Whales

Extremely disappointed': Australia lashes Japan's decision to restart commercial whaling

The Australian government has condemned Japan's "regrettable" decision to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission and resume commercial whaling. The Japanese government's withdrawal from the global body, announced on Wednesday, will see commercial hunts in the country's territorial and economic waters start in July 2019. Announcing the decision, Chief Cabinet …

Extremely disappointed': Australia lashes Japan's decision to restart commercial whaling

The Australian government has condemned Japan's "regrettable" decision to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission and resume commercial whaling. The Japanese government's withdrawal from the global body, announced on Wednesday, will see commercial hunts in the country's territorial and economic waters start in July 2019. Announcing the decision, Chief Cabinet …

Solar storms may trigger sperm whale strandings: explanation approaches for multiple strandings in the North Sea in 2016

The Earth's atmosphere and the Earth's magnetic field protects local life by shielding us against Solar particle flows, just like the sun's magnetic field deflects cosmic particle radiation. Generally, magnetic fields can affect terrestrial life such as migrating animals. Thus, terrestrial life is connected to astronomical interrelations between different magnetic …

Respiratory microbiome of endangered southern resident killer whales and microbiota of surrounding sea surface microlayer in the eastern North Pacific

In the Salish Sea, the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) is a high trophic indicator of ecosystem health. Three major threats have been identified for this population: reduced prey availability, anthropogenic contaminants, and marine vessel disturbances. These perturbations can culminate in significant morbidity and mortality, usually associated with secondary …

Hundreds of whales die in mass stranding on New Zealand beach

Urgent plea issued for locals to drop work and school commitments and head to the remote beach to save surviving whales. Hundreds of whales have died overnight on a New Zealand beach after a mass stranding thought to be the largest in decades. The Department of Conservation (DOC) discovered 416 …

Noise levels of multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles with implications for potential underwater impacts on marine mammals

Despite the rapid increase in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in marine mammal research, knowledge of the effects of UAVs on study animals is very limited. We recorded the in-air and in-water noise from two commonly used multi-rotor UAVs, the SwellPro Splashdrone and the DJI Inspire 1 Pro, …

Genetic profiling links changing sea-ice to shifting beluga whale migration patterns

There is increasing concern over how Arctic fauna will adapt to climate related changes in sea-ice. We used long-term sighting and genetic data on beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in conjunction with multi-decadal patterns of sea-ice in the Pacific Arctic to investigate the influence of sea-ice on spring migration and summer …

Most humpback whales to be taken off federal endangered species list

Federal authorities are taking most humpback whales off the endangered species list, saying they have recovered enough in the last 40 years to warrant being removed. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) said on Monday that nine of the 14 distinct populations of humpbacks would be removed, while four distinct …

US creates world’s largest marine reserve off Hawaii

The monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to more than 7,000 marine species, including endangered sea turtles, whales, Hawaiian monk seals, Laysan albatross, Pritchardia palms, and several recently discovered species. While non-commercial fishing is allowed in the monument region by permit, commercial fishing and future mineral extraction activities …

Mysterious New Whale Species Discovered in Alaska

Scientists say a dead whale on a desolate beach and a skeleton hanging in a high school gym are a new species. Yet experts have never seen one alive. The remains floated ashore in June of 2014, in the Pribilof Islands community of St. George, a tiny oasis of rock …

Navy sonar broke whale protection laws, says US court

Whales may travel hundreds of miles to avoid the sound of sonar, experts claim Sonar approved for use by the US Navy broke marine laws, a US appeals court has ruled. The low-frequency active sonar, approved in 2012, is used to detect enemy submarines. But it can also harm whales, …

A Plan to Mute Ocean Noise for Marine Life

Imagine trying to relax in your home while being bombarded with the explosive sounds of shotgun blasts as well as freight trains rumbling by. For many whales, dolphins and other marine life that depend on their hearing to survive, there is no way to escape the loud, human-made noises in …

Why are whales dying on India's east coast?

SRIKAKULAM: A spike in the number of whales getting washed ashore on the eastern sea coast is possibly an indicator of the high pollution in these waters, experts said. In this district of Andhra Pradesh, two whale deaths were reported in May. The carcass of a baleen whale washed up …

Deafening Atlantic oil prospecting to go ahead despite threat to marine life

The Obama administration is to allow surveying of the seabed using seismic airguns that have been likened to a ‘grenade blast’ for whales and other creatures The Obama administration is to press ahead with proposals to allow loud underwater prospecting for oil and gas off the east coast, even though …

Ships' noise is serious problem for killer whales and dolphins, report finds

Noise emanating from passing ships may disturb animals such as killer whales and dolphins far more than previously thought, with new research showing that the animals’ communication and ability to find prey could be hampered by the underwater din. The low rumble of passing ships has long been connected to …

Report finds whales and dolphins unable to breed due to pollutants

A dolphin and her newborn calf: a report has found that ottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins and killer whales or orcas are under enormous threat from persistent pollutants. Photograph: Isabel Baker/Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation A dolphin and her newborn calf: a report has found that ottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins and …

High levels of PCBs threaten whales and dolphins

Scientists are raising serious concerns about the future of whales and dolphins in European waters who are continuing to suffer from the effects of toxic chemicals that were banned decades ago, but continue to linger in the environment. According to a new study led by the Zoological Society of London …

Of the over 100 whales that washed ashore on Tamil Nadu coast 45 dead

TUTICORIN/CHENNAI: At least 45 small whales (short-finned pilot whales), part of the lot which washed ashore in Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu on Monday evening, have died. More than 100 whales were found on the 16km stretch from Alanthalai to Kallamozhi coastal hamlets on Tuesday morning. Thirty six of them have …

Researchers name new whale species after mythic creature from Moby-Dick

Researchers have identified a new species of whale that they are naming after the mythic beast of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. In a study published on Wednesday in the journal Plos One, lead researcher Alex Boersma corrected a 90-year-old error and created a new branch of the sperm whale family tree …

Endangered Population of Killer Whales May be Most Affected by Ship Speed

Ships may need to slow down, a new study suggests. Scientists have found that the speed of vessels operating near endangered killer whales is the most influential factor in how much noise from the boats reaches the whales. The whale watching fleet has increased from fewer than 20 commercial boats …

The relationship between vessel traffic and noise levels received by killer whales (Orcinus orca)

Whale watching has become increasingly popular as an ecotourism activity around the globe and is beneficial for environmental education and local economies. Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) comprise an endangered population that is frequently observed by a large whale watching fleet in the inland waters of Washington state and …

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