Too many animals around the world are being driven to extinction because of habitat loss. The blue-throated hillstar hummingbird was just recently discovered and is already facing extinction because its natural habitat is home to metals that people want to get their hands on. Orangutans are suffering greatly because of deforestation for palm oil production. […]
Tag: Sea Lion
Sea lions to be culled to protect salmon
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is accepting public comments on a new plan to cull sea lions on the Columbia River, along the Oregon-Washington border, in order to benefit populations of salmon and steelhead, which have been falling in recent years. Current management policy allows up to 92 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) to […]
Whale ‘swallows’ sea lion: ‘It was a once-in-a-lifetime event’
Chase Dekker believes the photo he took of a humpback whale “swallowing” a sea lion is the first time that happening has ever been caught on camera. The 27-year-old wildlife photographer and marine biologist had taken a boat of whale watchers out on the water in Monterey Bay, California, on 22 July when the incident […]
Endangered Sea Lions Devastated By New Zealand’s Squid Industry
A sixth sea lion has died after being entrapped in a squid trawling net off the coast of New Zealand last week. Perhaps the world’s rarest sea lion, this particular species is only found in and around New Zealand, and has only about 12,000 individuals total. Limited historical data suggests New Zealand sea lion populations […]
The Bloodshed of Fur Seals Has Begun in Namibia
Over the next four months, thousands of fur seals living in Cape Cross and Atlas Bay will be brutally killed for their fur, oil, and genitals. Namibia, where seals are listed among the most important commercial marine species, has set an annual hunt quota of 80,000 Cape fur seal pups and 6,000 bulls. As of […]
Why swim, when you can hitch a ride on the back of a whale?
Boaters were watching a precious seal swimming around in the water, when something unexpected happened. A friendly whale emerged right under the seal and picked up the little fella on its back. Watch as a playful seal decides to go for a ride after jumping onto the back of a whale! He has a personal […]
Argentina creates two new marine parks to protect penguins, sea lions
Argentina has officially created two large marine protected areas: the Yaganes Marine National Park, lying off of the country’s southern tip, and the Namuncurá-Burdwood Bank II Marine National Park in the South Atlantic. Together, the two parks cover a total area of about 98,000 square kilometers (37,000 square miles). By designating these two marine parks, […]
Fisherman Risks His Life to Save a Humpback Whale
As they headed back toward the central California coast after fishing for slime eel in the Pacific Ocean, Sam Synstelien and Nicholas Taron made a troubling discovery: a humpback whale was entangled in a buoy’s rope, frantically trying to free itself. Synstelien immediately called the U.S. Coast Guard but was told it might take a […]