On January 10th, the Faroese whalers carried out the first grind of 2025 in Árnafjarðarvík, where 47 pilot whales were slaughtered, including an unknown number of pregnant whales and young calves. This unseasonable practice—occurring in the heart of winter—marks a disturbing shift in the timing and frequency of these hunts, which are already steeped in […]
Tag: marine mammals
Five years, multiple deaths: what is happening at the home of the last captive whales in Canada?
On the southern shores of the Niagara River, a few hundred feet from the thundering falls, sits Marineland of Canada – an amusement park, zoo, aquarium and forest occupying nearly 1,000 acres of land (400 hectares). Over the years, millions of people have clamoured to view the park’s 4,000 animals, including its prized walruses, orcas, […]
Right Whales Can Live 130 Years or Longer, Research Finds
Scientists have estimated that bowhead whales — the longest-living whale species — can live more than 200 years. It was once thought that the bowhead’s cousin, the right whale, had an average lifespan of about 70 to 80 years, but new research has revised that estimate to more than 130 years — nearly twice as […]
Sea Shepherd’s Valentina Crast Speaks Out Against Whale Hunts
Sea Shepherd’s Faroe Islands Director, Valentina Crast, joined an expert panel on November 25, 2024, as part of the American Bar Association’s inaugural “Blue Crimes Webinar Series.” This session, titled “Legality of Dolphin and Whale Hunts,” examined the legal, ethical, and environmental implications of cetacean hunts worldwide. The event launched a three-part series addressing crimes […]
Saving ‘old and wise’ animals vital for species’ survival, say scientists
It’s not just humans who get wiser as they age – animals do too, according to a growing body of research. The bigmouth buffalo fish can reach 127 years old, the Greenland shark 392, and some sponges can live for 10,000 years or more. And age is not just a number: as animals get older […]
Microplastics are sickening and killing wildlife, disrupting Earth systems
Bottlenose dolphins leapt and torpedoed through the shallow turquoise waters off Florida’s Sarasota Bay. Then, a research team moved in, quickly corralling the small pod in a large net. With the speed of a race car pit crew, veterinarians, biologists and their assistants examined the animals, checking vital signs while taking skin, blood and other […]
Whales ‘relentlessly pestered’: tourism boom sparks new rules in French Polynesia
Lisette Muratore swam with humpback whales for the first time off the coast of Mo’orea, an island in French Polynesia, as part of a guided tour. She describes the experience as “overwhelming.” “You have a sudden realisation of the immensity of these creatures … seeing their wild beauty, it’s almost like there’s something sacred about […]
Here’s What Would Happen if All Marine Species Disappeared
Marine species play a critical role in maintaining the delicate balance of our planet’s ecosystems. Their existence is not only essential for the health of our oceans but also for the well-being of life on land. However, imagine a world where every marine species vanishes, leaving behind a barren and lifeless ocean. The implications of […]