- May 6, 2015
- Oregon State University
- A new study on the impact of 'drive-hunting' dolphins in the Solomon Islands is casting a spotlight on the increasing vulnerability of small cetaceans around the world. From 1976 to 2013, more than 15,000 dolphins were killed by villagers in Fanalei alone, where a single dolphin tooth can fetch the equivalent of 70 cents -- an increase in value of five times just in the last decade.
- Continued ...
Showing posts with label Cetaceans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cetaceans. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 May 2015
Solomon Islands dolphin hunts cast spotlight on small cetacean survival
Saturday, 9 August 2014
Captive breeding of whales and dolphins is to end at Vancouver Aquarium
The board of Vancouver Park has voted unanimously in favour of ending captive breeding of cetaceans at its aquarium, unless they are a threatened species.
It also asked the aquarium to investigate alternatives to whale and dolphin captive displays and has ordered the establishment of an oversight committee of experts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the cetaceans kept there, which include belugas, Pacific white-sided dolphins and harbour porpoises.
The news follows statements from Vancouver's Mayor and Park Board Commissioners, Constance Barnes and Sarah Blyth, supporting a phase out of whale and dolphin captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium.
The Vancouver Park by-law already prohibits the import of whales and dolphins captured in the wild after September 1996. An amendment to prohibit captive breeding should prevent further whales and dolphins being born at the aquarium and spending their lifetime in captivity.
Sunday, 2 December 2012
Record year for cetacean sightings off Scilly Isles ferry
Best
year yet for marine wildlife sightings off the Scillonian!
November
2012. During the 2012 summer season, Cornwall
Wildlife Trust and The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust have had a
marine wildlife guide, Paul Semmens, onboard the Scillonian III. Paul is
onboard at least once a week between April and the end of October 2012. He
surveys the route from Penzance to the Isles of Scilly, looking for the
wonderful sharks, dolphins and whales that visit our Cornish waters, as well as
showing the passengers these brilliant creatures
As part of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust's marine conservation programme, Living Seas, Paul has been recording wildlife spotted as part of an on-going survey of what occurs in Cornish and Scillonian waters.
As part of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust's marine conservation programme, Living Seas, Paul has been recording wildlife spotted as part of an on-going survey of what occurs in Cornish and Scillonian waters.
During
the 2012 season there was so much to see! 1554 animals were recorded, a record
year so far. These records consisted of;
|
379
harbour porpoise
1064
common dolphin
19
bottlenose dolphin
23
Risso's dolphin
19
Minke whale
|
2
unidentified cetacean species
3
leatherback turtle
24
basking shark
21
ocean sunfish
|
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Minke whales off Hastings & Striped dolphin off Plymouth including video
Sightings astound whale and dolphin watchers off Southern England
June 2012. Two extraordinary sightings have been recorded off the southern coast of England during May - astonishing researchers at the marine research and conservation charity Sea Watch.
Striped dolphin
First , an unusual dolphin was seen leaping off Penlee Point, Plymouth, by the sail training organisation Morvargh Sailing Project and has since been positively identified by the marine research charity Sea Watch as a striped dolphin - one of very few live sightings in recent years.
First , an unusual dolphin was seen leaping off Penlee Point, Plymouth, by the sail training organisation Morvargh Sailing Project and has since been positively identified by the marine research charity Sea Watch as a striped dolphin - one of very few live sightings in recent years.
5 Minke whales off Hastings
And then, on May 29, Tim Macpherson, of Catsfield, near Bexhill on Sea, was out sea angling with friends two miles off Hastings when they were amazed to find 5 large whales near their boat. They sent pictures and video to Sea Watch which has confirmed that they were Minke whales - a species not recently recorded in the area.
And then, on May 29, Tim Macpherson, of Catsfield, near Bexhill on Sea, was out sea angling with friends two miles off Hastings when they were amazed to find 5 large whales near their boat. They sent pictures and video to Sea Watch which has confirmed that they were Minke whales - a species not recently recorded in the area.
The confirmations brings to 11 the number of different species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises seen off the UK coast during May alone. Sea Watch is the holder of the largest data base of whales, dolphins and porpoises in Europe.
Sea Watch Sighting officer Danielle Gibas says "We have seen an incredible diversity of species during May around the UK coast. Recorded sightings such as these are helping us to understand different species trends over the years - their distribution, and the health of populations. We are always delighted to hear sightings, and to help identify what has been seen. People can contact us as sightings@seawatchfoundation.org.uk or call 01545 561227,"
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Possible Narwhal stranding in Liscannor Bay, Co. Clare?
Before you ask; No, this is not an April Fools prank. While most IWDG personnel were in Galway at ECS during the week, a possible new species was recorded for Irish waters.
The stranded cetacean was seen on Sunday 25th by Max Halliday near the Rock shop in Liscannor, and was reported to IWDG by phone on Mon. 26th March. Alas, the message was only picked up by us on our return from the conference on Fri. 30th.
The description as provided to us was of a cetacean that was larger than a dolphin at c15ft, with no dorsal fin, but most interestingly with a spiral tusk, about the length of a hurley, protruding from its head. Of course the first question in this situation is...do you have any photos? and of course the answer was...NO!
But Max was pretty sure that this observation was not a run of the mill event and went home and looked up some books and the more he looked the more confident he became that what he saw was indeed a Narwhal. So we immediately made phone calls and within the hour Simon Berrow & Conor Ryan, IWDG and Joanne O Brien, GMIT and others were onsite.
Frustratingly, the carcass was missing, but they found where it had been and the grease stain indeed suggested an animal larger than a bottlenose dolphin. So the big question is where are the remains? Given the calm seas of the past week, it is unlikely that it was washed back out to sea, and so perhaps a member of the public found it, and realising its significance, removed it.
Monday, 5 December 2011
Whales, dolphins, seals: newcomers crowd into British waters in pursuit of their prey
Scientists predicts cetaceans from as far away as the Pacific will live here as climate change heats up our waters.
The waters around the British Isles could soon be home to several new species of mammals as a rising number of foreign visitors are being reported around our coasts. Experts believe the rare sightings of cetaceans from tropical climes could mean sea creatures are scouting for new territories to settle as global warming takes effect on sea temperatures.
Animals from the tropics, including the dwarf sperm whale, the pygmy sperm whale, and the Fraser's dolphin have all made recent appearances here, and the Cuvier's beaked whale, another warm-water species, has been recorded increasingly regularly in the west of Britain. The melon-headed whale, a squid-loving relative of the killer whale, has been seen in the Channel, off the coast of Brittany.
Before too long we may see giants such as the 16-metre gray whale nudging into deep water around Cornwall and into the Irish Sea.
"We are now seeing a number of species far from home, and they probably will continue to recur with increasing frequency," said Peter Evans, director of the Sea Watch Foundation. "Several are normally found off west Africa. For the moment they tend to be seen at times of year when our sea temperatures are at their warmest. Whales and dolphins can cope with a wide range of temperatures but their fish and squid prey tend to be more constrained, and their ranges are extending significantly northwards."
