An encouraging news story from Reuters. A smart buoy that can “hear” the ocean and monitor climate change is part of a new effort to help endangered whales avoid ship collisions on their journey from Antarctica to the equator. The … Continue reading
Tag Archives: whales
Earlier this year, we posted “The Incredible Journey of Belugas Little White and Little Grey,” about the 6,000-mile transport in June 2019 of the two whales by air, land, and sea from an aquarium in Shanghai to a new home … Continue reading
Two groups of fishermen had recent close encounters with humpback whales off the Jersey Shore. In early June, two men fishing in a 25′ boat not far offshore near Seaside Park, NJ were thrown from their boat when it was … Continue reading
Almost a year ago, two beluga whales, Little White and Little Grey, traveled 6,000 miles from an aquarium in Shanghai around the globe to Iceland to a new home in the world’s first beluga whale sanctuary. If all goes well, … Continue reading
To change the topic, for a day at least, here is a well done short video by the Nature Conservancy about the return of the lowly menhaden, which they call the most important fish in the sea. Menhaden are an … Continue reading
Six years ago, we posted about research that documented that when dogs defecate, they usually align their bodies along the magnetic north-south axis, not unlike the needle of a magnetic compass. It turns out that dogs are not unique in … Continue reading
The Trump administration has approved seismic testing related to oil and gas exploration off the US Atlantic coast. The testing could harm tens of thousands of dolphins, whales and other marine animals. The testing uses blasts from high-powered airguns to map the … Continue reading
The Trump administration announced that it would cancel a rule designed to protect whales and turtles, which was first implemented in 2016, at the request of the fishing industry. The rule helped limit the number of endangered whales and turtles … Continue reading
Here is a fascinating short video that discusses “trophic cascades,” “poo-namis,” ocean mixing and how whales have a positive impact on climate change. Worth watching. How Whales Change Climate … Continue reading
Yesterday we posted about a whale swimming in New York’s East River. It was originally identified by the police as a humpback, but their photograph of the whale’s spout now makes it highly likely that the whales was in fact … Continue reading
After decades of absence, whales are returning to the waters around New York City. Competing whale watching cruises depart New York docks in the warmer months to see humpback, fin whales and dolphins, often within site of the city skyline. … Continue reading
In 2012, we posted about how U.S Navy low frequency sonar training and testing could kill or deafen thousands of whales and dolphins. Environmental groups, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, filed a lawsuit in San Francisco arguing that actions violated … Continue reading
How do whales sleep? And do they dream? Many years ago on a kayaking trip on Blackfish Sound off Vancouver Island, our group of paddlers came across a pod of “sleeping” orcas. The pod was swimming very slowly, each orca swimming … Continue reading
A fascinating video of dolphins and whales creating and then playing with bubble rings — toroidal vortices, also known as vortex rings. (Also a bit of volcanoes blowing smoke rings.) Extraordinary Toroidal Vortices … Continue reading
I don’t watch a lot of television, though it seems every time that I turn the set on I see another commercial touting how wonderful things are on the Gulf of Mexico. The sun is shining, the beaches are beautiful, … Continue reading
The New York Times, this morning, features in their “Room for Debate” section, a worthwhile discussion on the real threats to the survival of whale species, entitled, Did We Save the Whales? In the discussion, Junichi Sato of Greenpeace Japan notes … Continue reading
One of the greatest threats to many endangered species of whale is being run down by ships or getting entangled in fishing nets. This week, federal maritime officials have approved a plan to protect whales in and around San Francisco Bay that features … Continue reading
In a previous Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 2009-2013, the U.S. Navy estimated that 150,000 marine mammals could be harmed in sonar training and testing exercises. Now in the EIS for 2014-2018, Navy estimates have soared, suggesting that sonar training and testing might unintentionally harm marine mammals 2.8 … Continue reading
The New York Daily News reported good news this morning: Whales return to New York City: Massive mammals appearing again in seas near city; draws sightseers … Continue reading
Today is Blog Action Day where bloggers around the wold are posting about a common theme – water. Most, no doubt, will be blogging about the almost a billion people in the world who do not have access to clean drinking water. … Continue reading