsay Porter from St. Andrew’s University’s Sea Mammal Research Unit, Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa Kota Kinabalu, WWF-Malaysia, Borneo Dream and L.E.A.P (Land, Empowerment, Animal, People), successfully guided the whale onto a stretcher and lifted it to a speedboat to be returned to the sea.

The mammal, which has been named Tony, was discovered by a security personnel of Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa Kota Kinabalu at 7am on Tuesday.

The whale was moved to the resort’s enclosed sea lagoon to protect it from boats and fishermen till it could be freed.

Around 30 to 40 volunteers, comprising divers, surfers, students, hotel guests, staff from WWF-Malaysia and and L.E.A.P., took turns for 15 to 20 minutes each throughout the night to try to feed the mammal and keep it afloat under the supervision of the Sabah Wildlife Department.

Porter, when met yesterday, said the pygmy killer whale probably originated from Sabah waters or adjacent waters.

However, little is known about this species, which belongs to the dolphin family, she said.

“It has been identified from the east coast and Semporna, but we know little about the biology of the animal,” Porter said.

She said the species usually travels in a group of 50 to 100, and the reason the pygmy killer whale got stranded on the beach is unknown.

She believed there could be infections or illnesses that were not visible from its exterior.

Meanwhile, WWF-Malaysia marine conservation chief Ken Kassem said, “We try to make it feel comfortable, regain its energy so that we can release it and give it a fighting chance to survive.

“The pygmy killer whale, around two metres in length, is not juvenile but has not reached its adult size either.

“It is hoped that the 30-plus hours rest enabled the whale to recuperate and return to its natural habitat.

“The cause of the whale’s stranding is unknown and there is a possibility that it may not survive this ordeal.”
Sabah Wildlife Department director Laurentius Ambu said there was very little that could be done to treat marine animals.

“After a long rest and signs of improvement we felt it was best to release it to the wild.

“We thank Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa and all the volunteers for their support and assistance,” he said.

Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa general manager Andrew Steele, who was among the volunteers who swam out to the sea to aid in the release, commended the spirit of care, humanity and community shown by volunteers in effort to save the pygmy killer whale.

“We often forgot about caring and humanity, caring about the environment till something like this happened, which bring us back to a more caring society,” he said.

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/12/pygmy-killer-whale-released-to-the-wild/#ixzz1jGvAHmrX

Sad end for whale stranded on county beach

2012-01-12T18:57:00.000Z

A 12ft-long pilot whale which had become stranded on a county beach died on Monday after attempts to help it back out to sea failed.

It is not known how long the female whale had been on Tyninghame Beach before being spotted between 9.30am and 10am by a member of the public, who then informed British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and the Scottish SPCA.

Animal medics, as well as members of East Lothian's countryside ranger service, arrived shortly afterwards and kept the mammal stable in shallow water until Jo Hedley, Edinburgh area co-ordinator for BDMLR, arrived at about 1pm to assess her.

However, such was the animal's condition that it was decided to put her to sleep at about 2.30pm.

Said Ms Hedley: "The team was trying to keep her stable and comfortable and they had done a very good job of that, prior to me coming to assess her. I was concerned about her because she wasn't in a good body condition and she kept falling on her side.

"We didn't think she was viable for refloating.

"We tried to stabilise her on pontoons but she was unable to maintain her balance even then, so it was decided to euthanize her.

"It's sad, but at least we could help her and it was the kindest thing for her."

The whale's body was removed for a post-mortem examination

Added Ms Hedley: "There were no major injuries but we are waiting for the post-mortem results to find out why she was stranded.

"There normally is an underlying reason and that's why we prefer to have a post-mortem, so that we can learn from it."

Pilot whales are regular visitors to the Forth estuary but incidents of the animals becoming stranded are relatively rare.

Source

Yet it is the second incident involving a large mammal to happen on the county coast in three months.

In November, Dunbar's RNLI lifeboat crew helped a BDMLR team free a 40ft-long humpback whale after it became entangled in fishing nets one-and-a-half miles east of the town. That incident had a happy ending when the animal was freed, suffering only some non-life-threatening wounds to its body.

The most significant county whale stranding incident happened in May 1950 when 147 pilot whales beached and died at Thorntonloch Bay near Dunbar.

arthquake precursors? Second floating whale spotted

2012-01-11T19:05:00.000Z

Direct Translation from Chinese:
[Compiled Lin Chui Yee / roundup] Tokyo, Japan, in the harbor on the 10th found a length of about 17 meters of floating dead whale, which is the coast of Japan the second time in the past eight days the dead whale appears. Less than three weeks ago, Shizuoka coast also discovered a commonly known as "earthquake fish" oarfish body.Vision for the spate of sea, earthquakes scholars are concerned that this may be a warning sign before the earthquake struck.