He said cetaceans would follow their favourite food, and many species rare in colder waters just a decade ago had moved into British seas. This autumn a dwarf sperm whale was spotted in Mounts Bay, Cornwall, while a pygmy sperm whale, its close relative, was found beached on Seil island, near Oban.
"They were both very big surprises: they are rarely seen even where the populations are known to exist," said Evans. "If the fish are extending their range, as we know many are, then the whales and dolphins will follow. Anchovies, for example, were really quite scarce in the North Sea 10-20 years ago. Now they are widespread and may be why the common dolphin is now a regular in the North Sea.
"The behaviour of different fish, if they shoal or don't shoal, for example, requires a fair bit of understanding, so once a species has learned a feeding strategy they will follow rather than learn a new technique for a new prey."
Evans believes we may soon see a visitor that disappeared from the Atlantic in the 17th century – the grey whale. "They migrate up the west coast of north America, from Mexico and California up to the Arctic and, of course, could go no further. But now the Northwest Passage is open it is very possible they may cross the North Atlantic.
"Gray whales were seen last year off the coast of Israel and off Barcelona this year. Such a remarkable appearance in such a strange location reinforces the pattern we are seeing."
Twenty-nine species of dolphin and whale have been recorded this century in British or Irish territorial waters. The common dolphin, striped dolphin, minke whale and humpback whale are among those species where numbers sighted have increased since 1980.
But it is not just the whales moving north into warmer seas; we are also seeing mammals coming down from colder climes. Bearded seals from the Arctic have been seen off the coast of Fife, east Scotland, said Callan Duck, a senior research scientist at the Scottish Oceans Institute at St Andrews University.
"The change in climate and the food chains is definitely having an impact in the species we are seeing, but I think you have to remember to factor in how much better we are at spotting and recording these mammals. Good digital cameras are really accessible now, and so everybody has the opportunity to identify what they have seen – so the whole process of reporting sightings is much more accurate and efficient."
Tracy McVeigh
The Observer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/dec/04/whales-new-species-britain
The waters around the British Isles could soon be home to several new species of mammals as a rising number of foreign visitors are being reported around our coasts. Experts believe the rare sightings of cetaceans from tropical climes could mean sea creatures are scouting for new territories to settle as global warming takes effect on sea temperatures.
Animals from the tropics, including the dwarf sperm whale, the pygmy sperm whale, and the Fraser's dolphin have all made recent appearances here, and the Cuvier's beaked whale, another warm-water species, has been recorded increasingly regularly in the west of Britain. The melon-headed whale, a squid-loving relative of the killer whale, has been seen in the Channel, off the coast of Brittany.
Before too long we may see giants such as the 16-metre gray whale nudging into deep water around Cornwall and into the Irish Sea.
"We are now seeing a number of species far from home, and they probably will continue to recur with increasing frequency," said Peter Evans, director of the Sea Watch Foundation. "Several are normally found off west Africa. For the moment they tend to be seen at times of year when our sea temperatures are at their warmest. Whales and dolphins can cope with a wide range of temperatures but their fish and squid prey tend to be more constrained, and their ranges are extending significantly northwards."
He said cetaceans would follow their favourite food, and many species rare in colder waters just a decade ago had moved into British seas. This autumn a dwarf sperm whale was spotted in Mounts Bay, Cornwall, while a pygmy sperm whale, its close relative, was found beached on Seil island, near Oban.
"They were both very big surprises: they are rarely seen even where the populations are known to exist," said Evans. "If the fish are extending their range, as we know many are, then the whales and dolphins will follow. Anchovies, for example, were really quite scarce in the North Sea 10-20 years ago. Now they are widespread and may be why the common dolphin is now a regular in the North Sea.
"The behaviour of different fish, if they shoal or don't shoal, for example, requires a fair bit of understanding, so once a species has learned a feeding strategy they will follow rather than learn a new technique for a new prey."
Evans believes we may soon see a visitor that disappeared from the Atlantic in the 17th century – the grey whale. "They migrate up the west coast of north America, from Mexico and California up to the Arctic and, of course, could go no further. But now the Northwest Passage is open it is very possible they may cross the North Atlantic.
"Gray whales were seen last year off the coast of Israel and off Barcelona this year. Such a remarkable appearance in such a strange location reinforces the pattern we are seeing."
Twenty-nine species of dolphin and whale have been recorded this century in British or Irish territorial waters. The common dolphin, striped dolphin, minke whale and humpback whale are among those species where numbers sighted have increased since 1980.
But it is not just the whales moving north into warmer seas; we are also seeing mammals coming down from colder climes. Bearded seals from the Arctic have been seen off the coast of Fife, east Scotland, said Callan Duck, a senior research scientist at the Scottish Oceans Institute at St Andrews University.
"The change in climate and the food chains is definitely having an impact in the species we are seeing, but I think you have to remember to factor in how much better we are at spotting and recording these mammals. Good digital cameras are really accessible now, and so everybody has the opportunity to identify what they have seen – so the whole process of reporting sightings is much more accurate and efficient."
Tracy McVeigh
The Observer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/dec/04/whales-new-species-britain
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
'Largest' Fin whale gathering spotted in British waters
 |
| Fin whales seen by scientists 'lunge-feeding' near the surface of the water |
Scientists have described whale sightings off the Cornish coast as one of the "largest gatherings" of the species ever seen in British waters.
Researchers spotted 21 fin whales 50 to 70 miles offshore, feeding near the surface over 30 minutes.
The fin whale, the second largest animal on the planet, is a globally endangered species.
Dr Tom Brereton, research director from Marinelife, said it was an "incredibly rare event".
The species were seen in an area known as the Celtic Deep, between north Cornwall and south west Pembrokeshire, on 21 May while researchers were on a three-week cruise in the area surveying numbers of schooling fish such as sardines.
The survey is due to finish on Thursday.
'Top predators'
Dr Brereton said: "It is very unusual to see those numbers, historically it's never occurred in that area.
"In the last 10 years there's been one or two sightings that have cropped up off the coast of Wales and Cornwall which has been quite big news, but to see 20 more or less together in one small area is really fantastic."
Fin whales are usually found in large numbers in the Bay of Biscay, but their presence in British waters is a relatively new discovery.
Experts on the ship suggested that the whales may have been chasing a dense crowd of krill into the area.
Dr Colin MacLeod, Marinelife's chief scientific adviser, said the sighting could be part of a wider movement of sea creatures around Britain's coast as a result of climate change.
"These changes indicate the extent to which climate change is affecting our marine animals.
"If it is affecting these top predators to such an extent, it is likely that it is also affecting other marine life further down the food chain, including species which are commercially important for the fishing industry," he said.
Marinelife is a charity working to study and maintain numbers of whales, dolphins and seabirds around the British coast.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-13680731
(Submitted by Liz R)
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Beached 44ft whale dies on Redcar beach
 |
| The mammal died despite hopes it would survive until the tide went out |
A 44ft (13m) long whale has died three hours after becoming stranded on a beach on Teesside.
