Topic 23 of 58: Marine Mammals
Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (17:45) |
Wolf (wolf)
Catch sight of whales in your area? What about the other mammals that live in the oceans and wetlands of our world?
181 responses total.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 1 of 181: Stacey Vura (stacey) * Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (18:16) * 1 lines
no whales 'round here...
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 2 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (20:05) * 1 lines
none here either, but still fascinated with them!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 3 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (20:19) * 3 lines
am really crazy about dolphins and even wrote a poem about them. just click the link:
Dolphins
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 4 of 181: John Burnett (mrchips) * Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (20:20) * 1 lines
The blue and humpback whales will soon be coming back here to winter...mostly on the Kona side of the island, and off Maui, but do see the occasional one off Hilo as well.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 5 of 181: John Burnett (mrchips) * Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (20:22) * 1 lines
Nice poem, Wolfie...
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 6 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (20:24) * 1 lines
*blush* thanks....
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 7 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Sep 27, 1999 (20:31) * 1 lines
I guess you never forget your first whale. I was on Maui with my family and one obligingly spouted (more like a spray than that fountain they draw in pictures), then did a surface maneuver and went into dive mode finishing up with a fluke salute to us. A perfect whale's tail against a blue sky...poised just like in the pictures. Icredible!!!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 8 of 181: Riette Walton (riette) * Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (05:14) * 1 lines
'Would I remember the way to breathe there' - it is beautiful, Wolfie. The fascination and the fear, and the beauty of what we love lying also in unattainability.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 9 of 181: Stacey Vura (stacey) * Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (12:00) * 2 lines
i liked the poem Wolfie...
'mingle...'
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 10 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (12:57) * 1 lines
thanks *blush*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 11 of 181: Riette Walton (riette) * Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (14:27) * 1 lines
Are you ever going to publish your poetry?
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 12 of 181: John Burnett (mrchips) * Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (14:37) * 1 lines
Well, that one is web published. There are now web poetry journals, as well. I just got two of mine accepted by e-zine Poetry Now. The poems are "A Well-Made Man" (a Walt Whitman parody) and "Pretzel Logic" (an almost throwaway piece of humorous doggerel I wrote as a college poetry student). Wolfie, if you don't publish (either hard copy or on-line)...you should.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 13 of 181: John Burnett (mrchips) * Tue, Sep 28, 1999 (14:38) * 1 lines
closing the stupid tag
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 14 of 181: Riette Walton (riette) * Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (14:22) * 2 lines
ha-ha!
John, I'm impressed! We have a published writer in our midst!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 15 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (21:07) * 1 lines
thanks for the word of encouragement! um, i did publish one poem, Flight of the Midnight Wolf. but have been leary of webzines. am a member of a couple of writer's zines (part of my webrings) but haven't submitted anything. AND am suffering from major writer's block.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 16 of 181: John Burnett (mrchips) * Wed, Sep 29, 1999 (22:00) * 1 lines
It won't be long until webzines have more credibility than paper and ink. They already have a bigger readership than most bound poetry journals.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 17 of 181: Gi (patas) * Thu, Sep 30, 1999 (05:28) * 1 lines
Wolf, lovely poem and website, I just visited!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 18 of 181: Riette Walton (riette) * Fri, Oct 1, 1999 (14:07) * 1 lines
Wolf, what a GREAT GREAT poem! It really made the hairs on my arms stand on end, really. You are damned good at this! I'm sorry you're suffering from block, but just REMEMBER that you are really very good. And post more of your poems if you have any about animals - they are so great. I'm going to go open a topic.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 19 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Fri, Oct 1, 1999 (17:42) * 1 lines
*blush* thanks, ree *hugs*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 20 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Oct 1, 1999 (19:35) * 1 lines
Not sure how close to Dolphins you have actually been in the wild, but your poem captures the essence of what I felt when aboard a boat watching them cavort in the wake. It is truly an awesome experience! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 21 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Fri, Oct 1, 1999 (20:34) * 1 lines
i've touched tank bound dolphins and have seen wild ones off in a distance. the feeling they gave me was so deep that it was as if they were in me, a part of me. seeing them brings tears to my eyes.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 22 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Oct 1, 1999 (20:36) * 1 lines
...I know the feeling, Dear, I know...! *hugs*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 23 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Oct 1, 1999 (20:38) * 1 lines
It was as though they had captured my heart and flown with it through the waves with them! Only one person has had that effect on me...