10 dead whale floating in the morning from Tokyo to Hong Kong Container Terminal Ching Hai about 20 meters. Tokyo Maritime Security Department said the whale length of 17 meters, who have severe lacerations, should be judged from the appearance of the blue whale, is likely to be the vessel's propeller cuts. As the blue whale to whale body length up to 2,30 m, only blue whales should also minor.MEPC officials said Tokyo, Tokyo Bay can be seen in the occasional whale movements, but added for the first time within the Port of Tokyo.

Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture Morito River near the mouth of the coast, 2 found a 6.3-meter-long humpback whale dead, there is no surface trauma.

In addition, last December 21, Makinohara City, Shizuoka Prefecture, the coast also found a 4.5-meter-long oarfish dead.Oarfish usually live in deep thousand meters below sea level in ancient times was known as the "earthquake fish."

The emergence of an unprecedented large number of dolphins

Also in December 28, MEPC staff in the Tsushima Strait found only in groups of up to 300 dolphins. Although wildlife experts say the area every time this season, there will be a large number of dolphins, but security officials said the sea had never seen such a large group of dolphins.

Professor Emeritus, University of the Ryukyus Akira Kimura political concerns, this may be a precursor to a major earthquake. In fact, the Tokyo submarine southeast of Bird Island, New Year's Day this year will be a magnitude 7 earthquake, and the emergence of oarfish only separated by 10 days. 311 before the earthquake in Japan, Ibaraki Prefecture city of the coast there are deer Nakajima 50 whales stranded.

Kimura said that whales are very sensitive to sound, and ultrasound navigation, before the earthquake will produce sound waves, sound waves may be interference by these whales will be stranded. The emergence of oarfish more worthy of attention because of the earthquake in 311 the year before, at least 10 coast of Japan a few oarfish.

Source

Pygmy killer whale beached at Tg Aru

2012-01-11T18:54:00.000Z

KOTA KINABALU: A pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuate, was found stranded on Tanjung Aru beach yesterday morning.

The mammal was discovered on the beach during low tide by a security personnel from Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa at 7am.

He immediately carried the mammal back to the water and monitored it while staff at the resort notified WWF-Malaysia, which in turn asked the Sabah Fisheries Department, Sabah Wildlife Department and Dr Lindsay Porter from St. Andrew’s University’s Sea Mammal Research Unit to assist in rescuing the whale.

Although the mammal bore no visible injuries, its health status was unclear as it appeared weak and listless.

The pygmy killer whale was later moved to the resort’s enclosed sea lagoon to protect it from boats and fishermen until it could be released back to the wild.

A volunteer team from Land, Empowerment, Animal, People (L.E.A.P.) has been formed to monitor and feed the whale.

WWF-Malaysia marine conservation chief Ken Kassem said the appearance of the rare mammal is very exciting as it shows the importance of Sabah waters to marine life and biodiversity.

“We sincerely hope that this particular animal will recover soon and live a long and healthy life,” he said.

The resort will continue to provide assistance to WWF and L.E.A.P while the animal remains at the lagoon.

Source

Killer whales, after a short break, return to Southland waters

2012-01-10T18:54:00.000Z

Transient killer whales, which made local and national news headlines when they appeared off Southern California for four consecutive days to kick off the new year, are back off the Palos Verdes area.

Passengers aboard the Voyager out of Redondo Sportfishingencountered the same group of 10 orcas just before noon on Tuesday.

"They said they saw nine or 10 so the group size is about right," said Alisa Schulman-Janiger, a Los Angeles-based killer whale researcher.

She later confirmed that these were the same killer whales.

The news spread quickly. Passengers aboard the Christopher out of Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach also enjoyed close encounters with the boat-friendly predators, which appear to have taken a strong liking to Southern California and its bounty of sea lions.

The orcas had killed at least one sea lion and were spyhopping and vocalizing, which they often do after a kill.

Schulman-Janiger said she received reports from fishermen that a group of killer whales—perhaps the same group—was off Malibu for several days before appearing off the Palos Verdes Peninsula Jan. 1. Before that at transient orcas were seen off Ventura, so it seems they've at least temporarily relocated to Southern California.

Transient orcas are more commonly seen off Monterey. Those that have been visiting local waters include members of the CA51 and CA 140 family groups. Those that were off Ventura were from the CA 140 group, and the CA 51s might have been nearby.

