A gathering of 3000-5000 spinner dolphins, known as a megapod, is filmed underwater for the first time for a BBC series, Dolphins – Spy in the Pod. Two robotic ‘spy creatures’ with cameras in their mouths and eyes view the dolphins gathering to socialise in the nutrient-rich waters off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica […]
Tag: dolphin
POLL: Should Humpback Whales Be Removed From the Endangered Species List in 2014?
After being almost hunted to extinction, Humpback whales were added to the U.S. list of endangered species in 1988. Adults can be 40-50 feet long and weigh around 80,000lbs! They are a baleen whale, which means that they filter their food with baleen plates rather than eat it with teeth. North Pacific humpback whales came […]
Bottlenose dolphins off US coast hit by measles-like virus
More than 1,000 migratory bottlenose dolphins have died from a measles-like virus along the US eastern seaboard in 2013 and the epidemic shows no sign of abating, a marine biologist said on Monday. The death toll exceeds the 740 dolphins killed during the last big outbreak of the then unknown virus in 1987-88. “It is […]
Biggest new animal discoveries of 2013 (photos)
Thousands of species were scientifically described for the first time in 2013. Many of these were ‘cryptic species’ that were identified after genetic analysis distinguished them from closely-related species, while others were totally novel. Below are some of the most interesting “new species” discoveries that took place or were formally announced in 2013. The last […]
Gulf Dolphins Are Still Sick After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
This morning NOAA released a report from its dolphin health assessment following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Their investigation shows the effects of the spill on dolphins in Barataria Bay, including a higher prevalence of lung disease and adrenal effects. One of the worst sights I’ve ever seen was the Gulf Oil Spill, but the […]
A “Death Sentence” For the Tiniest Dolphins in the World
At just 1.2 to 1.4 meters long and about 110 pounds, Maui’s dolphin is the smallest in the world. It is also found only on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island — and it is critically endangered. A 2012 survey commissioned by the New Zealand government’s Department of Conservation found that there were only […]
Dolphins, bats and the evolution of echolocation
A dolphin swimming through the world’s oceans after fish, and a bat flying through the air with its membranous wings to catch insects or eat fruit: at first glance, it looks like no two creatures could be more different. But it turns out they share a superpower – they hunt prey by emitting high-pitched sounds […]
Japanese Whaling: Bad For Cetaceans and Humans Alike
A new analysis shows that Japan’s annual hunt of small whales, dolphins and porpoises is unsustainable and could even drive some species toward extinction while at the same time presenting a real risk to human health. Every year, Japanese whaling ships catch and often times brutally butcher up to 17,000 small whales, dolphins and porpoises […]