Police alerted the RNLI after spotting the 20 tonne stricken mammal on Redcar Beach, just after 0620 BST.
A rescue bid started which involved trying to keep the adult sperm whale wet until high tide but it died.
Richard Ilderton, of British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said the North Sea was not a suitable environment for such a large creature.
RSPCA officers were involved in the rescue attempt, along with those from the Coastguard and Cleveland Fire Brigade, while RSPCA vets assessed the mammal's condition.
An RNLI spokesman said: "We don't know the reasons but usually when they get to this situation the conclusion is that they don't survive.
"A post mortem will be carried out on the whale and then it will be up to the local council to dispose of it."
'Becomes malnourished'
Crowds went to the beach to see the whale.
Redcar and Cleveland Council said cordons had been put up around the whale, which is due to remain on the beach overnight, watched by security guards.
Mr Ilderton said: "While we have whales in the North Sea, it is not a suitable environment for a sperm whale because the food supply is not there.
"It doesn't eat, it becomes malnourished, it becomes dehydrated because whales do not drink - they get their liquid from their food.
"It can cause all sorts of health problems and ultimately results in something like this happening."
He said the whale's death might actually have been the best outcome.
"If we were able to put the animal back out to sea, all we would be doing is putting it back out to starve, which is massively cruel and against what we want to do," he said.
Robbie Marsland, UK Director of International Fund for Animal Welfare, said whales stranded for a variety of reasons.
He said: "While it is not possible to pinpoint the cause in every case, we do know that human activity in the seas is increasing the threats to these highly intelligent and complex marine mammals.
"Manmade ocean noise, from shipping, oil and gas excavation and naval sonar, makes it ever harder for whales to navigate, communicate, find food or mates and avoid prey."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-13601654
(Submitted by Liz R)
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Mystery Mersey ‘monster’ baffles marine life experts
by Laura Jones, Liverpool Echo
May 25 2011
A MYSTERY sea creature spotted in the Mersey has experts baffled.
The “monster” was snapped off Seacombe Ferry at 9am yesterday by photographer Mark Harrison.
Paul Renolds, from the Blue Planet Aquarium, who studied the photos, said: “It is virtually impossible to actually identify, but this is the time of year when large numbers of basking sharks, the second largest shark species in the world after whale sharks, head towards waters off the Isle of Man.”
He added: “If it is not a basking shark, it could be a smaller species of whale or a dolphin because there are around 23 different species in UK waters.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2011/05/25/mystery-mersey-monster-baffles-marine-life-experts-100252-28758710
May 25 2011
The “monster” was snapped off Seacombe Ferry at 9am yesterday by photographer Mark Harrison.
Paul Renolds, from the Blue Planet Aquarium, who studied the photos, said: “It is virtually impossible to actually identify, but this is the time of year when large numbers of basking sharks, the second largest shark species in the world after whale sharks, head towards waters off the Isle of Man.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2011/05/25/mystery-mersey-monster-baffles-marine-life-experts-100252-28758710
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Pilot whales leave Loch Carnan following death
22 May 2011
A pod of more than 60 pilot whales, at risk of beaching, has again left a Hebridean loch after one of them died.
The animals had left the shallow waters of Loch Carnan in South Uist on Saturday, however returned during the night when the beaching took place.
A post-mortem examination suggested the young female died from a disease, not because it was stranded on rocks.
Marine experts said the rest of the pod had now left the loch and appeared to be heading south.
Dr Andrew Brownlow, who carried out the autopsy, said the whale showed signs of having suffered a serious disease and its injuries were not bad enough to have killed it.
That could indicate that head injuries suffered by a number of other members of the group are not life-threatening.
Rescue teams have been searching the islands and inlets of the loch but have not found any other whale carcasses.
The British Divers Marine Life Rescue team has now been forced to withdraw due to worsening weather conditions.
The team is planning to leave South Uist on Monday but will leave behind essential kit, in case the whales are seen close to the shores of the island over the next few days.
The whales were first spotted around Loch Carnan on Thursday, sparking fears that they would perish in a mass stranding.
There had been concerns after about 20 of the pod were spotted with head injuries, thought to have been sustained while in the shallow water.
The Scottish government lent rescuers a fisheries protection boat to follow the animals' movements.
Alisdair Jack, Scottish National Organiser of the BDMLR, said: "The reasons why whales beach themselves is not known, however illness can be a factor.
"We are hopeful that the remaining members of this pod have now left the vicinity and moved out to sea.
"The support provided by the Scottish government, and by the MPV Hirta in particular, have been very much appreciated by the BDMLR."
'Greater tragedy'
Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "I am pleased to hear that the pod has left the loch and hope they remain in deeper waters.
"The loss of life is very unfortunate but a number of teams working together in South Uist have ensured that a greater tragedy has been averted.
"Given the death of one whale, and clear injuries to a number of other animals, the MPV Hirta will continue to search for the pod and provide monitoring assistance."
At the end of October last year, some pilot whales almost got stranded in the same sea loch. Less than a week later, 33 whales, believed to be the same group, were found dead on a beach in County Donegal in the Irish Republic.
Pilot whales prefer deep water but come inshore to feed on squid, their main food.
Last week a pilot whale died on Sunday morning after getting stuck in the Sullom Voe inlet in Shetland. An autopsy was carried out on the animal to try to establish why it died but the results are not yet known.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-13488302
A pod of more than 60 pilot whales, at risk of beaching, has again left a Hebridean loch after one of them died.
The animals had left the shallow waters of Loch Carnan in South Uist on Saturday, however returned during the night when the beaching took place.
A post-mortem examination suggested the young female died from a disease, not because it was stranded on rocks.
Marine experts said the rest of the pod had now left the loch and appeared to be heading south.
Dr Andrew Brownlow, who carried out the autopsy, said the whale showed signs of having suffered a serious disease and its injuries were not bad enough to have killed it.
That could indicate that head injuries suffered by a number of other members of the group are not life-threatening.
Rescue teams have been searching the islands and inlets of the loch but have not found any other whale carcasses.
The British Divers Marine Life Rescue team has now been forced to withdraw due to worsening weather conditions.
The team is planning to leave South Uist on Monday but will leave behind essential kit, in case the whales are seen close to the shores of the island over the next few days.
The whales were first spotted around Loch Carnan on Thursday, sparking fears that they would perish in a mass stranding.
There had been concerns after about 20 of the pod were spotted with head injuries, thought to have been sustained while in the shallow water.
The Scottish government lent rescuers a fisheries protection boat to follow the animals' movements.
Alisdair Jack, Scottish National Organiser of the BDMLR, said: "The reasons why whales beach themselves is not known, however illness can be a factor.
"We are hopeful that the remaining members of this pod have now left the vicinity and moved out to sea.
"The support provided by the Scottish government, and by the MPV Hirta in particular, have been very much appreciated by the BDMLR."
'Greater tragedy'
Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "I am pleased to hear that the pod has left the loch and hope they remain in deeper waters.
"The loss of life is very unfortunate but a number of teams working together in South Uist have ensured that a greater tragedy has been averted.
