Driftnets, vertically hanging nets that drift with ocean currents and can stretch for kilometers, are used to catch large pelagic species such as swordfish and tuna. However, they have long drawn criticism from conservationists as they also capture and kill sharks, turtles, dolphins and other marine wildlife. For decades, debate has raged about use of […]
Tag: sperm whale
SC man punished for trafficking sperm whale parts, prosecutor says
A South Carolina man was punished for trafficking sperm whale parts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Tuesday in a news release. From September 2021 to September 2024, 69-year-old St. Helena resident Lauren DeLoach violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Lacey Act, according to the release. DeLoach illegally imported, sold and possessed sperm whale […]
‘Extraordinary longevity’: great whales can live a lot longer than we thought – if we leave them alone
In Moby-Dick, Herman Melville’s epic novel of 1851, the author asks if whales would survive the remorseless human hunt. Yes, he says, as he foresees a future flooded world in which the whale would outlive us and “spout his frothed defiance to the skies”. Moby Dick was a grizzled old sperm whale that had miraculously […]
Protecting 2.6% of oceans could prevent deadly whale-ship collisions: Study
Ship strikes are a leading threat to large whales, with global shipping routes overlapping 92% of their habitats, a new study finds. But protecting whales in the most dangerous collision hotspots would require action over just 2.6% of the ocean’s surface, researchers conclude, potentially saving thousands of whales with minimal disruption to global trade. The […]
Sperm Whales Vanish from Gulf of California as Ecosystem Shifts
A new study highlights the concerning departure of sperm whales from Mexico’s Gulf of California, suggesting broader signs of ecosystem instability. The study, published in PeerJ Life and Environment, details how these apex predators have vanished from the region in response to dramatic drops in the jumbo squid population, their primary food source. Sperm whales […]
Petition: Urge Shipping Company to Reroute Ships to Avoid Whale-Ship Collisions
The Hellenic Trench in the Mediterranean is a key ecosystem for endangered sperm whales. Fewer than 200 of the majestic creatures are left alive in the area – and more die off all the time, often as a result of being hit by large ships. That’s why it’s so important for big shipping companies to […]
Unusually Large Number of Whales Spotted, Including Multiple Endangered Species, off Northeast U.S. Coasts
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has reported 161 sightings of whales last month, representing seven different whale species. The sightings, recorded on May 25, took place off the northeastern U.S. Coasts, near Martha’s Vineyard and southeast of Nantucket. According to NOAA, the sightings included an unusually high number of whale species, particularly endangered […]
Sperm whale dies after being stranded on Florida beach
A sperm whale who became stranded on a Florida beach over the weekend has died, state’s fish and wildlife conservation commission said in a statement on Monday. The case was an urgent one for animal preservationists because sperm whales are classified as an endangered species. Police and wildlife officials had tried to free the male […]