The CA 51s (seven orcas, including two calves), which often travel with one or two smaller family groups, have made several appearances locally during the past two years.

http://www.petethomasoutdoors.com/2012/01/killer-whales-after-a-short-break-return-to-southland-waters.html

Orca Nobby returns to Tauranga waters

2012-01-10T12:46:00.002Z

Nobby, the Orca that was found beached in Papamoa three years ago, was spotted in Bay of Plenty waters as close as the sandbank off Pilot Bay on Saturday. Dolphin Seafaris NZ skipper Stuart Arnold was giving a tour in the area when he spotted the pod of 10 Orca, first at 8am and then later in the day at 2pm. “We had a party of people we were taking around the harbour on a wildlife cruise when we spotted the pod of Orca, which we know quite well."

Identifiable by the unique round nodule on the front of his main dorsal fin, Nobby first graced Tauranga waters in 2008 when he became beached on Papamoa Beach for seven and a half hours.

“It shows that the work and effort of people putting in to refloat these stranded mammals works, because the male is the same one.”

About 2000 people turned out to the beach to watch as Nobby was refloated from the beach. He was later given his name by Whangerei based Orca specialist Ingrid Visser. Stuart says the pod is even more unique as it includes two calves, about one-year-old.

“One of them has lost the top of its dorsal fin, just after it was born about a year ago.

"Ingrid didn’t think it would survive, but we had it frolicking with another calf all over our swim platform; leaping out of the water. It has more than doubled in size since it was born a year ago.”

Stuart says this experience shows there is something positive happening in Tauranga Harbour, even with the fallout from the Rena disaster.

“With all that has happened locally with the local industry here with operators, motieliers, hoteliers in the tourism sector, we are all doing our very best to promote the area and let people know we are open for business."

Stuart says last summer was the most prolific summer for Orca in Tauranga waters, but none had been spotted up until Saturday. “We followed them down to Hunters Creek, ended up down Omokoroa; we left them in the shallows and when we came back they moved back out into the deep water and played around there.”

Stuart says this is one of the best Orca encounters he has had.

Source

Dolphin Kuro died at Niigata City Aquarium

2012-01-10T12:44:00.003Z

Google Translation:

Marine Aquarium Sea Niigata Chuo 9 in female bottlenose dolphins estimated more than 24 years of age, died black. Since its opening in July 1990, showed a jump in such an exciting dolphin show, was a popular kids. Develop kidney disease last fall, had appeared in the dolphin show while continuing to fine up to five days of treatment.

February 2 black, caught in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Wakayama prefecture. Are brought into the museum on 21 May 2005, age 21 years 7 months was reared. The average age of death is said to bottlenose dolphins in the wild 7.5 years in captivity and in many cases that die in a few years, was long. Has grown from 260 cm length 299 cm at the time of loading, body weight increased 268 kilometers. Bottlenose Dolphin is now in the museum's head 3, which was only open from the time the female candy.

From dark black to affectionately as compared to other eastern dolphin's back. Since its opening, the ball and play catch dolphin trainer at the show, turn on the lip ring became popular, such as the pectoral fin to touch The touch of visitors. Among them is a big jump utilizing exciting, come and raise the spray is landing drew a standing ovation.

It is possible to touch the body, gentle summer school at the museum is also open your mouth The touch your teeth to the participants. Participates in basic research at the University of Japan, while still working well into the body by endoscopy and thermometers.

source: http://sankei.jp.msn.com/region/news/120110/ngt12011018340003-n1.htm

Rare dolphins discovered in Kien Giang

2012-01-10T12:42:00.000Z

In their survey of terrestrial biodiversity of islands in Ba Lua archipelago in June 2010, researchers from the Institute of Tropical Biology unveiled a skeleton of Irrawaddy dolphin on Hon Da Bac Island.

Last September, the group discovered more than 20 Irrawaddy dolphins in the sea around the Ba Lua archipelago. They also excavated two skulls of this species on the island.

Scientists do not have the accurate statistics of the community of Irrawaddy dolphins in Ba Lua, but over 20 is a large number in comparison with 7-10 dolphins discovered in other surveys in the Malamyapa Strait or in the Mekong River in the past.

The Center for Biodiversity and Development will cooperate with local and international organizations to preserve this species.

Vietnam has a little information about Irrawaddy dolphin.

Dr. Vu Ngoc Long, a member of the research group, said that the newly-discovered community of dolphin is separated from the recorded communities in Songkhla Lake of Thailand and the one in the upper region of the Mekong Delta.

Little research on the Irrawaddy dolphin has been conducted in Viet Nam and they are not listed in the country's Red Book of endangered species, Long said.

On January 12, the researchers will travel to Thailand to work with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to work out a detailed plant to protect the dolphins, he said. In the meantime, researchers have joined hands with local fishermen to track the population of dolphins in the Ba Lua Archipelago.

Five populations of Irrawaddy dolphin, whose scientific name is Orcaella brevirotis, were thought to be living in Vietnamese waters.

The Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) is a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in discontinuous subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia.

Entanglement in fishnets and degradation of habitats are the main threats to Irrawaddy dolphins. Conservation efforts are being made at international and national levels to alleviate these threats.

Some Irrawaddy dolphin populations are classified by the IUCN as critically endangered; in Lao PDR, Cambodia, Vietnam (Mekong River sub-population), Indonesia (Mahakam River sub-population, Borneo), Burma (Ayeyarwady/Irrawaddy River sub-population), the Philippines (Malampaya Sound sub-population), and Thailand (Songkhla Lake sub-population).

Irrawaddy dolphins in general however, are IUCN listed as a vulnerable species, which applies throughout their whole range. In 2004, CITES transferred the Irrawaddy dolphin from Appendix II to Appendix I, which forbids all commercial trade in species that are threatened with extinction

Source

Meat of cetaceans increasingly consumed in poor countries

2012-01-09T19:00:00.003Z

U.S. and Canadian conservationists have recently prepared a report on the consumption of meat of marine mammals in the southern countries, the situation seems more serious than previously thought ...

"Traditionally, we think of Japan or the natives of the Arctic as major consumers [whale meat], and they are ... But that does not stop there," began Martin Robards, of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Alaska, West Africa, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, India, Burma, Philippines, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Trinidad ... : All parts of the world combined, and at least 92 species of cetaceans including dolphins have been consumed by humans between 1970 and 2009. The consumption of whale meat is becoming increasingly important also because of the increased catch of marine mammals in fishing gear, ever more deadly, according Maxisciences.

Source

Beached whale dies despite rescue effort at Tyninghame, UK

2012-01-09T18:34:00.002Z

A pilot whale has died after becoming stranded on a beach in East Lothian.

The mammal was put to sleep by a vet after attempts to rescue it from the shore between Dunbar and North Berwick failed.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue centre and the Scottish SPCA were involved in trying to help the whale.

Its body has been taken from the beach at Tyninghame for a post-mortem examination at the Scottish Agricultural College.

source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-16474974

Dead dolphin found on Deer Island

2012-01-09T12:44:00.000Z

GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) - Another dead dolphin has been spotted in South Mississippi. A WLOX viewer sent us pictures of the animal Monday morning.

Jon Higginbotham said he and a friend came across the dolphin Sunday evening on Deer Island while out on the water. Higginbotham reported it to the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport.

Executive Director for IMMS, Dr. Moby Solangi tells WLOX News they did receive that report. He said IMMS plans to send a crew out Monday afternoon to collect samples from the dolphin.

Dr. Solangi said this isn't the first dead dolphin spotted this year. He says just last week, his team was alerted of another dead mammal in Biloxi's Back Bay

Source

Stunned dolphin is rescued

2012-01-09T12:42:00.000Z

GRAYTON BEACH — A spotted dolphin, normally found in offshore waters, swam away Saturday evening after being cradled in shallow water by two local men.
Shane Carter and Chris Pickren were at Grayton Beach with their families Saturday afternoon when they noticed a pod of dolphins cavorting about 100 yards off shore.

The animals were jumping, leaping and doing “crazy back flips,” Carter said.

About an hour later, they looked up and saw one of the animals rolling and twitching in shallow water. Carter’s wife, Marla, called for help and the two men headed into the water.
“It was upside down,” Shane said. “We held it blowhole up and it took a breath.”

Grayton Beach park rangers arrived, along with a volunteer with the Marine Mammal Stranding Program for the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge. But the full rescue team wouldn’t be there for about two hours, the men were told.

They eased the animal over to a spot that was about 24 inches deep, and Carter sat holding the dolphin’s head on his lap.

“Every once in a while, it would make that high-pitched sound. Its eyes were opening a bit,” Carter said. “It started to right itself and breathe a lot better.”

As the animal recovered, it thumped Carter in the chest twice and the men had to decide what to do with the 400-plus-pound animal.

Marine Mammal Stranding experts recommend keeping animals on the beach until veterinary help arrives, since the animals usually beach themselves for a reason.

Carter said that after the dolphin started fighting them, they made the decision to let nature take its course.

“Once it came around and decided it wanted to go, we just respected that decision and let it go,” Carter said. “We figured it was the dolphin’s call. It wasn’t our call.”

Steve Shippee, who coordinates the local stranding program, said that although the animal may have benefited from medical attention, there weren’t enough people there to handle the dolphin safely.

He said dolphins can play rough when they’re horsing around and that it was possible this animal had been knocked hard enough to become disoriented.

Carter and Pickren walked it out to waist deep water and stayed there as it swam away.

