Whales

Whales Freed from Fishing Gear May Still Die a Slow Death

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:15:00 GMT

Source: news.sciencemag.org --- Thursday, May 23, 2013
On Christmas Day 2010, an aerial team of wildlife spotters saw a whale in distress off the eastern coast of Florida. Her head, mouth, and fins were tangled in 132 meters of commercial fishing rope. Marine veterinarians and biologists untangled the whale, diving into the water and cutting the lines that had wrapped around her upper jaw and cut into her flesh. But the damage had been done. Weeks later, the giant mammal was found floating at the surface, the victim of a shark attack. The incident, according to a new study, shows that Whales' fight against fishing gear can kill them long after they've been freed from it. Researchers already know that heavy-duty commercial fishing lines and lobster and crab traps, connected to the surface by long ropes, pose a formidable threat to Whales in the North Atlantic, by inflicting deep wounds and sapping their energy reserves. Accidental entrapment is the leading cause of death for Atlantic Whales in records going back to 1970. The National Marine Fisheries Service reported 25 sightings of entangled Whales in 2010. Five did not survive the encounter. Many of the surviving Whales were described as thin and weak. The whale spotted on Christmas, a 2-year-old female right whale cataloged as Eg 3911 (Eg for the species' scientific name, Eubalaena glacialis ), tangled with a fishing trap line sometime between February and December 2010. By the time researchers rescued her on 15 January 2011, she w ...

Taranaki seabed mining raises whales concerns

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:47:50 GMT

Source: www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz --- Thursday, May 23, 2013
The protection afforded to blue Whales in New Zealand waters may need to be increased, now a study has found they may be more regular visitors to the South Taranaki Bight than previously thought. ...

Right whales typically give birth in warm waters off the coasts of Florida and G...

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:35:20 GMT

Source: www.facebook.com --- Thursday, May 23, 2013
Right Whales typically give birth in warm waters off the coasts of Florida and Georgia, but this past year, one whale mother didn't make the migration, and gave birth off Massachusetts. Scientists worried the calf would die but, against the odds, it survived and the pair met back up with its pod this spring. Via PRI's Living on Earth . Right whale born in cold North Atlantic waters beats odds, survives winter | PRI.ORG www.pri.org Right Whales typically give birth in warm waters off the coasts of Florida and Georgia, but this past year, one whale mother didn't make the migration, and gave birth off Massachusetts. Scientists worried the calf would die but, against the odds, it ...

Protect Whales From Military Testing

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:33:41 GMT

Source: forcechange.com --- Thursday, May 23, 2013
Target : Honorable Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy Goal : Stop the Navy from bombarding Whales with deadly sonar and explosives. The Navy wants to conduct training with sonar and explosives that could kill thousands of Whales and other marine mammals. Intense sonar will bombard Whales with noise so powerful that it can cause their internal organs to hemorrhage; high-powered explosives detonated by Navy ships have the potential to fatally injure lungs and other organs. Based on testimony from the Navy itself, there will be thousands of marine animals killed and millions of incidents in which Whales and other mammals are harassed and harmed. Yet the Navy refuses to put common-sense precautions in place that would protect Whales during routine training — even though taking such steps would in no way compromise our national security. For example, the Navy could avoid key habitats where Whales are known to migrate and raise their young. Make your voice heard immediately. Sign the petition to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, calling on him to put safeguards in place that will save Whales from the deadly impact of the Navy’s sonar and explosives. 1. Click “Sign Petition” Button: *This petition is in collaboration with Care2, thereby allowing all signatures to appear in a single location. 2. Please spread the word: ...

World of Discovery: Blue Whales, Giants of the Deep

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:50:31 GMT

Source: www.snagfilms.com --- Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Experts take a deeper look into the life of the blue whale, the largest animal in the world ...

Fisherman enjoys rare sighting of false killer whales

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:10:55 GMT

Source: www.grindtv.com --- Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Mark Rayor has seen plenty while working as a fishing and diving guide for 15-plus years in Baja California’s East Cape region. But until earlier this week, he’d never seen false killer Whales , which is understandable because they’re an offshore species rarely seen by boaters aboard coastal vessels. The sighting of 10-to-15 false killer Whales occurred early Monday in the Sea of Cortez, near the northern boundary of Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park . “We have seen what I thought were false killer Whales, but they looked different,” Rayor said. “At first that is what we thought they were, but then we had doubts. They just hung around and played with our panga until we left.” Not a lot is known about the movements of false killer Whales or how many there are. They were named because they share feeding habits of some types of killer Whales—notably those that attack and kill other cetaceans. They’re smaller than killer Whales, however, measuring to about 20 feet (females to about 15 feet) and weighing to about 1,500 pounds. Like killer Whales, false killer Whales establish strong social bonds and generally travel in groups of 10 to 20. “False killer Whales are typically found in deep, offshore, tropical to semi-tropical oceans, and they feed on large game fish,” said Annie Douglas, a researcher with Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia, Washington. “However, they occasionally come into more coastal waters or stray into colder clim ...

05/22/2013 - Pratt Museum's Encounters: Whales in Our Waters Exhibit

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:44:28 GMT

Source: www.newsalaska.info --- Wednesday, May 22, 2013
This amazing exhibition is the culmination of an effort that began in 1999 to salvage a juvenile gray whale found in Halibut Cove. The 38-foot-long skeleton of the gray whale is the focus of this new exhibit that explores the Whales and other cetaceous creatures found in Kachemak Bay and Lower Cook Inlet. It also looks at the ways people come in contact with these creatures and shares their stories. ...

A Thousand Angsty Whales, all pumping iron: DO IT NOW: Guide to Proper Bra Fit and Measuring because Victoria Secret and La Senza and whatever are full of shit and...