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 24 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Fri, Oct 1, 1999 (20:41) * 1 lines
it was wonderful to look into their eyes. it was as close to heaven as i imagine i could get on earth! the same with a killer whale. i was able to go all the way up to the bars at sea world and looked him in the eye. i was told to keep my arms in (i was trying to hang on to the bars so no one would push me out of the way).
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 25 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Oct 1, 1999 (20:55) * 1 lines
...please don't feed the "killer" whale?! How extraordinary it is to look at them and see the intelligence in their eyes! (chicken-skin time, again)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 26 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Oct 1, 1999 (20:57) * 1 lines
...it is almost beyond words, but it is like they are saying " I know you, and I know you know I know you!"
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 27 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Fri, Oct 1, 1999 (21:19) * 1 lines
indeed! it's as if i'm in the presence of something greater than i. it's pure and honest and unintimidating (except for the very size of these critters, how could one not feel tiny in their presence?)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 28 of 181: John Burnett (mrchips) * Fri, Oct 1, 1999 (23:56) * 1 lines
Yet another great "Wolf" poem, Wolfie
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 29 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sat, Mar 4, 2000 (02:05) * 35 lines
''Free Willy'' star roams Iceland bay
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (Reuters) - Keiko, the killer whale star of the ``Free
Willy'' movie, swam out of his pen into the enclosed waters of a remote
Icelandic bay Friday to the delight of a nature group preparing him for a return
to the wild.
The five-ton whale poked his nose through an underwater cage at 4 a.m. EST,
and moved into another pool where he will have medical tests.
But the netting closing off the pool has been removed, allowing the black and
white orca to roam an enclosed area of Klettsvik Bay in the Westman Islands
off Iceland's south coast about 22 times bigger than his current home.
``It's been just a terrific day. Everything that we had hoped would happen has
actually occurred,'' Charles Vinick, executive vice president of Ocean Futures,
which is rehabilitating Keiko, told Reuters by phone from Klettsvik Bay.
The bay enclosure will be a halfway house for Keiko before he is released into
the sea, possibly later this year, and will allow him to experience an ocean
environment for the first time since his capture off Iceland more than 20 years
ago.
It is the first attempt to reintroduce a killer whale to the wild.
After a few forays into the bay, Keiko struck out at about 5:40 a.m. EST,
swimming out 150 yards and moving around the bay under a blue sky in
bright winter sunshine.
``He is really now getting familiar with the area,'' Vinick said.
Although there are plenty of flat fish and other marine creatures in the bay,
Keiko, who is used to downing an 8-pound fish in one go, will still need food
thrown to him.
Keiko was captured off Iceland in 1979 at about the age of 2, and was the
star attraction at a Mexico City amusement park before rising to fame in the
popular 1993 film in which a boy befriends a killer whale in a theme park and
helps him escape.
His stardom drew attention to poor conditions in the park and triggered an
international campaign to save him. In 1996 he was taken to an aquarium in
Newport, Oregon, nursed back to health, and returned in a blaze of publicity
to Iceland in 1998.
Keiko fans can follow his progress on the Internet on www.oceanfutures.org.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 30 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Sat, Mar 4, 2000 (13:21) * 1 lines
thanks for that story. they had a show on discovery where they moved keiko to his larger tank. i just sat there and cried! esp. when his trainers had to say bye. oh my....thanks for this wonderful story!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 31 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sat, Mar 4, 2000 (13:26) * 2 lines
I saw that other program and wondered if larger tanks were Keiko's future. I was delighted to find this story and a link to follow his life where he belongs.
*Hugs* and G'morning, Wolfie!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 32 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Sat, Mar 4, 2000 (13:29) * 1 lines
i'm so weird...i see those great mammals and i just bawl like a baby! the beauty is so overwhelming....