For Pickren, it was his first unpaid dolphin encounter. The Santa Rosa Beach man had paid to swim with dolphins on vacation.

“It was pretty wild,” he said. “You don’t get to get that close to a dolphin.”

As the men watched, the dolphin pod came back and rallied around the ailing animal.

“They started doing their spins and jumping,” Carter said. “I like to think it all worked out.”

Source

Orcas thrill crowds in Scotland

2012-01-08T22:11:00.002Z

A POD of four killer whales kept a crowd of wildlife watchers entranced for hours on a still afternoon in Shetland on Sunday.

An adult female orca led one immature whale and two even younger whales from the south west tip of Shetland at West Voe round to the east of the islands, swimming up to Mousa Sound where they were last seen in the afternoon as it got dark.

Shetland Wildlife tour operator Hugh Harrop said upwards of 200 people were watching the whales by the afternoon, causing gridlock on the roads in the area as more people heard about their arrival.

Mr Harrop said the most exciting part of the experience was observing the two youngest whales catching small birds, an unusual but not unheard of spectacle.

“We witnessed the two young ones turning on a sixpence, diving and slapping their tails and watched a long tailed duck come to a bitter end. When I got home and downloaded the images I could see there were loads of black guillemots there too,” he said.

“The youngest whales were certainly hunting birds, which is unusual but not unknown in Shetland where there have been at least two documented cases.”

He suggested it was probably play rather than hunger that brought about such behaviour. “Pretty much anything marine is on their diet,” he added.

Killer whales are regular visitors to Shetland waters and Mr Harrop said he would be sending details of this latest sighting to Dr Andy Foote of the North Atlantic Killer Whale ID (NAKID) Project to add to the growing information base on these creatures.

You can keep up to date with the latest wildlife news at http://www.facebook.com/shetlandwildlife

Source: http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/2969-crowds-thrilled-as-whales-feast-on-birds.html

Humpback whales: carcasses washed ashore,

2012-01-08T22:06:00.002Z

Humpback whales: carcasses washed ashore, and demolition fill - Kanagawa / Odawara coast　Seven days of the humpback whale carcass that washed ashore on the coast of 小八幡 Odawara, was dismantled by the curator of the museum from Prefectural Earth Star of Life, work continued to be buried on the shore.　Humpback whale was discovered Thursday morning about 6 m 2 in males younger than 1 year in length. Dismantling whale bones to the museum skeletal, National Science Museum (Taito) to examine the stomach contents, and brought their internal organs.http://mainichi.jp/area/kanagawa/news/20120108ddlk14040148000c.html

One live dolphin, two carcasses found on Taiwan beaches

2012-01-08T22:04:00.002Z

Taipei, Jan. 8 (CNA) Three dolphins, two of them dead, were found separately on beaches in the eastern county of Taitung this weekend, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said Sunday.

The one that was found alive by fishermen Sunday was beached at Fengli in Taitung, the CGA said.It was 2.5 meters long, weighed about 200 kg and had apparent tear wounds near the tail but its vital signs were stable, according to the CGA.The injured dolphin was sent to a medical center at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) for treatment, the CGA said.

Wang Chien-ping, a marine biologist and cetacean professor at NCKU who happened to be in Taitung at the time, determined that the mammal was a Risso's dolphin.Meanwhile, two dolphin carcasses were found Saturday in Lanyu and Lyudao (Green Island), respectively.

The one in Lanyu was partially decomposed and the one in Green Island was dismembered, the CGA said. (By Tyson Lu and Jamie Wang) enditem /pc

source: http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201201080008

Bo Jingle dies

2012-01-08T12:45:00.002Z

January 6, 2012 - TMMSN volunteers and supporters:We are still in a bit of shock but unfortunately "Bo" our most recent patient passed away suddenly late this afternoon. We were all aware that Bo was very sick and he was being treated for pneumonia, however with the sudden passing it is likely that there were additional contributing factors to his stranding and subjection to shark attack. We hope that we are able to identify these underlying factors and will share them with you as they become available. http://tmmsn.org/rescue_rehab/rescue_profile/PI257/PI257.htm

