The memory of a blue whale gliding past his small boat haunts Patricio Ortiz. A deep wound disfigured the cetacean’s giant body – a big chunk had been ripped from its dorsal fin. Cargo ships are the only adversary capable of inflicting such harm on a blue whale, he says. “Nothing can be done when […]
Tag: penguins
US marine park investigated over animal-welfare concerns
US law enforcement and wildlife officials have raided a marine park in Florida following allegations of “animal abuse” at the site. Four dolphins have died at the Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach in the past year, local media say. Animal rights activists have recently posted drone footage appearing to show dolphins swimming […]
Mercury Pollution Detected in Antarctic Penguins
In a new study, scientists have confirmed mercury contamination in Antarctic penguins and are raising alarms that this pollutant and its impact on birds mimics the spread of DDT uncovered in the 1960s. Despite the lack of humans near the penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula, researchers have confirmed mercury contamination in these birds. According to […]
Petition: Argentina Must Act Now to Save Its Magellanic Penguins
Around the world, penguins are facing a rapidly declining population due to climate change – but also thanks to unsustainable fishing practices. Thankfully, South Africa just showed the world that can change. A compromise between the country’s conservationists and the fishing industry led to the establishment of no-fishing zones around African penguin breeding colonies for […]
How a penguin ‘massacre’ led to historic new protections in Argentina
As spring turns to summer in the southern hemisphere, the Punta Tombo Natural Protected Area on Argentina‘s central coast comes alive, with the chicks of some 180,000 pairs of nesting Magellanic penguins braying and peeping 24/7. That penguin-palooza was nearing a crescendo in November 2021 when tragedy struck. A local rancher named Ricardo La Regina, […]
Aww…We Can’t Stop Watching These Adorable Penguins Tripping Over Rope (VIDEO)
Emperor penguins are more resilient than you think. They trek for miles through Antarctica’s ice deserts, marching blindly through unforgiving blizzards and harsh winds. They even slide down icy hills on their bellies, with seemingly no signs of pain. But, in the video below, it seems like a taut rope may be an area where […]
South Africa Bans Commercial Fishing at Penguin Breeding Spots Where Food Supply Shortage Could Drive Extinction
For a critically endangered species of penguin, a recent decision to remove fishing competition from its hunting and breeding grounds may prove to be the key to saving it. In the rich waters of South Africa’s cape and Atlantic coastlines, 6 key breeding colonies of the African penguin are now no-go zones for commercial sardine […]
Bird Flu Reaches Antarctica Threatening Penguins and Seabirds
A deadly strain of bird flu has officially made its way to Antarctica, raising serious alarm among scientists and wildlife advocates. According to New Scientist reporter Michael Le Page, H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in dead skuas along the Antarctic Peninsula, marking the virus’s first known impact on the frozen continent’s wildlife. Researchers from […]