Nearly 200 stranded pilot whales have died on Tasmania’s west coast, but rescuers successfully returned 32 animals to deeper water on Thursday. A pod of about 230 pilot whales became stranded on Wednesday on Ocean Beach, west of Strahan. Some were also stranded on a sand flat inside Macquarie Harbour, south of the town. Marine […]
Tag: whales
Female Orca Dies at Marine Park, Making Her the Third to Die Prematurely in the Last 18 Months
A female orca named Kohana died at the Loro Parque marine park in Tenerife, Spain, making her the third killer whale to die at that park in the last 18 months. Kohana was the daughter of Tilikum, who was the subject of the groundbreaking documentary exposing SeaWorld called Blackfish. Kohana was just 20 years old. […]
Acid test: Are the world’s oceans becoming too ‘acidic’ to support life?
Hours after being born, oysters are already working to form their protective, chalk-layered shells. Drawing calcium and carbonate from seawater, they combine the two to form hardened shells. But as humans have pumped voluminous sums of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, this ancient process has come under threat. It’s estimated that the global ocean absorbs […]
US lobster put on ‘red list’ to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales
Lobster nets and pots have become such a threat to the survival of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales that the crustaceans have been “red-listed” as seafood to avoid by a major fish sustainability guide. Fewer than 340 of these whales exist today, including only 80 breeding females. The population is estimated to have dwindled […]
Fran the Beloved 50-Foot Humpback Whale Found Washed Up Dead on Beach in California After Being Struck by Ship
A famous and beloved 50-foot humpback whale washed up dead on a beach in California after she was hit and killed by a ship strike. The whale named Fran washed up on Halfmoon Bay on August 29, according to Whales of Guerrero. Fran was known to locals and research groups and was seen swimming off […]
The bloody truth behind Japan’s dolphin hunting
Just after 6am, a fleet of 11 fishing boats left Taiji harbour on Japan’s southern Pacific coast. Within an hour, the boats were lined up in a formation, encircling a pod of 18 Risso’s dolphins and forcing them into a cove. Nets were set to trap the dolphins, and soon after, seven dolphin trainers from […]
‘Insanity’: entangled whale in Queensland sparks renewed calls for shark net removal
More whales are likely to get entangled every year unless the “sheer insanity” of shark nets are removed from Queensland waters, scientists say. Rescue teams freed an adult humpback from shark nets on Tuesday morning, taking the tally to at least seven whales caught in Queensland nets in less than three months – six of […]
Warning over SeaWorld orcas as trainer says ‘Jurassic Park-style’ breeding programme created ‘aggressive hybrid whales’
SEAWORLD “played god” with orcas during its breeding programme creating aggressive hybrid killer whales, a former trainer has claimed. Trainer John says that the world-famous marine park had “no idea” what they were creating and fears that the horror breeding programme could have led to more aggressive orcas being kept in captivity. John, who starred […]