Scientists studying the DNA of the world’s smallest cetacean and rarest marine mammal, the vaquita porpoise, have made a surprising and bittersweet discovery. With a tiny population of fewer than 10 individuals left, the mammal was assumed by conservationists to be at a similar risk of harmful mutations and inbreeding as other species with small […]
Tag: national oceanic and atmospheric administration
Dolphin’s stabbing death investigated by Florida wildlife officials
Wildlife officials in Florida are investigating the mysterious death of a bottlenose dolphin that was recovered on a beach with an apparent stab wound to the head. The mammal, which was found on Fort Myers beach in the south-west of the state on 24 March, is believed to have been killed deliberately, probably while it […]
Lactating female dolphin sadistically slaughtered with spear on Florida beach
A dolphin was found impaled by a spear on a Florida beach, prompting police to initiate an inquiry. The dolphin was believed to have been struck by the spear-like object before it died, according to police. Its body was later discovered washed ashore on the beach in Fort Myers last month. The Florida Fish and […]
A stranded dolphin has died after beachgoers on the Texas Gulf Coast tried to swim with and ride it
According to the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, the dolphin was stranded on the sand at Quintana Beach when a group of people surrounded the animal and pushed it back to sea. The animal was then again stranded on the beach and died before rescuers from Quintana Beach County Park arrived on the scene. “This […]
Lone beluga whale is spotted swimming off the coast of Seattle, 1,500 miles from the nearest population in Alaska – and scientists have no idea why
They are known to be extremely social creatures that thrive in the freezing waters of the Artic. So the discovery of a lone beluga whale off the coast of Seattle — almost 1,500 miles from its nearest population in Alaska — has left scientists baffled. The wayward creature’s ‘very rare’ appearance is the first documented […]
Protecting Reef Wildlife by Stopping the Aquarium Trade
Nowadays, when you are snorkeling in the Hawaiian Islands, unless you are in a protected area, you may be faced with the fact that the very marine animals have left the building. I returned to the Big Island to go snorkeling after 15 years and was shocked at the absence of beautiful reef fish that […]
Cape Cod: eight great white sharks seen feeding on humpback whale carcass
For those aboard a recent whale watching cruise off Cape Cod, the decomposing carcass of a year-old humpback calf floating in the waters of the Stellwagen Bank national marine sanctuary made for a heartbreaking sight. But it turned into a camera-ready moment, and a rare bonanza for shark researchers, when two large great whites showed […]
Humpback Whale Habitat Protected by Biden Administration
The Biden Administration took a significant step to protect humpback whales. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NFMS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Commerce departments have finalized a rule to protect ocean habitats used by humpback whales. Humpback whales were once hunted to the brink of extinction and now two of the five “breeding […]