Volunteers rescue pilot whales stranded 18 in New Zealand

2012-01-07T17:27:00.000Z

Seven whales died on a beach in the South Island, while rescuers worked hard to lead the survivors out to sea.Saturday, January 7, 2012. WELLINGTON .- Seven pilot whales died and 18 were able to be saved by volunteers after vararan on a beach in the South Island of New Zealand, after rescue effort that lasted several hours.The mass stranding occurred on Friday at Farewell Spit, a town northwest of the island. The rescued whales were driven off the coast during high tide and during Saturday morning remained in deep water, according to environmental officials in that country."They were pretty lethargic at the beginning," said John Mason, the local Department of Conservation, who says at one point he feared to return to running aground.Volunteers in boats tried to lead the whale out to sea and several people went to the water to encourage them to stay away from the beach, he said."At the last moment, they began to swim out of danger," he said.Kimberly Muncaster, head of the whale rescue "Project Jonah" (Jonah Project) said several nearby beaches volunteers checked to see if there were other strandings.Strandings of whales are common off the coast of New Zealand during the summer. Since 1840, records show more than 5,000 acts of this kind, which may involve up to 450 marine mammals.In November last year, 47 pilot whales died and 18 had to be sacrificed after stranded on Farewell Spit.Scientists still can not explain with certainty why the whales are introduced and run aground in shallow water in groups.http://cetaceosyfaunamarina.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/voluntarios-rescatan-a-18-ballenas-piloto-que-vararon-en-nueva-zelandia/

Dolphin escapes from Xcaret

2012-01-07T17:26:00.001Z

A dolphin Xcaret park property to bring it disappeared after training at sea. The whale was taken out to sea for training, but escaped from caregivers, in such a situation Sara Rincon Gallardo, president of the Humane Society, denounced the disappearance to the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa). Rincón Gallardo said he received a complaint about the disappearance of the whale that was taken out to sea for training, but the animal has been in captivity since birth, is escaped. In more than 24 hours of his escape the animal had not been found, and in part to a helicopter search. 's complaint advocate emphasizes that the disappearance is made known to the delegate of the Profepa, Pineapple Guy Herrera, and also review the conditions of the dolphins in the more than 10 dolphin found in Quintana Roo. The animal shelter said that to make such management with dolphins need a permit from the Department of Wildlife Semarnat.http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=626325

Marine experts have discovered what killed a whale that died on a Kent beach.

2012-01-07T12:37:00.000Z

The minke whale was washed up at Epple Bay, Westgate. Though this was the fifth time in 22 years a member of the species has died in the county, it is a rare occurrence compared to the numbers that die in Scotland.

Following a post mortem, Jon Brooks, a marine mammal medic and East Kent co-ordinator of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said: “The cause of death has been put as combination of dehydration, starvation and parasitic infestation in intestines and all three stomachs.”

The whale was removed from the beach just before New Year’s Day and transported to a recycling centre where the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) sent its pathologists to carry out a post mortem, away from public eyes.

A spokesman said: “It is quite a gruesome procedure,  so it’s best done in private  when it can. Afterwards, the whale would be broken up  and taken to a landfill site.”

The minke was just over eight metres long and is believed to be an adult.

The society spokesman said: “This is the 13th minke whale to strand in the UK since last year, with all the others being in Scotland so this incident is an uncommon stranding.

“The whale was in reasonable condition but hadn’t eaten for some time – there was no food in the gut, which also showed a heavy parasite burden.

“It’s possible the whale initially stranded while alive because it had lost some condition. There are some of these whales resident in the north sea so it may be one of that population.

“Samples have been taken for further analysis and full results are expected in two weeks.

“This will identify any underlying problems that could have caused the stranding.”

A 45ft sperm whale washed onto the beach at Pegwell Bay in March last year, and in April, 2006, a humpback whale arrived on the beach at Dover.

Source

Dolphin dies in Boudewijn Seapark

2012-01-06T18:31:00.001Z

The female dolphin was born in the zoo in July 1998 in Bruges, suffered since early December from a severe inflammation of the teeth. The animal, born with bad teeth, had had similar problems in the past, but was successfully treated.The dolphin was removed two teeth on December 18 and was given antibiotics, but in vain. The animal could not eat enough because of the inflammation.Flo was found dead Friday morning in the basin. The animal was taken to Ghent for an autopsy.http://www.rtbf.be/info/etcetera/detail_bruges-un-des-dauphins-du-boudewijn-seapark-est-morte?id=7344623