"Given the death of one whale, and clear injuries to a number of other animals, the MPV Hirta will continue to search for the pod and provide monitoring assistance."
At the end of October last year, some pilot whales almost got stranded in the same sea loch. Less than a week later, 33 whales, believed to be the same group, were found dead on a beach in County Donegal in the Irish Republic.
Pilot whales prefer deep water but come inshore to feed on squid, their main food.
Last week a pilot whale died on Sunday morning after getting stuck in the Sullom Voe inlet in Shetland. An autopsy was carried out on the animal to try to establish why it died but the results are not yet known.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-13488302
Friday, 20 May 2011
Fear for mass stranding of whales on South Uist
20 May 2011
Marine animal experts are preparing for a potential mass stranding by up to 100 pilot whales in South Uist in the Western Isles.
The whales were spotted in Loch Carnan on Thursday afternoon and about 20 were said to have had cuts to their heads.
It is thought the injuries may have been caused by the whales' attempts to strand themselves on the rocky foreshore of the sea loch.
Sick and injured whales are known to beach themselves to die.
However, at times, dying whales have been followed to shore by healthy animals.
Conservationists have also suggested the whales may have got lost, or entered the loch following prey.
Rescuers said inflatable pontoons for refloating whales were on the way.
The pod had been moving back and forth from the shore and rescuers said the animals were "very vocal", which may be a sign of distress.
The whales, a deep water species, have since moved from the loch back to a nearby bay, where they were seen earlier on Thursday.
Members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) fear the whales could die in a massive beaching - which could be Scotland's largest stranding.
BDMLR Scottish organiser Alasdair Jack said preventing the mammals from stranding would cause unnecessary suffering and the animals would only move on to another shoreline.
He said: "Rather than try to stop them coming ashore, we would let them come ashore and then try to deal with that situation when it arose.
"We have got several sets of pontoons with us, which is our whale refloatation equipment, and we have got more on the way.
"We have currently got 12 sets congregating on the Uists, which is basically every set in the UK."
He added: "We are going to let them play out whatever role they want to do and take it as it comes."
Scottish SPCA senior inspector Calum Watt said the whales' strong social bonds meant healthy animals within a pod would follow sick and injured ones on to shore.
He added: "At this stage we remain hopeful they will not strand themselves but our concern is the injured whales will come onshore and be followed by the rest of the pod.
"Attempting to refloat so many whales would be a huge task and if they do become stranded we'll need to decide upon the best course of action.
"The largest number of whales we've tried to refloat before was seven, which was in 1993. Unfortunately all seven returned to the shore and died."
Wildlife tour operator Steve Duffield, who has photographed the pod, said it was unusual to see pilot whales so close to shore.
He said: "It is a deep water species and occurs in the Minch and Sea of Hebrides, but is very rarely seen in coastal lochs.
"To see the whales so close to the coast is exceptional."
Sarah Dolman, of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), said it was hoped the species would make their way back to deep water.
She said: "This group of animals may have got lost, or they may have come in following some prey.
"I hope we won't find out by them coming ashore and it will remain one of those unsolved mysteries."
In October a pod of pilot whales were in danger in the same sea loch.
Days later, 33 whales, thought to be the same group, were discovered dead on a beach in County Donegal.
Mr Watt, of the Scottish SPCA, said: "It is incredible that a second pod, this time probably more than twice the size, has arrived in the same area."
"There is no reason we know of why they would have come to the same location."
Pilot whales can grow up to about 20ft (6.1m) and are among the most common marine mammals.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13466462
(Submitted by Liz R)
Marine animal experts are preparing for a potential mass stranding by up to 100 pilot whales in South Uist in the Western Isles.
The whales were spotted in Loch Carnan on Thursday afternoon and about 20 were said to have had cuts to their heads.
It is thought the injuries may have been caused by the whales' attempts to strand themselves on the rocky foreshore of the sea loch.
Sick and injured whales are known to beach themselves to die.
However, at times, dying whales have been followed to shore by healthy animals.
Conservationists have also suggested the whales may have got lost, or entered the loch following prey.
Rescuers said inflatable pontoons for refloating whales were on the way.
The pod had been moving back and forth from the shore and rescuers said the animals were "very vocal", which may be a sign of distress.
The whales, a deep water species, have since moved from the loch back to a nearby bay, where they were seen earlier on Thursday.
Members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) fear the whales could die in a massive beaching - which could be Scotland's largest stranding.
BDMLR Scottish organiser Alasdair Jack said preventing the mammals from stranding would cause unnecessary suffering and the animals would only move on to another shoreline.
He said: "Rather than try to stop them coming ashore, we would let them come ashore and then try to deal with that situation when it arose.
"We have got several sets of pontoons with us, which is our whale refloatation equipment, and we have got more on the way.
"We have currently got 12 sets congregating on the Uists, which is basically every set in the UK."
He added: "We are going to let them play out whatever role they want to do and take it as it comes."
Scottish SPCA senior inspector Calum Watt said the whales' strong social bonds meant healthy animals within a pod would follow sick and injured ones on to shore.
He added: "At this stage we remain hopeful they will not strand themselves but our concern is the injured whales will come onshore and be followed by the rest of the pod.
"Attempting to refloat so many whales would be a huge task and if they do become stranded we'll need to decide upon the best course of action.
"The largest number of whales we've tried to refloat before was seven, which was in 1993. Unfortunately all seven returned to the shore and died."
Wildlife tour operator Steve Duffield, who has photographed the pod, said it was unusual to see pilot whales so close to shore.
He said: "It is a deep water species and occurs in the Minch and Sea of Hebrides, but is very rarely seen in coastal lochs.
"To see the whales so close to the coast is exceptional."
Sarah Dolman, of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), said it was hoped the species would make their way back to deep water.
She said: "This group of animals may have got lost, or they may have come in following some prey.
"I hope we won't find out by them coming ashore and it will remain one of those unsolved mysteries."
In October a pod of pilot whales were in danger in the same sea loch.
Days later, 33 whales, thought to be the same group, were discovered dead on a beach in County Donegal.
Mr Watt, of the Scottish SPCA, said: "It is incredible that a second pod, this time probably more than twice the size, has arrived in the same area."
"There is no reason we know of why they would have come to the same location."
Pilot whales can grow up to about 20ft (6.1m) and are among the most common marine mammals.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13466462
(Submitted by Liz R)
Monday, 28 March 2011
Zoo's Dolphin Habitat Celebrates 50th Anniversary
March 25, 2011
Kane Farabaugh | Chicago
More than two million people each year visit the Brookfield Zoo’s Seven Seas exhibit in suburban Chicago. The exhibit, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is the oldest inland dolphin habitat in the United States. It focuses on the Chicago Zoological Society’s efforts to promote marine conservation.
Fifty years ago, the only way people in the US. Midwest could see dolphins up close was by visiting the coastline. The Chicago Zoological Society wanted to bring that experience closer to home.
