The gray whale is the focus of research projects anticipating its eventual return to European waters after an absence of a half-millennium. Youri van den Hurk is preparing for a possible big welcome-home event—the return of the gray whale to European waters after an absence of about 500 years. The gray whale disappeared from the […]
Tag: whales
Scientists Develop Technology to Reduce Whale-Ship Collisions
It wasn’t until very recently that scientists became aware of the soundscape of the ocean and how reliant animals are on it. Despite this, humans are contaminating this environment with more and more noise with things like sonar, seismic blasts, and ship engines. This has led to animals struggling to find food, communicate with each […]
32 Out Of 200 Beached Whales in Tasmania Have Been Rescued
Wildlife experts rescued 32 out of the 230 beached pilot whales that were found stranded on the remote west coast of Australia’s island state of Tasmania. Half of the pod of whales were stranded in Macquarie Harbour and were thought to still be alive on Wednesday, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment […]
Nearly 200 stranded pilot whales die on Tasmanian beach but dozens saved and returned to sea
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 […]
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 […]