Sobering aerial video of the scope of the ongoing spill. At around 6:30 there is footage of pods of dead and dying dolphins and a sperm whale caught in the oil. Difficult video to watch but important, nevertheless.
Old Salt Blog
a virtual port of call for all those who love the sea , hosted by nautical novelist Rick Spilman
Well now I am a bit confused. Sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico? It was my understanding that they were only found off the island of Dominica in the Caribbean in this area. However there is so much misinformation about this spill who knows!
Good Watch.
I wasn’t aware of them either. Apparently there is a population of over a thousand sperm whales in the Gulf.
Sperm Whales in the Gulf of Mexico
There is a Youtube video of a sperm whale passing between a Gulf drill rig and an ROV taken four years ago.
Sperm Whale Gulf of Mexico
Amazing thing about the sea is one learns new things every day. However my research does not support this unless it maybe a pod of females though 1000 seems high. Sperm whales do not like to be trapped in an enclosed gulf like the Gulf of Mexico. Difficult entrance via Yucatan and exit via Keys. Like they say one sparrow does not make Spring and one sperm whale does not make 1000!!
Good Watch.
Here is an article that estimate a population of 1,665 sperm whales in the Gulf. All of this is new to me. Interesting and disturbing, in parts.
Rare giant squid captured by sperm whale researchers in Gulf of Mexico.
“Biologists with the Minerals Management Service are attempting to identify the fish and squid species preferred by the estimated 1,665 sperm whales that call the Gulf their home.”
“Gulf sperm whales …are genetically distinct and smaller than sperm whales found in other oceans.”
“Research indicates that the Gulf sperm whale subspecies can sustain no more than an average 2.8 human-caused deaths each year without threatening its recovery to a non-endangered status.”
Although there can never be a price tag on life, human or animal, I think that BP should be made to pay for each dolphin and each whale killed in this horrendous accident. The money paid in damages can be placed in a trust fund to further scientific research on wildlife in the Gulf area and finance related conservation efforts.
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It’s time we humans raise the bar on safety especially in all things concerning energy production. BP and oil companies are still in the 19th century as far as mindset on safety goes. This must be handled. If airtraffic controllers were no better than BP we would have planes crashed all over, I know humans can act with a high great technical proficiency. We need some really anal retintive inspectors and fines that can break the corporate bank. It’s time we put the Pee on BP.