"This was a very groundbreaking facility," said Rita Stacey, curator of the Seven Seas exhibit at Brookfield Zoo. She's worked with dolphins at the zoo for twenty years. "It was the first inland Dolphinarium. It was the first one to use artificial saltwater. We now create our own man-made saltwater here."
That technological advance allowed the zoo to create a permanent habitat for marine mammals far from the ocean. The exhibit, which Stacey said is as close to their natural environment as possible, attracts millions of visitors every year, even when temperatures are below freezing outside.
"This is actually our second building," said Stacey. "Our first building was operated for close to about 25 years. And in that 25 years, we had estimated about 11.5 million people had gone into that facility and saw the dolphins there."
Stacey said the Chicago Zoological Society, which runs the Brookfield Zoo, is one of the leading institutions promoting a better understanding of marine life. She said some research, including how dolphins breed and communicate, is a product of studying dolphins at the zoo.
"There is so much that we have learned in the last 50 years about caring for the dolphins, about the inner workings of their society and their relationships with each other, as well as about anatomy and about how dolphins actually work," said Stacey.
Melissa Zabojnik is a senior keeper at the Seven Seas exhibit. She has been working with dolphins for 10 years, and helps show the mammals to the public.
"We can use the dolphins as ambassadors to teach the public," said Zabojnik. "The zoo’s mission is to inspire conservation leadership, so that’s something that we try to portray in our dolphin shows as well."
The Zoo’s conservation efforts were tested during last year’s Gulf Oil spill. The Chicago Zoological Society’s Dolphin Research Center in Sarasota Florida, a sister facility, saw some changes in the dolphin population in the Gulf.
Zabojnik said their history with the mammals is helping them track the long term environmental effects of the disaster. "Because we’ve gotten to know these animals so well in the past, it helps us in the future by determining if the oil spill has any effect on the future of them….. where the animals spend their time, if they migrate for any reason, if there’s any difference of their health and population year after year because of the oil spill."
The Brookfield Zoo now works with six other U.S. facilities that also are away from coastlines. Together, they promote a better understanding of the world under the sea.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Zoos-Dolphin-Habitat-Celebrates-50th-Anniversary-118679504.html
Kane Farabaugh | Chicago
More than two million people each year visit the Brookfield Zoo’s Seven Seas exhibit in suburban Chicago. The exhibit, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is the oldest inland dolphin habitat in the United States. It focuses on the Chicago Zoological Society’s efforts to promote marine conservation.
Fifty years ago, the only way people in the US. Midwest could see dolphins up close was by visiting the coastline. The Chicago Zoological Society wanted to bring that experience closer to home.
"This was a very groundbreaking facility," said Rita Stacey, curator of the Seven Seas exhibit at Brookfield Zoo. She's worked with dolphins at the zoo for twenty years. "It was the first inland Dolphinarium. It was the first one to use artificial saltwater. We now create our own man-made saltwater here."
That technological advance allowed the zoo to create a permanent habitat for marine mammals far from the ocean. The exhibit, which Stacey said is as close to their natural environment as possible, attracts millions of visitors every year, even when temperatures are below freezing outside.
"This is actually our second building," said Stacey. "Our first building was operated for close to about 25 years. And in that 25 years, we had estimated about 11.5 million people had gone into that facility and saw the dolphins there."
Stacey said the Chicago Zoological Society, which runs the Brookfield Zoo, is one of the leading institutions promoting a better understanding of marine life. She said some research, including how dolphins breed and communicate, is a product of studying dolphins at the zoo.
"There is so much that we have learned in the last 50 years about caring for the dolphins, about the inner workings of their society and their relationships with each other, as well as about anatomy and about how dolphins actually work," said Stacey.
Melissa Zabojnik is a senior keeper at the Seven Seas exhibit. She has been working with dolphins for 10 years, and helps show the mammals to the public.
"We can use the dolphins as ambassadors to teach the public," said Zabojnik. "The zoo’s mission is to inspire conservation leadership, so that’s something that we try to portray in our dolphin shows as well."
The Zoo’s conservation efforts were tested during last year’s Gulf Oil spill. The Chicago Zoological Society’s Dolphin Research Center in Sarasota Florida, a sister facility, saw some changes in the dolphin population in the Gulf.
Zabojnik said their history with the mammals is helping them track the long term environmental effects of the disaster. "Because we’ve gotten to know these animals so well in the past, it helps us in the future by determining if the oil spill has any effect on the future of them….. where the animals spend their time, if they migrate for any reason, if there’s any difference of their health and population year after year because of the oil spill."
The Brookfield Zoo now works with six other U.S. facilities that also are away from coastlines. Together, they promote a better understanding of the world under the sea.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Zoos-Dolphin-Habitat-Celebrates-50th-Anniversary-118679504.html
Friday, 25 March 2011
Baby dolphin saved after dumped in rice field by tsunami
TOKYO | Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:53am EDT
TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - A baby dolphin has been rescued in Japan after being dumped in a rice field by a giant tsunami that hit the coast on March 11.
The dolphin was spotted in the flooded field, about 2 km (a mile) from the coast, said Ryo Taira, a pet-shop owner who has been rescuing animals abandoned after the 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami left 23,000 people dead or missing.
"A man passing by said he had found the dolphin in the rice paddy and that we had to do something to save it," the 32-year-old Taira told Reuters.
Taira found the dolphin struggling in the shallow seawater on Tuesday and after failing to net it, waded in to the field, which had yet to be sown with rice, to cradle the 1.2-meter (four foot) animal in his arms.
"It was pretty weak by then, which was probably the only reason we could catch it," he said.
Taira and some friends wrapped the dolphin in wet towels and drove it back to the sea, where they set it free. The dolphin appeared to perk up when it was back in the Pacific, he said.
"I don't know if it will live, but it's certainly a lot better than dying in a rice paddy," Taira told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
(Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Robert Birsel and Sanjeev Miglani)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/23/us-japan-dolphin-idUSTRE72M2AI20110323
TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - A baby dolphin has been rescued in Japan after being dumped in a rice field by a giant tsunami that hit the coast on March 11.
The dolphin was spotted in the flooded field, about 2 km (a mile) from the coast, said Ryo Taira, a pet-shop owner who has been rescuing animals abandoned after the 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami left 23,000 people dead or missing.
"A man passing by said he had found the dolphin in the rice paddy and that we had to do something to save it," the 32-year-old Taira told Reuters.
Taira found the dolphin struggling in the shallow seawater on Tuesday and after failing to net it, waded in to the field, which had yet to be sown with rice, to cradle the 1.2-meter (four foot) animal in his arms.
"It was pretty weak by then, which was probably the only reason we could catch it," he said.
Taira and some friends wrapped the dolphin in wet towels and drove it back to the sea, where they set it free. The dolphin appeared to perk up when it was back in the Pacific, he said.
"I don't know if it will live, but it's certainly a lot better than dying in a rice paddy," Taira told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
(Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Robert Birsel and Sanjeev Miglani)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/23/us-japan-dolphin-idUSTRE72M2AI20110323
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Beaked whales 'scared' by navy sonar
Monday, 14 March 2011
By Ella Davies
Earth News reporter
Beaked whales are disturbed by naval sonar, according to scientists.
