Spotting elusive, deep-diving marine animals in the wild is certainly a treat for anyone, but catching them engaging in particularly rare behavior like giving birth or bubble-netting is especially rewarding. Recently, wildlife photographer Kurt Amsler was in the right place at the right time for capturing one of those very moments with sperm whales. In […]
Tag: sperm whale
Sydney pelagic trip
As I headed out on a pelagic wildlife watching trip out of Sydney with Halicat I was really keen to see a new species of whale. Which wasn’t not too much to ask for, given that the only whale species I have seen are Humpbacks, Right whales and a pod of Pygmy Killer Whales. The […]
Whales Found to be Crucial for Healthy Ocean Ecosystems
In June, researchers found that whale poo is highly beneficial to marine ecosystems in the Southern Ocean since it is rich in iron. Now, new findings show that whales’ contribution to the sea goes far beyond just their excrements. In a paper released earlier this month, University of Vermont conservation biologist Joe Roman and a […]
Nearly half a million seabirds die in gillnets every year, but solutions exist
A recent study from the Biological Conservation journal brings shocking news: every year across the globe, an estimated 400,000 seabirds are killed by gillnets. Gillnets, a common term for any net used to entangle and catch fish, are used all over the world, and at any depth. These nets, whether used in subsistence or commercial […]
Whales Get Sunburns, Too
If you head to the beach without sunscreen, you’ll probably return home with a scarlet, painful sunburn. That’s because you’ve exposed your skin to several hours of UV rays, which damage DNA within your skin cells. But did you know that whales can get sunburned, too? Researchers discovered that blue, sperm, and fin whales also […]
Disabled Killer Whale Survives with Help from Its Pod
In one of those incredible-but-true stories that makes you want to give the oceans a giant hug, a disabled killer whale missing two of its fins and unable to hunt to feed itself is able to survive through the help of its family. The young male killer whale, or orca, has no dorsal fin or […]