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 33 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Sat, Mar 4, 2000 (13:39) * 1 lines
I hadn't heard about that, although I had heard there was campaign to free him. That's lovely. We haven't had anything about it yet on our TV.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 34 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Sat, Mar 4, 2000 (13:43) * 1 lines
i can't believe he's so close to being free. they were, at one point, trying to locate his family via their sound signatures but i don't know if they've had any luck. can you imagine his family's reaction when keiko comes home? oh, the stories they'd have to tell! good luck, keiko!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 35 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Sat, Mar 4, 2000 (13:54) * 1 lines
I echo that!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 36 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sat, Mar 4, 2000 (16:27) * 1 lines
*sitting here full of chicken skin* Amen! Should I see any further articles, I'll post them. The thought of reunion with his family boggles the mind. Incredible chills!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 37 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Sat, Mar 4, 2000 (22:52) * 1 lines
an article i just found on msn says keiko has been fending for himself for at least half a day's worth of food. that's great! he had been living in a pen the size of a soccer field (don't know if that's the one they had specially built for him or not). can you imagine his trepidation when he first sees all the room he has? he has no predators (just man, sadly)....
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 38 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sun, Mar 5, 2000 (16:45) * 1 lines
That's a lot of room, even for an Orca. He can still echo-locate the fence enclosing him which should keep anxiety attacks in check for a little while.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 39 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Mar 5, 2000 (17:25) * 1 lines
and then the curiosity will set in, what's out there? i'll bet that he will keep his bond with humans even as he learns to live on his own and outlives the folks who took care of him....
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 40 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sun, Mar 5, 2000 (18:18) * 1 lines
Yes, I'm sure of that! He will come back from time to time but will be curious and have urges to be with his own kind...*smile*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 41 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Mar 5, 2000 (18:21) * 1 lines
of course he will. did his dorsal fin ever straighten out?
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 42 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sun, Mar 5, 2000 (18:35) * 1 lines
Don't know him that intimately, but other mammals have unstraight thingies - why should he be different? *grin*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 43 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Mar 5, 2000 (20:09) * 1 lines
well, they said his was laying over because of an illness....hmmmm.......
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 44 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sun, Mar 5, 2000 (20:25) * 1 lines
Poor baby...all he needed was a Orchess?!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 45 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Mar 6, 2000 (14:10) * 1 lines
*lol*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 46 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 16, 2000 (17:06) * 7 lines
Maggie asked me to post this for her:
Pods of killer whales have been sighted off the coast of Cornwall, England.
Some whales were seen near a group of basking sharks off Land's End. 'I was
watching thesharks and then I saw the killer whale leap virtually out of the
water. It went like a rocket' an observer said.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 47 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 16, 2000 (19:46) * 1 lines
are there seals over in that part of the atlantic?
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 48 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 16, 2000 (19:46) * 1 lines
thanks for that marcia and maggie!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 49 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 16, 2000 (19:52) * 1 lines
Good question, Wolfie. Been there and do not recall seeing any, but it is rich in fish. The coast is very rugged and craggy cliffs all over - no beaching places much for seals right there, but up a ways north should be just fine for Orcas. They like cold seas and they have it there!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 50 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 16, 2000 (19:55) * 1 lines
good thing orcas have no natural enemies (well, except for us)....must be really rich in food!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 51 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 16, 2000 (20:09) * 1 lines
As long as they are happy with fish, they will be sleek and happy.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 52 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Fri, Mar 17, 2000 (15:43) * 3 lines
I was disappointed not to find pics on the news. There are seals off devon and cornwall, mainly around the offshore islands.
We had a lot of grey seals in Northumbria. We used to take our lunch down by the harbour in Berwick on Tweed and seal watch. never ceases to fascinate me.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 53 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 17, 2000 (16:05) * 1 lines
Any in the Severn area, Maggie? I was hoping for your input here. I was hoping a bureau of wildlife (or whatever they are there) helicopter would go out and have a look-see and take some pictures.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 54 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Fri, Mar 17, 2000 (16:17) * 1 lines
I think so (seals). They run boat trips to see them.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 55 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Sat, Mar 18, 2000 (20:50) * 7 lines
just came back from a wonderful showing at our local IMAX theatre. it was called "Dolphins" and was rather short, but beautiful! oh, it fueled me up with their wondrous beauty again. renewed my desire to be around them (not that it was ever distinguished). if i could pack a bag and head out on a plane tomorrow, i'd do it.