A new study suggests that the whales are particularly sensitive to unusual sounds.
Measuring their reactions to both simulated sonar calls and during actual naval exercises, researchers found the whales fell silent and moved away from the loud noises.
The use of sonar for naval communication has been linked to beaked whales stranding in the past.
Scientists from the University of St Andrews, Scotland have been working with marine experts from around the world to investigate how sonar affects beaked whales in the Bahamas.
Beaked whales are an elusive group of small whales named for their elongated snouts.
However, they are probably best known for their connection to the possible risks that naval sonar poses to marine mammals.
For example, in 2000 and 2002, large groups of beaked whales stranded and died.
Naval exercises involving sonar communication were taking place nearby on both occasions, raising concerns that the whales' deaths were directly linked to the mid-frequency signals.
In their study, published in the journal PLoS One, researchers focussed on waters around the US Navy's Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center.
Blainville's beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) have been identified foraging in the area by the navy's acoustic monitoring equipment, used for listening to signals from submarines.
The scientists listened to the group of whales using these hydrophones - underwater microphones.
During live sonar exercises by the US Navy, the whales stopped making their clicking and buzzing calls, which they are thought to use to navigate and communicate.
"Results... indicate that the animals prematurely stop vocalisations during a deep foraging dive when exposed to sonar. They then ascend slowly and move away from the source, but they do resume foraging dives once they are farther away," said David Moretti, Principal Investigator for the US Navy.
Using tags attached to the whales, the team was also able to track their movements with satellites.
They found that the whales moved up to 16km away from the area during sonar tests and did not return for three days.
"It was clear that these whales moved quickly out of the way of the [navy] sonars. We now think that, in some unusual circumstances, they are just unable to get out of the way and this ends up with the animals stranding and dying," said Professor Ian Boyd, chief scientist on the research project.
To further understand the whales' behaviour, the team also played simulated sonar calls to the whales, including the calls of killer whales.
The beaked whales showed the same avoidance behaviour in response to these calls.
"It appears that they just don't like unusual sounds. But the way in which sonars are used to hunt for submarines may mean that the whales are more vulnerable to that type of sound," said Prof Boyd.
They are known to emit high-frequency calls but this is the first time anyone has proven that they react to mid-frequency sounds.
"We showed that the animals reacted to the sonar sound at much lower levels than had previously been assumed to be the case," said Prof Boyd.
"Perhaps the most significant result from our experiments is the extreme sensitivity of these animals to disturbance."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9424000/9424166.stm
(Submitted by Liz R and Dawn Holloway)
By Ella Davies
Earth News reporter
Beaked whales are disturbed by naval sonar, according to scientists.
A new study suggests that the whales are particularly sensitive to unusual sounds.
Measuring their reactions to both simulated sonar calls and during actual naval exercises, researchers found the whales fell silent and moved away from the loud noises.
The use of sonar for naval communication has been linked to beaked whales stranding in the past.
Scientists from the University of St Andrews, Scotland have been working with marine experts from around the world to investigate how sonar affects beaked whales in the Bahamas.
Beaked whales are an elusive group of small whales named for their elongated snouts.
However, they are probably best known for their connection to the possible risks that naval sonar poses to marine mammals.
For example, in 2000 and 2002, large groups of beaked whales stranded and died.
Naval exercises involving sonar communication were taking place nearby on both occasions, raising concerns that the whales' deaths were directly linked to the mid-frequency signals.
In their study, published in the journal PLoS One, researchers focussed on waters around the US Navy's Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center.
Blainville's beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) have been identified foraging in the area by the navy's acoustic monitoring equipment, used for listening to signals from submarines.
The scientists listened to the group of whales using these hydrophones - underwater microphones.
During live sonar exercises by the US Navy, the whales stopped making their clicking and buzzing calls, which they are thought to use to navigate and communicate.
"Results... indicate that the animals prematurely stop vocalisations during a deep foraging dive when exposed to sonar. They then ascend slowly and move away from the source, but they do resume foraging dives once they are farther away," said David Moretti, Principal Investigator for the US Navy.
Using tags attached to the whales, the team was also able to track their movements with satellites.
They found that the whales moved up to 16km away from the area during sonar tests and did not return for three days.
"It was clear that these whales moved quickly out of the way of the [navy] sonars. We now think that, in some unusual circumstances, they are just unable to get out of the way and this ends up with the animals stranding and dying," said Professor Ian Boyd, chief scientist on the research project.
To further understand the whales' behaviour, the team also played simulated sonar calls to the whales, including the calls of killer whales.
The beaked whales showed the same avoidance behaviour in response to these calls.
"It appears that they just don't like unusual sounds. But the way in which sonars are used to hunt for submarines may mean that the whales are more vulnerable to that type of sound," said Prof Boyd.
They are known to emit high-frequency calls but this is the first time anyone has proven that they react to mid-frequency sounds.
"We showed that the animals reacted to the sonar sound at much lower levels than had previously been assumed to be the case," said Prof Boyd.
"Perhaps the most significant result from our experiments is the extreme sensitivity of these animals to disturbance."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9424000/9424166.stm
(Submitted by Liz R and Dawn Holloway)
Woman talks about 600-pound dolphin jumping in boat; spraining her ankle
By AARON HALE
Naples Daily News
Posted March 14, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.
COLLIER COUNTY — An East Naples women said she is happy to be alive after a Sunday boat outing on the Marco River brought an unexpected guest onboard – a fully-grown bottlenose dolphin.
JoAnn Lorek and five companions were on their way to a beach picnic in a 22-foot private boat when the dolphin – reportedly 600 pounds – jumped onto the boat and pinned her ankle.
Though Lorek, a part-time Fiddler’s Creek resident, came away with a sprained ankle and some bruises, it took aid from three response agencies and other volunteers to remove the dolphin from the boat.
As Richard Johnston’s private boat was travelling on the Marco River on Sunday afternoon, Lorek said she and the other occupants noticed active dolphins in the area.
She said no one on her boat was feeding the dolphins, but Johnston slowed the vessel as a precaution.
Lorek said she was looking around for other dolphin activity when one leaped it the air toward the boat.
“I just saw this wall of dolphin,” she said.
Lorek reported that she felt the dolphin graze her head on its way down, probably with its fin, before it landed on her ankle. She said the incident could have been deadly if someone had been standing directly in the dolphin’s path.
Firefighters with the Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District, officials with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies, as well as a few private citizens, worked to rescue the dolphin. However, its weight posed some problems.
“There were 10 full-grown men and we couldn’t lift it,” said Lt. Keith Perry, an Isles of Capri firefighters.
Lorek said at first the dolphin seemed panicked. It shook its flippers so hard it left flipper-shaped bruises on her leg.
It finally relaxed when rescuers covered its eyes.
Since the marine mammal couldn’t be lifted, officials tied a rope around the tail of the dolphin and slid an immobilization board under it. Then they slid the marine mammal toward the end of the boat.
