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This Video of Sperm Whales Who Adopted a Deformed Dolphin Will Change the Way You See Marine Animals
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/sperm-whales-adopt-a-deformed-dolphin/
Posted : October 24, 2016 11:25 am
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Very sad news!
ORCAS LOSE TWO MORE MEMBERS
28 OCTOBER 2016 - 9:04PM
Today, the Center for Whale Research (CWR) held a press conference in Seattle to discuss the disappearance of two more Southern Resident orcas – Polaris (J28, born in 1993) and her newest calf, Dipper (J54), one of the “baby boom” calves born in 2015. Polaris was a matriarch in J pod and also a mother to Star (J46, born 2009). She had been observed in poor condition since early September, around the time that another J pod matriarch, Samish (J14), disappeared. Although researchers at CWR had seen Polaris actively foraging and had hoped her condition would improve, she has been missing from her family group since October 19th, and she and Dipper are presumed dead.
Ken Balcomb, founder and senior researcher at CWR, shared this sad news and highlighted the critical need to restore salmon for these endangered orcas.
With the loss of Nigel (L95) earlier this year due to a fungal infection linked to the application of a satellite tag, one calf and three adult orcas have died in the increasingly fragile Southern Resident orca community. They now number just 80 in the wild, and their decline is exacerbated by the continued loss of wild salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. Action is needed now to save this small and unique group of orcas as they move even closer to the edge of extinction.
Image: J54 without mom and with tooth rakes from sister J46 who was trying to help him to surface when he was in delirium
Photo by Mark Malleson, October 23, 2016
Posted : October 28, 2016 8:57 pm
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2020 Can’t Come Soon Enough For These Dolphins!
Dolphins are about as fit to live in a concrete tank as humans. Like us, they need their natural environment to live a fulfilling life, and to truly thrive as individuals. These intelligent, social creatures deserve space and freedom — but for those born in captivity, life at sea could be deadly.
That’s why Baltimore’s National Aquarium is stepping up and building North America’s first ever protected dolphin sanctuary for its Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. By 2020, they’ll be out of their tanks, and back to cetacean civilization.
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Of the eight dolphins — Nani, Jade, Spirit, Maya, Bayley, Chesapeake, Beau, and Foster — seven were born in captivity. (Nani, the oldest at about 44, was captured from the wild by a marine park in 1972.) The National Aquarium plans to have a support staff on-hand to keep them safe and healthy.
The dolphins will almost certainly be happier once introduced to the sea, as captivity can have both physical and mental health impacts on dolphins. However, it will take some time to choose and build the refuge.
The aquarium has formed a team of site-selection experts to scout locations in Florida and the Caribbean in search of the perfect environment for their pod, and have emphasized that the well-being of these dolphins is their top priority. But they also anticipate no impact on attendance once the dolphins move to the sanctuary, and consider this a positive step toward staying relevant. The dolphins will surely agree.
PBS NewsHour broke the story with an in-depth report on the dolphinarium industry:
See video:
Posted : October 30, 2016 2:44 pm
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VIDEO: MORGAN SHOWS WHAT’S WRONG WITH CAPTIVITY
26 MAY, 2016
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/video-morgan-shows-whats-wrong-with-captivity/
Posted : November 1, 2016 1:57 pm
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It's a sad day:' Researchers claim Puget Sound orcas are starving and dying
Posted : November 1, 2016 2:24 pm
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SeaWorld seeks OK for new orca encounter stage
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/tourism/sd-fi-orca-encounter-20161102-story.html
Posted : November 3, 2016 10:12 pm
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http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/horrible-life-for-taiji-dolphins/
Hydrated Through Tubes and Fed Medicated Fish: The Horrible Life of Dolphins Captured in Taiji
Posted : November 3, 2016 10:17 pm
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ILLEGALLY-CAUGHT DOLPHINS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS SET FREE
03 NOVEMBER, 2016
Twenty-seven illegally-caught dolphins in the Solomon Islands have been set free – the result of a joint effort between Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Compliance Officers and the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force. According to a report by Francis Pituvaka, Communication Officer, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resource dated October 31, 2016, the mammals were being held in floating cages at Mbungana, Central Islands Province, in contravention of the Fisheries Management Act 2015. The Act includes a Dolphin Export Ban, prohibiting the export of dolphins and the confinement of the mammals for the purposes of sale (and export). Anyone caught committing such an offense is liable for a fine of SBD$500,000, imprisonment for two years or both.
A few days earlier, a similar raid was conducted at Kolombangara Island in the Western Province and a number of dolphins were released back into the open ocean.
Dolphin Project applauds the local authorities as well as the Ministry of Fisheries for enforcing the Fisheries Management Act. Our team in the Solomon’s will continue to work with the Government to permanently end the export and slaughter of dolphins. We are making incredible progress.” ~ Lincoln O’Barry
Despite joining CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in 2007, the Solomon Islands announced that it would sanction the unsustainable capture and export of 100 dolphins per year. Several dolphin capture outfits have subsequently sprung up and more exports are taking place. Both the Solomon Islands and Taiji – known for slaughtering dolphins via drive fisheries – have been targeted by the captive marine mammal industry. The ‘Animal Planet’s’ Blood Dolphin$ detailed in depth how Solomon Island dolphins were exploited for profit.
