The whaling industry in Japan is on the brink of collapse as young generations tastes have rapidly changed and government subsidies are beginning to shrink. The industry employed thousands of people in the decades immediately after World War II, and sustained entire communities during those difficult economic times, is today losing the government subsidies that […]
Tag: whaling
US drafts new speed limits on shipping to help save endangered whales
Vessels off the US east coast must slow down more often to help save a vanishing species of whale from extinction, the federal government said. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made the announcement via new proposed rules designed to prevent ships colliding with North Atlantic right whales. Vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear […]
Forty years ago, the world did something amazing for whales
This week marks the 40th anniversary of the global moratorium on commercial whaling, a momentous achievement that turned the course for long persecuted cetacean species. Slow to reproduce, whales were nearly wiped out altogether in the 20th century, with an estimated three million killed for profit. I gave my heart to the campaign for whales […]
Thousands of whale images are being combed through by researchers in order to help conserve a calving spot off the coast of Western Australia
Thousands of whale images are being combed through by researchers in order to help conserve a calving spot off the coast of Western Australia that was severely affected by the whaling industry. The researchers believe Geographe Bay, off the coast of south-west Western Australia, is an important calving ground that needs to be protected, and […]
‘Forever chemicals’ are now found not only in whales but also in human lungs!
Scientists detected a strange effect on the stress hormones of North Atlantic right whales in the aftermath of 9/11. Ships are abundant in our oceans, yet there was a huge slowdown in traffic throughout the North Atlantic eastern seaboard immediately after the planes flew into the twin buildings, lowering undersea noise. While the rest of […]
Seeing humpback whales breach off Australia’s east coast is a once-in-a-lifetime experience
Humpback whales may grow up to 55 feet long, with pectoral flippers covering roughly a third of their bodies, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation. They are known for their outstanding acrobatic talents and lyrical whale songs. These massive yet agile whales smack the water with their flippers and tails, creating stunning splashes that captivate […]
Engine noise, sonar, and seismic shocks abound in today’s maritime waters hurting marine life
We were out photographing whales with a flotilla of a dozen other tourist boats from ports all across the Salish Sea. In August 2001, it was one of my first visits to the area. The fuzz and beep of ship radios knitted a net over the ocean, a hazy mimic of the whales’ own aural […]
Pilot whales killed in season’s first Faroese hunt
On May 7th, more than 60 pilot whales were captured and butchered in this year’s first pilot whale hunt in the Faroe Islands. Ingi Sørensen, a Faroese diver, author, and underwater photographer who is fiercely against the practice documented the slaughter, known as grindadráp in Faroese. His video recording shows several motorized boats driving the […]