Once the dolphin was halfway off, Perry said the rope was removed and they slid it back into the water, where it swam away without incident.
He said the only injuries to the dolphin seemed to be some superficial cuts.
A similar incident occurred two years ago on the Marco River when a 120-pound dolphin jumped onto a Marco woman’s deck boat. No one was injured in that incident.
Looking forward, Lorek said she doesn’t think Sunday’s incident will dissuade her from future boating trips, but it will ruin this week’s tennis plans.
Staff writer Elysa Batista contributed to story.
Photos and video at: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/mar/14/woman-talks-about-600-pound-dolphin-jumping-boat-s/
Naples Daily News
Posted March 14, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.
COLLIER COUNTY — An East Naples women said she is happy to be alive after a Sunday boat outing on the Marco River brought an unexpected guest onboard – a fully-grown bottlenose dolphin.
JoAnn Lorek and five companions were on their way to a beach picnic in a 22-foot private boat when the dolphin – reportedly 600 pounds – jumped onto the boat and pinned her ankle.
Though Lorek, a part-time Fiddler’s Creek resident, came away with a sprained ankle and some bruises, it took aid from three response agencies and other volunteers to remove the dolphin from the boat.
As Richard Johnston’s private boat was travelling on the Marco River on Sunday afternoon, Lorek said she and the other occupants noticed active dolphins in the area.
She said no one on her boat was feeding the dolphins, but Johnston slowed the vessel as a precaution.
Lorek said she was looking around for other dolphin activity when one leaped it the air toward the boat.
“I just saw this wall of dolphin,” she said.
Lorek reported that she felt the dolphin graze her head on its way down, probably with its fin, before it landed on her ankle. She said the incident could have been deadly if someone had been standing directly in the dolphin’s path.
Firefighters with the Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District, officials with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies, as well as a few private citizens, worked to rescue the dolphin. However, its weight posed some problems.
“There were 10 full-grown men and we couldn’t lift it,” said Lt. Keith Perry, an Isles of Capri firefighters.
Lorek said at first the dolphin seemed panicked. It shook its flippers so hard it left flipper-shaped bruises on her leg.
It finally relaxed when rescuers covered its eyes.
Since the marine mammal couldn’t be lifted, officials tied a rope around the tail of the dolphin and slid an immobilization board under it. Then they slid the marine mammal toward the end of the boat.
Once the dolphin was halfway off, Perry said the rope was removed and they slid it back into the water, where it swam away without incident.
He said the only injuries to the dolphin seemed to be some superficial cuts.
A similar incident occurred two years ago on the Marco River when a 120-pound dolphin jumped onto a Marco woman’s deck boat. No one was injured in that incident.
Looking forward, Lorek said she doesn’t think Sunday’s incident will dissuade her from future boating trips, but it will ruin this week’s tennis plans.
Staff writer Elysa Batista contributed to story.
Photos and video at: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/mar/14/woman-talks-about-600-pound-dolphin-jumping-boat-s/
Monday, 14 March 2011
Woman injured when dolphin jumps into boat in Florida river
Rescuers treat woman, free dolphin
Posted: 7:52 AM
Last Updated: 2 hours and 46 minutes ago
By: Joey Davis
Elysa Batista
MARCO ISLAND, Fla. - A woman was injured Sunday when a dolphin weighing between 600 and 700 pounds jumped into the deck of a boat on the Marco River.
Isles of Capri Fire spokesman Keith Perry says the 911 call came in 2:44 p.m. when a passenger said the dolphin landed on a woman as it jumped on board.
Firefighters treated the woman, who was not identified, for a sprained ankle.
Rescue officials from the Isles of Capri Fire Department, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Collier County Sheriff's Office used an immobilizing board and rope to pull the large dolphin off the boat and back into the water.
See photos at: http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/state/photos%3A-woman-injured-when-dolphin-jumps-into-boat-in-florida-river
Posted: 7:52 AM
Last Updated: 2 hours and 46 minutes ago
By: Joey Davis
Elysa Batista
MARCO ISLAND, Fla. - A woman was injured Sunday when a dolphin weighing between 600 and 700 pounds jumped into the deck of a boat on the Marco River.
Isles of Capri Fire spokesman Keith Perry says the 911 call came in 2:44 p.m. when a passenger said the dolphin landed on a woman as it jumped on board.
Firefighters treated the woman, who was not identified, for a sprained ankle.
Rescue officials from the Isles of Capri Fire Department, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Collier County Sheriff's Office used an immobilizing board and rope to pull the large dolphin off the boat and back into the water.
See photos at: http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/state/photos%3A-woman-injured-when-dolphin-jumps-into-boat-in-florida-river
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Orca sighting unnerves triathlete
Close encounter in Oriental Bay
KIRAN CHUG
Last updated 05:00 09/03/2011
Triathlete Nicole Walker has always felt uneasy swimming in the ocean, but it was a close encounter with an orca at Oriental Bay that really left her shaking.
Miss Walker was on a training swim about 5pm on Monday, about 80 metres from shore, when she looked down into the water after taking a breath.
"It was just looking up at me, a big black and white face. I could have touched it."
She believes the orca was a calf, and though she "freaked out" and tried to swim as fast as she could for the shore, Miss Walker thinks the whale's head was about 80cm wide.
"It was swimming belly up underneath me. I couldn't believe my eyes."
Though she was swimming as fast as she could, seconds later she saw the orca swimming beneath her again. She was afraid it might come up underneath her "and either grab hold of me or hit me with its tail, and that would be the end of me".
Miss Walker said she was relieved it was an orca beneath her and not a shark, but was scared something might be chasing it.
Still about 40m or 50m from shore, Miss Walker – who was wearing a wetsuit – said she began to panic and look around her.
A group of people had been rowing in the bay, and a man on a rowing coaching boat with a small outboard motor had spotted Miss Walker's frantic swim and gone towards her.
She caught on to the side of the boat and he took her to shore – where she got out of the water shaken but very relieved.
Yesterday, Miss Walker said she was sure the orca had just been curious and wanted to play, but at the time that did not prevent her from panicking.
On shore, she saw a crowd of people had gathered as they could see a mother orca and possibly three calves in the bay.
Though Miss Walker had always felt a little uneasy swimming in the ocean, she had previously felt a bit more comfortable swimming in Wellington because she was in a bay.
However, now she was safely back on dry land she was not letting the experience interrupt training, and planning to get back out into the water tonight.
Conservation Department biodiversity programme manager Peter Simpson said there had been other reports of orca sightings in Wellington Harbour on Monday. The first was about 1pm from a person at the heads who saw the pod coming in.
Orca did come into the harbour occasionally, but why was unknown. They could be following food, or simply curious.
Ad Feedback Click here to find out more!
DOC asks anyone who spots marine mammals to report the sightings to 0800362468 (DOC hotline), or by filling out a form on its website.
Orca, though confusingly known as killer whales, are actually dolphins.
They eat other marine mammals and fish.