it is illigal to swim with dolphins in the usa because of incidents of misbehavior due to curiosity on human parts which results in injuries due to wild dolphins trying to protect themselves (getting slapped with a tail fin or bitten). BUT, go to sea world, in my case, florida, and spend the money to go on the trainers seminar. they provide a wetsuit and only 5 people in addition to the trainers are there. you get to jump in the water with them and can take pictures. a friend brought back two lovely pictures for me when she tagged along with another friend who did this seminar.
also, if you're interested in benefiting dolphins in the wild, visit this website:
http://www.dolphinsfilm.com
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 56 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sat, Mar 18, 2000 (21:08) * 1 lines
You can swim with them and feed them at a hotel in Kona on this island. The Dolphin Experience, they call it. Sending you literature on it!!!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 57 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Sat, Mar 18, 2000 (21:14) * 1 lines
thanks girl! wonder if the AM would make that my promotion present? (he already told me when i make my next paygrade, he'd send me to florida to do just that)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 58 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sat, Mar 18, 2000 (21:36) * 1 lines
Hmmm...!!! They'll have to drag you kicking and screaming out of the pool. *lol* I can just imagine how great it would be to be there with you for this experience. Something like this has to be shared with special people! *Hugs*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 59 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Sun, Mar 19, 2000 (05:09) * 1 lines
envy, envy envy!!!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 60 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Sun, Mar 19, 2000 (05:18) * 30 lines
Hey you guys! This is what I was reading last night just before I went to sleep, I was definitely here with you in spirit!!!:
Hear the Whales
I want to float in warm sweet water
Watch dolphins chase through waves of blue
Where coral spreads its spiny stems
See neon fish of parrot hue
But most of all to hear the whales sing.
I want to paint the gemstone colours of the butterfly
To feel the deep blue velvet of the swallow's wing
To tread old rock where eidelweiss does lie
But most of all, to hear the whales sing.
I want to smell the scent of tropic flowers
And touch the soft sweet bloom against my cheek
To walk in Spring's pure rainbow'd showers
But most of all, to hear the whales sing.
To see the sunrise over mountain and strike the heart of glen
And view the Northern lights as they shine clear.
To watch old 'Will-owisp' as he trips o'er the fen
But most of all, to hear the whales sing.
To know crisp snows and desert sands and soft warm sinds that blow.
To sail, to drift around each bend 'til river meets the sea.
I want to take the hands of all those that I know
And lead them out to hear the whales sing!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 61 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Sun, Mar 19, 2000 (05:57) * 1 lines
Whoops - that was by Jan Eve.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 62 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Mar 19, 2000 (12:00) * 1 lines
loved it!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 63 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Sun, Mar 19, 2000 (14:47) * 1 lines
Knew you would! I almost did dolphins for henna body art today, but decided on celtic knotwork instead.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 64 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Mar 19, 2000 (18:54) * 1 lines
i've gotta get one of those kits!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 65 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (00:01) * 4 lines
Oooh...lovely poem - just like it is here where you can hear the whales breathing as you watch the eruptions at night and you can watch the spinner dolphins herd fishes into coves to eat them around dawn. And the water out here is almost body temperature!
Sheesh! Am I gonna be the only unilluminated person on Spring? Henna, tatoos
*s i g h*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 66 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (05:36) * 1 lines
I'll set up virtual shop!!! What pattern do you want? My celtic one is much appreciated *blush*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 67 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (12:32) * 1 lines
dolphins! what else?
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 68 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (12:32) * 1 lines
Oh Yes! Love the Celtic one! Go for it, Maggie!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 69 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (12:34) * 1 lines
Celtic interweave with dolphins leaping over the spaces between them..? Dolphins would be lovely...but is there a template for them? (sorry Wolfie - we posted at the exact same time!)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 70 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (12:36) * 1 lines
that's ok! just checkin' in on my lunchbreak. be back later!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 71 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (13:20) * 1 lines
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 72 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (13:25) * 1 lines
oops, sorry pressedthe wrong button. Am scanning in the sheet now. On it's way,Marcia.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 73 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (14:27) * 1 lines
No dolphins, though. Should I post it here? Or elsewhere? Wolfie???