Dolphin Project has maintained a presence in the Solomon Islands with a recent emphasis on Fanalei Island for several years. We’re using grassroots community development to transition island life away from hunting dolphin for teeth, meat, and cash. Through providing self-sufficient programs, the Dolphin Project is offering Fanalei a chance to seek alternatives to profiting off dolphin.
We’re already seeing change on Fanalei as perceptions evolve. The number of dolphins killed has dropped from 800 animals yearly, to less than fifty. Lead hunters are starting to recognize the dolphins as sentient beings while science is helping them to learn about the complexities of dolphin brains. As a result, some hunters are now open to altering cultural tradition and even ceasing the hunt altogether.
LEARN ABOUT THE MORE ABOUT DOLPHINS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.
Please see link for video and pictures!
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/illegally-caught-dolphins-in-the-solomon-islands-set-free/
Posted : November 3, 2016 10:52 pm
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SEAWORLD CONNECTS TO TAIJI THROUGH ASSOCIATION OF TRAINERS
Nov 07, 2016 | ALLISON HUEY
http://savedolphins.eii.org/news/entry/seaworld-connects-to-taiji-through-association-of-trainers
Posted : November 8, 2016 2:14 am
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San Diego Dolphin Deaths Prompt Year Long NOAA Investigation
Posted : November 8, 2016 2:49 am
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SeaWorld says it's cutting costs as revenue, profit decline
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-seaworld-q3-earnings-20161108-story.html
EARNINGS PLUMMET
Nov 08, 2016 | LAURA BRIDGEMAN
http://savedolphins.eii.org/news/entry/seaworld-investors-furious-as-earnings-plummet
NUMEROUS INJURIES DOCUMENTED ON DOLPHINS AT TAIJI WHALE MUSEUM
09 NOVEMBER, 2016
https://dolphinproject.net/blog/post/numerous-injuries-documented-on-dolphins-at-taiji-whale-museum/
Posted : November 10, 2016 1:47 am
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SeaWorld Employees Rewarded For Turning a Blind Eye To Animal Abuse.
11/11/2016 08:56 pm
Posted : November 12, 2016 9:45 pm
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Freedom! Dolphins Make Successful Move From Marine Park to Open Ocean
Five dolphins demonstrated their species’ adaptability and intelligence when they returned to the wild in 2013 and 2015 after captivity in South Korea, according to National Geographic. The dolphins were released by court order after spending years at the Jungman Pacific Land Marine Park in Jeju, a South Korean island. Evidence of their successful transition includes the March and April 2016 sightings of Sampal, a female released in 2013, swimming with a calf approximately three to six months old. Just a few weeks after their release, all five aquatic mammals rejoined their original pod off Jeju’s coast.
Over a 21-year period, Korean marine parks kept 26 captured dolphins illegally. The captivity continued until 2013, when the South Korean Supreme Court ordered that the five surviving dolphins be released. It was the first time a Korean court had ruled to protect dolphins, according to the Republic of Korea. While captive, the bottlenose dolphins went through training and performed in Korean shows. Before the five Indo-Pacific dolphins were released into the open sea, they were retrained for life in the wild. Their retraining included eating live fish and strengthening exercises to prepare them for the rigors of ocean life.
Jedol and Chunsam are the two dolphins released with Sampal in 2013. Taesan, a male, and Boksoon, a female, were released in 2015, because they were not strong enough for the 2013 release, states National Geographic. The five freed dolphins are doing well since returning to their native habitat, and the birth of Sampal’s calf is a testament to the resiliency of captive and released dolphins.
Researchers who are studying and tracking Sampal and her free dolphin companions are encouraged by what they see. With approximately 2,900 dolphins captive in marine parks, zoos, and aquariums worldwide, this success opens a door for others to be released. Retraining and releasing dolphins comes with a price that can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars per mammal, but many feel the goal is worth the cost. Watch this amazing video of a wild dolphin cavorting in the water.
Posted : November 17, 2016 5:44 am
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Bushey Heath Primary schoolchildren set up petition calling for SeaWorld to stop keeping orcas in captivity
Year 6 pupils at Bushey Heath Primary set up petition to stop orca captivity
The Year 6 pupils at Bushey Heath Primary School decided to set up this petition after learning how to letter write during their English classes.
Within less than a week the petition has now got more than 1,000 signatures with an aim of getting at least 2,000.
Vanessa McClure, the Year 6 teacher, said: “The children got so passionate about this we decided to set up the petition.
“We have now got support from animal rights activist.”
The children learnt that orcas in the wild have an average life expectancy of 30 to 50 years—their estimated maximum lifespan is 60 to 70 years for males and 80 to over 100 for females.
The average age of death for orcas who have died at SeaWorld is 13 years old – one of the main reasons behind the petition.
The breeding of orcas at SeaWorld, in Florida, is under scrutiny following a recent documentary called Black Fish.
To sign the petition visit.