- The Dominion Post
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/4745818/Orca-sighting-unnerves-triathlete
KIRAN CHUG
Last updated 05:00 09/03/2011
Triathlete Nicole Walker has always felt uneasy swimming in the ocean, but it was a close encounter with an orca at Oriental Bay that really left her shaking.
Miss Walker was on a training swim about 5pm on Monday, about 80 metres from shore, when she looked down into the water after taking a breath.
"It was just looking up at me, a big black and white face. I could have touched it."
She believes the orca was a calf, and though she "freaked out" and tried to swim as fast as she could for the shore, Miss Walker thinks the whale's head was about 80cm wide.
"It was swimming belly up underneath me. I couldn't believe my eyes."
Though she was swimming as fast as she could, seconds later she saw the orca swimming beneath her again. She was afraid it might come up underneath her "and either grab hold of me or hit me with its tail, and that would be the end of me".
Miss Walker said she was relieved it was an orca beneath her and not a shark, but was scared something might be chasing it.
Still about 40m or 50m from shore, Miss Walker – who was wearing a wetsuit – said she began to panic and look around her.
A group of people had been rowing in the bay, and a man on a rowing coaching boat with a small outboard motor had spotted Miss Walker's frantic swim and gone towards her.
She caught on to the side of the boat and he took her to shore – where she got out of the water shaken but very relieved.
Yesterday, Miss Walker said she was sure the orca had just been curious and wanted to play, but at the time that did not prevent her from panicking.
On shore, she saw a crowd of people had gathered as they could see a mother orca and possibly three calves in the bay.
Though Miss Walker had always felt a little uneasy swimming in the ocean, she had previously felt a bit more comfortable swimming in Wellington because she was in a bay.
However, now she was safely back on dry land she was not letting the experience interrupt training, and planning to get back out into the water tonight.
Conservation Department biodiversity programme manager Peter Simpson said there had been other reports of orca sightings in Wellington Harbour on Monday. The first was about 1pm from a person at the heads who saw the pod coming in.
Orca did come into the harbour occasionally, but why was unknown. They could be following food, or simply curious.
Ad Feedback Click here to find out more!
DOC asks anyone who spots marine mammals to report the sightings to 0800362468 (DOC hotline), or by filling out a form on its website.
Orca, though confusingly known as killer whales, are actually dolphins.
They eat other marine mammals and fish.
- The Dominion Post
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/4745818/Orca-sighting-unnerves-triathlete
Friday, 4 March 2011
Huge sperm whale washes up on Kent beach
3 March 2011 Last updated at 21:48
A 45ft (13.7m) sperm whale has died after becoming stranded on a beach in Kent.
Coastguards were alerted to the beached whale at Pegwell Bay, between Ramsgate and Sandwich, at about 0730 GMT.
Claudia Sermbezis reports.
See video at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12642695
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)
A 45ft (13.7m) sperm whale has died after becoming stranded on a beach in Kent.
Coastguards were alerted to the beached whale at Pegwell Bay, between Ramsgate and Sandwich, at about 0730 GMT.
Claudia Sermbezis reports.
See video at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12642695
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)
Monday, 28 February 2011
1,607 whales sighted
February 28, 2011
MAALAEA - Volunteers and researchers on Maui tallied 1,607 sightings of humpback whales Saturday, a 33 percent increase from last year, the Pacific Whale Foundation reported.
Last year's total was 1,208 humpbacks. There were 12 counting stations in the Great Maui Whale Count.
Greg Kaufman, founder and president of PWF, which organized the count, said the sighting conditions were "fantastic," with calm seas and light winds.
"Because we have conducted the count systematically at the same time each year, it provides a valuable look at Hawaii's winter whale population. In general, we are seeing evidence of a growing number of whale sightings in recent years," Kaufman said in a news release.
He said the increase in sightings correlates to research that shows the humpback whale population in the North Pacific increasing at a rate of 7 percent or 8 percent each year.
An estimated 20,000 humpback whales live in the North Pacific, and about 60 percent of that population is believed to come to Hawaii each year to mate, give birth and care for their young, a release said.
The counting stations were positioned along Maui's south and western shores, in an area extending from Makena to Kapalua. There also was a station at Hookipa Beach Park on Maui's north shore.
Last year's count took place a week later than usual because of a tsunami warning on the originally scheduled day. In 2009, 1,010 whale sightings were recorded. In 2008, 1,726 were tallied on a day with ideal conditions such as Saturday's.
Of Saturday's sightings, 154 were calves, compared to 149 sighted last year.
Puu Olai in Makena recorded the most whale sightings with 311 during the counting window, which was open from 8:30 to 11:55 a.m.
The count was conducted by 100 volunteers who worked alongside Pacific Whale Foundation researchers and staff and was done along lookout posts from the shorelines.
The count is part of the Maui Whale Festival, a series of whale-related events taking place from November through mid-May.
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/546648/1-607-whales-sighted.html?nav=10
MAALAEA - Volunteers and researchers on Maui tallied 1,607 sightings of humpback whales Saturday, a 33 percent increase from last year, the Pacific Whale Foundation reported.
Last year's total was 1,208 humpbacks. There were 12 counting stations in the Great Maui Whale Count.
Greg Kaufman, founder and president of PWF, which organized the count, said the sighting conditions were "fantastic," with calm seas and light winds.
"Because we have conducted the count systematically at the same time each year, it provides a valuable look at Hawaii's winter whale population. In general, we are seeing evidence of a growing number of whale sightings in recent years," Kaufman said in a news release.
He said the increase in sightings correlates to research that shows the humpback whale population in the North Pacific increasing at a rate of 7 percent or 8 percent each year.
An estimated 20,000 humpback whales live in the North Pacific, and about 60 percent of that population is believed to come to Hawaii each year to mate, give birth and care for their young, a release said.
The counting stations were positioned along Maui's south and western shores, in an area extending from Makena to Kapalua. There also was a station at Hookipa Beach Park on Maui's north shore.
Last year's count took place a week later than usual because of a tsunami warning on the originally scheduled day. In 2009, 1,010 whale sightings were recorded. In 2008, 1,726 were tallied on a day with ideal conditions such as Saturday's.
Of Saturday's sightings, 154 were calves, compared to 149 sighted last year.
Puu Olai in Makena recorded the most whale sightings with 311 during the counting window, which was open from 8:30 to 11:55 a.m.
The count was conducted by 100 volunteers who worked alongside Pacific Whale Foundation researchers and staff and was done along lookout posts from the shorelines.
The count is part of the Maui Whale Festival, a series of whale-related events taking place from November through mid-May.
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/546648/1-607-whales-sighted.html?nav=10
Friday, 11 February 2011
Underwater whale rescue filmed in Mexico
10 February 2011
A team of Mexican divers has freed a humpback whale that had become trapped in fishing nets.
One of the divers filmed the rescue with an underwater camera.
Jack Lamport reports.
See video at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12416523
A team of Mexican divers has freed a humpback whale that had become trapped in fishing nets.
One of the divers filmed the rescue with an underwater camera.
Jack Lamport reports.
See video at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12416523
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