Been hard for the finless porpoise

2012-01-06T18:30:00.002Z

Scientists examine a freshwater dolphin in the Yangtze River Nature Reserve in Shishou, Hubei Province. The species is endangered because of the deteriorating water quality, illegal fishing and dredging excessive.Despite the growing public awareness to the rescue of the river dolphin, the life of the Yangtze finless porpoises has not improved in 2011.The population of this endangered species has declined by 6.8% due to the deteriorating water quality, illegal fishing and dredging of the Yangtze excessive according to scientists and conservationists .The river dolphins have been a difficult, as their main habitat, the middle and lower Yangtze River, has suffered the worst drought in decades. This had the effect of extremely low water levels and caused a shortage of food for finless porpoises who eat mostly small fish.Earlier this month, scientists will conduct an annual survey to determine whether the drought has further reduced the number of these animals.In 2011, environmentalists have succeeded by a series of campaigns to draw public attention to this species once common in the Yangtze. They fear that with less than 1800 individuals, the finless porpoise repeat the fate of Baiji, the dolphin-old a million years of the Yangtze River has been declared extinct in 2006.Jiang Yong, deputy director of the WWF office in Changsha, said that over 500,000 people participated in an online campaign to help save the finless porpoises. Her organization surveyed more than 3,300 people in 96 communities along the middle and lower Yangtze River, and about 54% indicated they would like to help protect the animal in danger.However, no major breakthrough has been achieved by increasing the level of conservation of dolphins in 2011. Although the number of finless porpoises is already lower than the giant panda, the only species belongs to the category II conservation in China. Class I is the highest level.The Ministry of Agriculture is working to increase the level of conservation, and some legislators are also involved in efforts, said Jiang.During the past year, local governments have begun to more strictly regulate dredging in some sections of the Yangtze, said Jiang. Although at first it had targeted security issues, the campaign has brought some relief to finless porpoises making sure they are not injured or disturbed by dredging the river bed.http://french.china.org.cn/china/txt/2012-01/06/content_24341595.htm

Marine biologist accused of feeding killer whales

2012-01-06T18:29:00.002Z

A well-known marine biologist and whale-watching tour operator has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly feeding killer whales in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, in violation of federal wildlife provisions.Nancy Black, owner and operator of Monterey Bay Whale Watch, was indicted in San Jose federal court Wednesday and charged with violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which bars harming, harassing, feeding and otherwise interfering with marine mammals, including dolphins, sea lions and whales.The four-count indictment accuses Black of twice feeding killer whales in the marine sanctuary — once in 2004 and again in 2005.The indictment also alleges that she altered a video showing possible illegal contact with an endangered humpback whale during a whale-watching trip in October 2005, then lied to investigators about doing so.Black's tours and research aboard her company's whale-watching vessels — the 70-foot Sea Wolf II and the 55-foot Pt. Sur Clipper — have been featured extensively in local media and have appeared on the "Today" show and the "CBS Evening News."Black's attorney, Lawrence Biegel, said his client was gathering scientific data and broke no laws when she filmed the behavior of killer whales feeding off free-floating pieces of blubber from a gray whale calf.He said Black and several assistants cut a hole in the blubber and used a rope to secure it close to her 22-foot inflatable research dinghy so she could film killer whales with an underwater camera as they approached to eat it.Calling the indictment "wholly unjustified" and based on a misunderstanding of Black's techniques and methods, Biegel said she acted within the boundaries of a whale-research permit issued by the federal government and presented the footage to other researchers at a conference in Norway.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the sanctuary spanning 276 miles of California's Central Coast, first revealed the investigation in 2006 and has had ongoing negotiations with the marine biologist over the charges, Biegel said.The Monterey Bay Whale Watch website calls Black an expert in the biology of killer whales off the California coast who has a master's degree in marine science and works to catalog, identify and document their behavior in Monterey Bay.The website boasts of trips led by experienced marine biologists who "collect valuable data on the marine mammals sighted" and "the most skilled captains who know where to find whales and how to approach them."http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0106-killer-whale-indict-20120106,0,148262.story