Posted : November 18, 2016 12:18 am
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Posted : November 18, 2016 12:21 am
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Vancouver Aquarium beluga named Qila fourth cetacean associated with organization to die in two years
by Travis Lupick on November 16th, 2016
Posted : November 18, 2016 8:24 am
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Japan ships leave on whaling expedition in Antarctic through March
KYODO
KITAKYUSHU – Japanese vessels left Friday to conduct what Tokyo calls “research whaling” in the Antarctic Ocean through March.
Japan is planning to hunt 333 Antarctic minke whales in its second whaling expedition in the Antarctic Ocean since an international court ruled against the practice in 2014, the Fisheries Agency said.
Responding to the International Court of Justice ruling, Japan submitted to the International Whaling Commission a new whaling plan to cut catches of minke whales by two-thirds to 333.
In fiscal 2014 through March 2015, the country only conducted visual surveys but resumed whaling based on the new plan the following year.
Nonprofit organization Sea Shepherd Australia has expressed its intention to block Japan’s whaling, and the agency is planning to monitor the group’s activities from one of its patrol ships.
Two whaling vessels — the 724-ton Yushin Maru and 747-ton Yushin Maru No. 2 — left the port in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on Friday morning. They will soon join two other whaling ships and the 8,145-ton mother ship Nisshin Maru to form a fleet with 185 crew members in total.
KILLING IS NOT RESEARCH!
(If history repeats itself, many of those killed will be pregnant females.)
Posted : November 18, 2016 12:40 pm
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Whale Spotted Swimming Near Statue of Liberty, Holland Tunnel
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Whales-New-York-Harbor-Acoustic-Buoy-Sei-Whale-401684635.html
Posted : November 18, 2016 1:17 pm
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Vancouver Park Board head wants voters to decide on captive whales
Posted : November 19, 2016 12:53 pm
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The Heartbreaking Life for Dolphins in the Taiji Whale Museum Will Make You Demand Change
Posted : November 21, 2016 11:53 am
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Posted : November 21, 2016 1:55 pm
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Aurora's Story
Posted : November 25, 2016 12:04 am
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Killer Whale Attack ( Documentary )
https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=vAaHUg0wSzo
Habitat of the Orca Killer Whales & Sea Creatures [Nature Wildlife Documentary Full HD]
Posted : November 25, 2016 4:21 pm
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Sad news:
Aurora, the Vancouver Aquarium's last beluga whale, dead at 30
Aurora received dedicated around-the-clock care by staff and a veterinary team, the aquarium said Friday.
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/british-columbia/aurora-beluga-vancouver-aquarium-dies-1.3869241
Posted : November 26, 2016 1:04 pm
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Vancouver Aquarium: Get Out of the Beluga Captivity Business!
Tragedy is "business as usual" for the Vancouver Aquarium in Vancouver, Canada, a facility whose business is based on exploiting whales and dolphins by keeping them in captivity. The tragedy was magnified yesterday, with the death of a 29-year-old female beluga whale named Aurora, and her 21-year-old daughter Qila last Wednesday.
Her death has prompted city officials to call on the public to comment on whether the Vancouver Aquarium should be allowed to continue keeping whales in captivity. Speaking about Qila's death and the sickness of the remaining beluga, Aurora, Vancouver Park Board chairwoman Sarah Kirby-Jung said that it, "sparked public debate...I think it's important that we listen to the public and provide an opportunity to do that."
The Vancouver Aquarium, which earned the #9 spot on In Defense of Animals' Ten Worst Tanks list, has seen three beluga whales die within three years of their births since 2005 alone. This facility also maintains whale-breeding relationships with for-profit companies: five belugas "owned" by Vancouver Aquarium are currently on breeding loans to SeaWorld and Georgia Aquarium facilities.
The questioning of cetacean captivity comes at a particularly awkward time for the Vancouver Aquarium as it plans to begin construction on a pool expansion as part of a $100 million improvement project. Construction is slated to begin in 2017.
Yet these questions must be asked, and it is hoped that the public participation will help to illuminate the reality of the situation to ever more people that keeping cetaceans in captivity is cruel. CEO John Nightengale demonstrated his ignorance of this in a recent interview with CBC when he urged people, "not to think about belugas as if they were people, which I hear a lot. Like, 'I couldn't imagine living in a pool like that.' Well, the beluga couldn't imagine living in your living room either." John is missing the point. It is not the living room furniture that is the problem, it is the lifetime of captivity, with the complete lack of freedom or privacy, that causes stress and early deaths. His implication that beluga whales are somehow satisfied with barren concrete tanks is tragic for the whales forced to suffer under his ignorance and insulting to anyone who knows anything about whales.
What you can do:
The Vancouver Park Board and the Vancouver Aquarium need to hear from you. Please submit our letter below and stay tuned to In Defense of Animals' Cetacean Campaign for further action alerts.
Personalize and submit the letter below to email your comments to:
Sarah Kirby-Yung - Vancouver Park Board Chairwoman
Vancouver Park Board Commissioners
John Nightengale - Vancouver Aquarium CEO
(Valid street address is required - P.O. Boxes cannot be used*)
Posted : November 27, 2016 3:53 am