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 74 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (14:43) * 1 lines
There are two lovely dolphins - look again!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 75 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (19:44) * 1 lines
I saw them - in a lovely circle. Wolfie will love them!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 76 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (21:02) * 1 lines
send it to me!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 77 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (21:07) * 1 lines
Will do - right away but it might take a while to get from my computer to yours. HOL is sending me stuff but I need an email coming in to trigger my outgoing. Send me a blank email, please...
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 78 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (21:11) * 1 lines
k....
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 79 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (21:14) * 1 lines
done
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 80 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (21:20) * 3 lines
Nothing happening here yet...Thanks for trying...I know it is getting me online because I see the posts I am writing appear on the topics - like this one...
...and Penn State just made the semi's of the NIT in forever (we are not known for basketball) by beating Kent 81-74. Ya HOO!!!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 81 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (21:25) * 1 lines
Thanks for trying - it is bound to show up..but nothing is coming in or going out and have no idea why.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 82 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (21:44) * 2 lines
Nothing's happening so I am gonna close out and try later. Your artwork is loaded and ready to send as soon as Hawaii-OFF-line gets their act together.
g'bye for now... *special hugs* Wolfie!!!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 83 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Mar 22, 2000 (21:44) * 1 lines
to you too! *HUGS*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 84 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (13:11) * 1 lines
You should have you mail this morning. There were 51 incoming when I logged in this morning - and all those outgoing email, as well...At least it is working agin - and I found "here comes the dolphins" from you as they were disappearing from my computer and onto yours. They are on the top right side of the template.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 85 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (17:50) * 2 lines
Another sad one I'm afraid:
In the Solomon Islands a total of 38 whales (unspecified type) are stranded on the Choisen Island and are dying. Villagers have managed to return three others to the water. Police say the main problem now is how to dispose of the bodies before they begin to decompose and become a health risk to the village.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 86 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (18:47) * 1 lines
worry about returning them first, then worry about their bodies!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 87 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (19:26) * 1 lines
A story better saved for another day, perhaps...
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 88 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (20:46) * 1 lines
*sigh*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 89 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (20:54) * 1 lines
*sniffle*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 90 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (20:54) * 1 lines
*hugs*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 91 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (20:58) * 1 lines
thanks.....
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 92 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (21:15) * 1 lines
ANY time...! For you I am on call 24/7 *warm and loving hugs*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 93 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (21:16) * 1 lines
You know - those really Huggy Hugs...
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 94 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (21:18) * 1 lines
yup, the kind that really feel good. thanks a bunch sweetie...
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 95 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (21:21) * 1 lines
Like I said...any time! My honor and pleasure.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 96 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (21:24) * 1 lines
likewise *HUGS*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 97 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (21:29) * 1 lines
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 98 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (21:31) * 1 lines
i think i have that one some where! thanks....
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 99 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (21:32) * 1 lines
shoulda made'um go all the way across the page...*sigh* (my first multiple, actually!)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 100 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (21:33) * 1 lines
just takes practice!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 101 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (21:34) * 1 lines
g'night, lemme go while i'm cheered up.....(gotta get up at 5 for spinning)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 102 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 23, 2000 (21:36) * 1 lines
g'night Wolfie - I gotta go make dinner...*hugs*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 103 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Fri, Mar 24, 2000 (02:26) * 1 lines
Hey - I feel left out!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 104 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 24, 2000 (12:31) * 2 lines
Jump on in....we were handling the crisis when it was happening and you were sound asleep. *Hugs* We mentioned you and I forwarded the conversation to you.