Bermuda whale sighting may change science

2012-01-06T18:27:00.002Z

It’s only the beginning of the year and already the first humpback whales of the season have been sighted off the South Shore, a fact that may help prove that Bermuda is being used as a whale birthing centre, contrary to previous scientific thought.Andrew Stevenson, author of ‘Whale Song’ and producer of the film ‘Where the Whales Sing’, said there have been four whale sightings in the last two weeks, included one possible calf.“This is fantastic news,” said Mr Stevenson. “If it was a calf, it means it was born ‘here’ in the middle of the ocean, and probably in the shallow waters of Bermuda. Looking in the archives, it seems Bermuda was a breeding and calving ground centuries ago, but this hasn’t been the case for a while.“It’s fantastic news because it means that Bermuda may once again be a breeding and calving ground and this is probably due to the healthy humpback population. It also means that Bermuda is the only place in the world where it is a mid-ocean migratory route, birthing ground and feeding ground for the humpbacks.”He said that someone spotted a very young calf two years ago in mid-January. Seeing calves at this time of year means they have not yet had time to migrate up from the Caribbean as it is too early in the season. The usual migration from the southern winter breeding grounds to the northern summer feeding grounds takes place in Bermuda late March through April.“I believe the whales we see here in the winter are young females who are too young to breed,” said Mr Stephenson. “There could also be ‘grandmothers’, older non-breeders who are caring for juveniles. Rather than go down to the Caribbean breeding grounds for the winter where they will be harassed by overenthusiastic testosterone-laden males and where there is no food, they can hang around these mid-ocean seamounts for the winter in relative peace and at the same time opportunistically pick up food on the upwellings on the seamounts like Challenger and Argus Banks, and even on the edges of the Bermuda islands.”He said this is the sixth season that winter whales have been spotted during the last week of December and first week of January.Mr Stevenson has been researching humpback whales in Bermuda for several years. In 2010 he released a film ‘Where the Whales Sing’ about his research, and last year, he released a companion to the film, the book ‘Whale Song’. There has been a great deal of interest in his project internationally - his website alone has received almost 500,000 hits.“I’m about to embark on the next humpback whale research season with two trips planned to the Silver Bank in January and February to work with experts and researchers in the humpbacks’ breeding and calving grounds and then I expect to spend some 20 or more days on the water here in Bermuda,” said Mr Stevenson. “My goal is to once again obtain 150 individual fluke identifications in a season.”Fluke patterns differ between whales the way fingerprints differ among humans, and can be used to identify individual whales. Mr Stevenson expects the fluke identifications from 2012 to quadruple the total inventory of whale fluke identifications taken in the 40 years before he started his research.“It takes hundreds of hours to catalogue these individual whale flukes and match them against our own Bermuda catalogue of 450 individual whales, and then against the 7,000 plus fluke identifications in the Allied Whale North Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalogue,” said Mr Stevenson. “I also expect that we will have re-sightings within the same season. So far the longest period we have identified the same whale within a season is nine days.“I will, when the opportunity arises, attempt to obtain underwater high definition footage of the pelagic social behaviour of the humpbacks to add to the existing insights we have obtained. All of this will entail some months of dedicated field work which is then followed by even more hours poring over the images and data on computers.”This year he hopes to once again work with American marine scientists to prepare presentations on this data to the Society of Marine Mammology. He continues to speak at schools, clubs and camps to share his passion for the marine environment with students. He has selected an international students to mentor and give first-hand experience with humpback whales.Mr Stevenson’s work is available on his website www.whalesbermuda.com. For more information contact him at 296-7788 or see his website at www.whalesbermuda.com . See some of his videos at youtube.com including http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9YeSA_H4PA&list=UUSZn5MNgT_LIavP9jhUiJQg&index=1&feature=plcp.http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20120106/ISLAND/701069942

Orcas Harass Gray Whale off Nearby PV Peninsula

2012-01-06T18:25:00.002Z

Spotters for the ACS-LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project saw five orcas harass and chase a gray whale about a half-mile off the nearby Palos Verdes Peninsula on Wednesday.The ACS-LA volunteers watched the action from the Point Vicente Interpretive Center while others observed from nearby boats, including the Redondo Beach-based Voyager.Alisa Schulman-Janiger, who runs the project, told Pete Thomas Outdoors that one adult and four younger killer whales were involved in the confrontation.In a message to a Patch reporter, she said that spotters had been tracking the gray whale for some time when the orcas appeared."They were approaching each other at 'normal' speed, on a course that looked like they would http://hermosabeach.patch.com/articles/gray-whale-harassed-by-pack-of-five-killer-whales-of-palos-verdes

Pilot whales strand in Nelson

2012-01-06T18:23:00.002Z

Dozens of long-finned pilot whales have stranded close to Triangle Flat on Farewell Spit in Nelson's Golden Bay.The mass stranding of about 70 whales last night followed the refloating of a single stranded whale yesterday.Project Jonah experts have been alerted and have headed to the area to assist the Department of Conservation with the rescue response.Project Jonah chief executive Kimberly Muncaster says trained marine mammal medics in the Nelson and Golden Bay regions are helping with the refloat."These people are trained in stranding response and have the knowledge and equipment necessary for a potentially long exercise in difficult conditions," Muncaster says.She said volunteers are "very much needed" but need to be able to look after themselves and must come prepared with wet weather gear and plenty of warm clothing."It's absolutely devastating to see so many of these whales stranded but we'll do our best to save as many as we can," Muncaster said.Advertisement"This may be a long and complex rescue operation."http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/pilot-whales-strand-in-nelson-4677450

Dolphin carcasses found stranded in Hong Kong

2012-01-06T18:15:00.002Z

People HONG KONG, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) Hong Kong Police received reports from the public once again the afternoon, said Wu Kai Sha found in about 1.5 meters stranded dolphin carcasses, preliminary suspicion of porpoises.　　This is the second since April 2, Hong Kong, the third case of dolphin carcasses found stranded case. Ocean Park in conjunction with the DC AFCD staff attendance and follow-up. (Lee Yuan)http://ent.xinmin.cn/2012/01/07/13223643.html