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:05:49 GMT

Source: squaredonuthole.tumblr.com --- Wednesday, May 22, 2013
A Thousand Angsty Whales, all pumping iron: DO IT NOW: Guide to Proper Bra Fit and Measuring because Victoria Secret and La Senza and whatever are full of shit and... : sameatschildren : Hi guys I’m obsessed with this shit lately because I don’t want anyone to have unhappy, unsupported boobs like I did. Even if you think your boobs and bras are fine, try it. It will make a big difference in comfort, support, and shape, even if you have small boobs or big boobs. A proper fitting… ...

Poop-sniffing dogs helping save whales all over the world

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:55:39 GMT

Source: www.komonews.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
A local dog named Tucker has a very special talent for tracking, and scientists say he's helping save animals -- including Whales -- all over the world. ...

inkdrocket: February Tale Sky Snow Whales by *michaeldoig

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:03:35 GMT

Source: dasginger.tumblr.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
inkdrocket : February Tale Sky Snow Whales by * michaeldoig ...

Study reveals how fishing gear can cause slow death of whales

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:42:42 GMT

Source: www.sciencedaily.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Using a "patient monitoring" device attached to a whale entangled in fishing gear, scientists showed for the first time how fishing lines changed a whale's diving and swimming behavior. The monitoring revealed how fishing gear hinders Whales' ability to eat and migrate, depletes their energy as they drag gear for months or years, and can result in a slow death. ...

The New Minnesota Zoo’s Beluga Whales, c. Late 1970s The...

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:58:15 GMT

Source: mn70s.tumblr.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The New Minnesota Zoo’s Beluga Whales, c. Late 1970s The Minnesota Zoo (officially known as the Minnesota Zoological Garden) opened to the public on May 22, 1978. Its garden-like, Apple Valley setting distinguished it from older zoos—including St. Paul’s Como Zoo—but its biggest attraction was an exhibit featuring two beluga Whales named “Big Mouth” and “Little Girl.” Photo via Minnesota Zoo ...

A dolphin gets adopted by whales WTF FUN FACTS HOME / See...

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:52:00 GMT

Source: wtffunfact.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
A dolphin gets adopted by Whales WTF FUN FACTS HOME / See MORE TAGGED/ Animals FACTS (source) ...

Raise the Whales Fundraiser

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:05:33 GMT

Source: www.publicbroadcasting.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
May 24, 2013 At Seymour Marine Discovery Center at Long Marine Lab ...

vurtual: Kelly with 7 out of the pod of 12 whales (by...

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:56:57 GMT

Source: pricklylegs.tumblr.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
vurtual : Kelly with 7 out of the pod of 12 Whales (by Critidoc ) ...

Lonely Dolphin Adopted By Group Of Sperm Whales

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:41:11 GMT

Source: www.uber-facts.com --- Monday, May 20, 2013
Lone dolphin with spinal deformity travels among a group of sperm Whales. In 2011, behavioral ecologists Alexander Wilson and Jens Krause of the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Germany were surprised to discover that a group of sperm Whales ( Physeter macrocephalus )—animals not usually known for forging bonds with other species—had taken in an adult bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ). The researchers observed the group in the ocean surrounding the Azores (map) —about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) off the coast of Lisbon, Portugal —for eight days as the dolphin traveled, foraged, and played with both the adult Whales and their calves. When the dolphin rubbed its body against the Whales, they would sometimes return the gesture. Among terrestrial animals, cross-species interactions are not uncommon. These mostly temporary alliances are forged for foraging benefits and protection against predators, said Wilson. They could also be satisfying a desire for the company of other animals, added marine biologist John Francis , vice president for research, conservation, and exploration at the National Geographic Society (the Society owns National Geographic News). Photographs of dogs nursing tiger cubs , stories of a signing gorilla adopting a pet cat , and videos of a leopard caring for a baby baboon have long circulated the Web and caught national attention. A Rare Alliance And although dolphins are ...

Where the wild things are – whales

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:30:34 GMT

Source: gonetoswantravel.com --- Monday, May 20, 2013
As I start my second week off the grid, I decided to dedicate this week’s writing to the creatures we share the planet with – and my favourite animals I’ve seen while travelling. As a young child, I remember taking the ferry to Vancouver Island, and in the 1970s, Whales still used to appear to […] ...

Elusive whales seen in waters off New Zealand

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:54:52 GMT

Source: www.freemalaysiatoday.com --- Monday, May 20, 2013
WELLINGTON: The world’s largest animal, which was almost hunted to extinction in the 19th Century, appears to be making a comeback in waters off New Zealand, New Zealand scientists revealed today. The study of blue Whales in the South Taranaki Bight, off the west of the North Island, showed that the creatures were passing through in numbers greater than expected, according to researchers with the government’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). The blue Whales had found an important food source there on their way to and from summer feeding grounds in Antarctica. The study examined sightings of blue Whales collected between 1979 and 1999, historical whaling data, strandings, foraging observations, and sightings recorded during two seismic surveys conducted in 2011. It linked the increased presence of blue Whales to a specific ocean movement that generated large clouds of plankton in the South Taranaki Bight. Despite being more than 20 meters long and weighing more than 100 tons, the blue whale remains one of the world’s most elusive creatures. Sightings were rare and little was known about the distribution patterns of blue Whales, NIWA marine ecologist Dr Leigh Torres said in a statement. The study would significantly enhance understanding of the distribution and foraging grounds of blue Whales in the Southern Hemisphere. “Conventional wisdom has been that blue Whales only transit through New Zealand water ...

whale watching off the tip of cape cod today...saw 15-20 humpback whales at clos...

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:11:44 GMT

Source: www.facebook.com --- Sunday, May 19, 2013
whale watching off the tip of cape cod today...saw 15-20 humpback Whales at close range. pretty spectacular ...