Please don't feel left out!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 105 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Fri, Mar 24, 2000 (14:03) * 1 lines
OK - so long as I'm not in trouble for the whales posting.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 106 of 181: Cheryl Brugette (CherylB) * Mon, Apr 17, 2000 (19:33) * 1 lines
Last month the were about 14 whales which beached themselves in the Bahamas; 9 of them were freed back into the ocean. The problem, according to some marine biologists, was that the US Navy was conducting sonar detection testing in the area. The Navy says it doesn't think the testing of its equipment had any effect on the whales. The biologists think it may well have disoriented and frightened the whales. Their reasoning is that just as humans depend to much on sight and are in fact highly visual creatures; whales are extraordinarily accoustical creatures. The marine biogists also noted whale beachings in the Canary Islands about 4 years ago, and in Florida slightly before that, while the Navy was carrying out the same sorts of tests in those areas.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 107 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Apr 17, 2000 (19:41) * 1 lines
wonder if they can use different frequencies (navy)....
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 108 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 17, 2000 (20:33) * 2 lines
Of course they can! So can the whales!
Seriously, I sent the posts above to Lance. His father worked on Sonar in its infancy...perhaps he can answer this.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 109 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Apr 17, 2000 (21:50) * 1 lines
then are the sonar sounds similar in song as the whales'?
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 110 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 17, 2000 (22:18) * 1 lines
Not really, but in the same frequency range...whales make an enormous range of sounds from those too high for us to hear to clicking sounds to metallic and whistling sounds. Maybe it is the lure of the Islands making them sing so much, but they are extraordinarily vocal when playing. You can hear it from the shore under the right conditions.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 111 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 17, 2000 (22:22) * 1 lines
Geez, I wish you'd have named this topic Oceanic Mammals... Marine just antagonizes me to bits when I think... (sorry....never mind me...)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 112 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Apr 18, 2000 (18:06) * 1 lines
*hugs*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 113 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 18, 2000 (19:18) * 1 lines
Thanks...I really need that today...I has been really bad.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 114 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Apr 18, 2000 (20:32) * 1 lines
ok, where's that long email?
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 115 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 18, 2000 (22:14) * 1 lines
I don't want to burden you again... I will email you, though. Did you check MMM?
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 116 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Apr 18, 2000 (22:18) * 1 lines
guess not, what's mmm?
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 117 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 18, 2000 (22:23) * 1 lines
Babes topic 45
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 118 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Apr 19, 2000 (12:19) * 1 lines
(duh!) will check it out!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 119 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 19, 2000 (14:41) * 3 lines
And, so you did. Thanks more than I can say for your concern.
A dead whale washed up on one of our lovliest beaches on the Kona side last week and attracted sharks and the Fed Wildlife guys. They removed the whale but kept the beach closed for a week waiting for the sharks to move on. They did not have any trouble keeping the people snacks out of the water...
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 120 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 19, 2000 (14:51) * 1 lines
I just went through the humiliating experience of shredding his mail to me. Never print it out...or live with an insecure snoop.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 121 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Apr 19, 2000 (18:01) * 1 lines
free food. bet their were people who wanted to watch though.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 122 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 20, 2000 (00:07) * 1 lines
Of course. They had to police the area so people would not swim (and feed the sharks even more) nor take souvenirs of the poor late whale. Weird!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 123 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 20, 2000 (00:08) * 1 lines
(did shred paper, but not those precious papers...just throwaways from the junk mail *grin*)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 124 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 20, 2000 (00:10) * 1 lines
Sorry for crepe-draping all over the place. Shall not do that again!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 125 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Sat, Jun 24, 2000 (04:21) * 16 lines
SING OUT LOUD, SING OUT LONG
Some male humpback whales lengthened their songs while others ceased
to sing altogether when exposed to low-frequency sonar tests off the
coast of Hawaii in 1998, suggesting that sonar transmissions by the
U.S. Navy could disrupt whale breeding and cause other behavioral
changes, according to a new study published in the journal Nature.
On average, the whales' songs were 30 percent longer than normal, a
strong shift given that the sonar was tested at less than full
strength, said Patrick Miller, lead study author and a scientist at
the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Still, he said the
researchers didn't notice any "extreme reactions" in the whales such
as breaching. Many environmentalists are calling on the Navy to end
some of its uses of sonar, saying that it can disorient and killwhales.
