Between 11 million and 16 million years ago, during the high sea levels of the middle Miocene period, the ancestors of the Indus River dolphin entered the muddy waters of what is the Indus Basin today. Over millennia, they adapted to their new environment through extraordinary evolutionary shifts, developing sophisticated echolocation while gradually losing their […]
Tag: dolphins
World Dolphin Day: Reporting unusual behavior, threats and increased protections
Nine dolphin species, and several more subspecies and local populations, are currently critically endangered or endangered, according to the most recent assessment by the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. September 12 marks World Dolphin Day, an awareness day created in 2022 by marine conservation nonprofit Sea Shepherd to bring attention to the threats that these highly intelligent […]
“Torpedo-shaped bodies, pointed snout and a jutting lower jaw packed with fearsome, sharp teeth – it has been known to attack swimmers…”
These fierce-looking, torpedo-shaped fish can be found in warm and tropical waters all round the world. Each of the 20 or so different species of barracuda are intimidating ocean predators, but it’s the great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) that strikes fear into the hearts of prey fish big and small. What do barracuda look like? One of the deadliest fish in the […]
Penguins and dolphins among nearly 400 Australian species under threat from bird flu as ‘true extent of disaster’ revealed
Almost 400 native Australian bird and mammal species have been assessed as being at a high risk – or worse – from the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, a federal government assessment has revealed. Some of Australia’s most beloved animals – including species of penguins, fur seals, quolls, dolphins, more than 300 birds and the […]
“Honestly, truly beyond belief…” It was a humongous 7 miles long, 5 miles wide and made up of a staggering 100,000 individuals…
When several dolphin pods join together, it’s known as a super pod. These can have hundreds or even thousands of dolphins all dancing through the waves In 2013, wildlife watchers off the coast of San Diego, California, were blessed with an encounter so special they may have had to pinch themselves to believe it wasn’t […]
5 New Marine Reserves to Protect Dolphins and Kelp Forests off New Zealand’s South Island
In what is being described as an “important first step,” for marine protections in the island nation of New Zealand, 5 new marine preserves will enter into force next month. Surrounding a district called Otago near the southeastern tip of the South Island, 308 square miles of key marine habitats filled with charismatic species will […]
Seeking swordfish, catching dolphins and whales: EU pushes to rein in driftnets
Driftnets, vertically hanging nets that drift with ocean currents and can stretch for kilometers, are used to catch large pelagic species such as swordfish and tuna. However, they have long drawn criticism from conservationists as they also capture and kill sharks, turtles, dolphins and other marine wildlife. For decades, debate has raged about use of […]
‘Scavenger’ dolphins increasingly rely on trawlers for food in overfished Adriatic, say scientists
Bottlenose dolphins in the Adriatic are increasingly following trawlers to scavenge for food, with baby dolphins learning the technique from their parents, a study has found. “These days the easiest way to find [bottlenose dolphins] is to look for trawlers,” said Giovanni Bearzi, a co-author of the study and the president of Dolphin Biology and Conservation in […]