In honor of Shark Week, we asked our audience on Tuesday to weigh in on their favorite shark species. Not surprisingly, great white sharks turned out to be the fan favorite! You likely know great white sharks from their many appearances in the media, from “Jaws” to “Finding Nemo” and coverage across local news networks. […]
Tag: Killer Whale
Whales Found to be Crucial for Healthy Ocean Ecosystems
In June, researchers found that whale poo is highly beneficial to marine ecosystems in the Southern Ocean since it is rich in iron. Now, new findings show that whales’ contribution to the sea goes far beyond just their excrements. In a paper released earlier this month, University of Vermont conservation biologist Joe Roman and a […]
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 […]
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 […]
POLL: Should whales and dolphins be kept in captivity for our entertainment?
A documentary examining the treatment of killer whales in captivity claims that the giant mammals that have delighted generations of children are being deeply traumatised by their conditions. The movie, which is called Blackfish and will be released in July in the UK and the United States, focuses on an animal called Tilikum who has […]
Killer Whales: Beneath the Surface – review
“For thousands of years it was feared as a single-minded, ruthless hunter,” says the narrator of Killer Whales: Beneath the Surface – Natural World (BBC2). Well, it’s hardly surprising. Look at this one. Here’s this poor sea lion, lolling (old meaning) about at the surface of the sea, happily unaware that it’s got half a […]
Killer whales experience menopause – just like humans
Just like humans, killer whales experience menopause – and the rare evolutionary trait improves their offspring’s chances of survival, according to experts. Killer whales are one of only three species able to continue living long after they have stopped reproducing. This allows mothers to spend the rest of their life looking after their offspring. Scientists […]
Swim with dolphins, then eat them in a cafe? Give the poor creatures a break
It’s the most barbarous bit of mixed messaging since the Icelandic whaler Kristjam Loftsson declared he was making his whaling operation “eco-friendly” by running his ships on – whale oil. The Japanese town of Taiji, site of the annual slaughter of thousands of cetaceans as featured in the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, has declared its […]