BBC News, 06.22.00
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_801000/801458.stm
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 126 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Fri, Aug 25, 2000 (16:47) * 43 lines
Dolphin 'Nicknames' Help Them Hook Up in Murk
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000825/sc/dolphins_dc_2.html
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dolphins greet one another by ``name,'' using signature whistles to keep track of one another in murky waters and across distances, a researcher says.
While he hesitates to say the dolphins are actually using language, the researcher said the study shows dolphins have a clear and consistent vocabulary and are able to identify one another as individuals.
``Each dolphin develops a very specific signature signal,'' biologist Vincent Janik of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, who conducted the study, said Thursday in a telephone interview. ``They always use the same call. Some people call it a name.''
But because the dolphins seem to develop their own signature whistles, Janik said the calls are more like Internet screen names or handles.
Janik studied wild bottlenose dolphins off the Moray Firth, Scotland's coast. He recorded 1,719 whistles using six hydrophones and a computer-based method for finding individual dolphins as they made the calls.
The dolphins were coming into the bay to catch salmon.
``You have lots of dolphins all over the place,'' Janik said. ''Obviously at some point they want to get together again.''
Each dolphin makes its own, distinctive whistle, Janik found. Other dolphins will imitate that whistle, presumably to contact and keep in touch with that particular dolphin.
``It's like keeping in acoustic contact,'' Janik said.
``It's something that we know from birds and humans, too.''
To check his work, Janik used five human ``judges'' to confirm the calls were identical. People are very good at hearing differences in tone, he said.
``I used human judges because a computer is not up to the job yet,'' he said.
``I can say the same word in a high-pitched voice or a low-pitched voice and it's still the same word but the computer could confuse it.''
Janik has also found that, like monkeys and other primates, the dolphins use distinctive calls when they have found food. This one is a low-pitched ``bray,'' he said.
``It really sounds like a donkey bray,'' Janik said.
``It was very clear that this was a feeding call. If one dolphin found food, they would produce this call. The others would rush in.''
So does it qualify as language? ``I always try to avoid the term 'language,''' Janik said.
``But it is certainly a complex communication system.''
Now Janik is working in Shark Bay, in Western Australia to see if mother dolphins and their calves use the distinctive signature calls. ``We know they have to get back together again,'' Janik said.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 127 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Aug 25, 2000 (17:14) * 1 lines
I knew I should have linked this topic with Geo 36... but I can no longer telnet to do so, have forgotten the command... *sigh*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 128 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Aug 29, 2000 (19:07) * 20 lines
August 28, 2000 1:52 pm EST
MANFREDONIA, Italy (Reuters) - A dolphin saved a 14-year-old boy from
drowning in the Adriatic sea on Monday, pushing him to the surface and
helping him to a nearby boat.
The boy, who could not swim, told Italian news agency ANSA he fell from the
boat as he was sailing with his father in the gulf of Manfredonia, off the
southern Italian coast.
As he was slipping under the water, something pushed him up.
"When I realized it was Filippo, I hung on to him," the boy said, referring
to the dolphin.
The mammal carried the boy to the boat and swam away.
The dolphin has lived in the gulf's waters for years, locals say, and has
been dubbed Filippo.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 129 of 181: Cheryl (CherylB) * Tue, Aug 29, 2000 (20:19) * 3 lines
There are stories of dolphins saving drowning people going back to atleast classical times.
A bit of note on dolphin names. Some current research suggests that dolphins may have their own individual names which they call each other in their own "language".
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 130 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Aug 29, 2000 (20:25) * 1 lines
that's right! it would be wonderful if we could learn the names and call them by it even if we can't figure the rest of it out.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 131 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Sun, Sep 10, 2000 (11:30) * 3 lines
Hey try this virtual whale watching tour....
http://www.princeofwhales.com/virtual/intro.htm
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 132 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Sep 14, 2000 (22:22) * 1 lines
this is neat! thanks maggie......
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 133 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Fri, Sep 15, 2000 (05:22) * 1 lines
Looking forward to doing the real thing in a few weeks time .....
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 134 of 181: Maggie (sociolingo) * Sun, Sep 17, 2000 (05:49) * 26 lines
Dolphins to desert dying British seas
Jonathan Leake, Environment Editor
Sunday Times 17th Sept
http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/
DOLPHINS and porpoises could soon disappear from the seas around Britain, driven away by overfishing and pollution, says a report out this week.
It predicts that large parts of the English Channel could become a dead sea, and re-veals that fish in the Irish and North Seas have been devastated, with birds, shellfish and many plankton species also threatened.
The report, for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), studied 10 key species, including dolphins, porpoises, cod, salmon and oysters. It also looked at coastal habitats, including mudflats, rocky reefs and salt marshes.
It concludes that two-thirds of the species fished for food are overexploited, and that without tougher controls on fishermen and industry some will disappear.
The WWF said: "Cod has been fished unsustainably for years. It is threatened with commercial extinction."
However, figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food reveal that fishermen are stripping more life from the sea than ever, taking 772,000 tons of fish and shellfish last year, up from 600,000 in 1990.
The ministry says the en-dangered species include cod, monkfish and nephrops, otherwise known as scampi.
The decline of dolphins and porpoises is perhaps the most obvious sign of damage. Populations of bottlenose dolphins around Britain were stable until they recently suddenly started falling. Destruction of their food supplies through overfishing is a big factor, but many also drown after being caught in nets.
The effect of pollution is also severe. Scientists said a baby bottlenose dolphin washed ashore in Cardigan Bay was one of the most polluted animals ever found.
Inland, wild salmon are disappearing from many British rivers largely because of fish farming, the report warns.
The WWF wants changes in legislation to halt the damage and give threatened species a way of recovering. These include turning some of the waters around Britain into protected areas where fishing and other commercial activities are banned, and an oceans act to protect the coast, seas and sea bed.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 135 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Dec 12, 2000 (19:56) * 13 lines
this from MSN Pets & Animals
Baby right whale sighted
Productive year anticipated
The sighting of a baby right whale -- just days old -- off the coast of Georgia has given researchers hope that the rarest of the world's large whale species is fighting off extinction by having a productive year.
A newborn found this early in the season suggests a strong year for the right whale which was hunted to near extinction in the late 1940's. Last year only one newborn was seen during the entire birthing season, which lasts from December to March -- typically, seven or eight are sighted.
These massive black whales can reach almost 60 feet in length and weigh up to 70 tons. Scientists estimate there are about 300 right whales left in the world's oceans.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 136 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Dec 12, 2000 (23:54) * 1 lines
Yup, some were afraid they had a breeding population so small that they were essentially extinct. This is good news, indeed!!!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 137 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Nov 20, 2001 (15:19) * 1 lines
can't believe i didn't tell y'all this sooner but, saturday, the family and i were out driving along the coast and stopped at a lookout point. my husband was peering out to sea and suddenly pointed and said "dolphins." of course, this grabbed my attention and my binoculars. at first, i thought he was looking closer inland and told him they were birds but, upon further inspection, there were indeed dolphins slowly making their way north. it really made my day!!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 138 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Dec 24, 2001 (22:54) * 1 lines
went out to the same spot we saw the dolphins to find whales there. at least one whale and we think it was a young one due to it's smaller size. it came up to get a breath several times and then slowly went back into the water, tail coming up and everything. the little thing did this several times in the matter of 10 mins and we didn't see any larger whales come up. had no idea that they would come in that close to shore (it was out about the same distance as the dolphins, maybe closer) and you could see it without the aid of binoculars. but, even with binoculars, i couldn't tell the species. definitely a whale though. we were awestruck!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 139 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Dec 24, 2001 (22:54) * 1 lines
might i add that we've never seen a whale in real life!!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 140 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Dec 24, 2001 (22:54) * 1 lines
(wait, besides keiko and his killer whale buddies-but that was captive not wild)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 141 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Fri, Jan 4, 2002 (14:18) * 1 lines
please see Geo's topic Oceanic Geo for some interesting articles on pollucks and other things!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 142 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Jan 6, 2002 (00:28) * 5 lines
listen to dolphins:
http://www.dolphinear.com/data/dolphin_sounds.htm
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 143 of 181: GeoCritter (MarciaH) * Mon, Feb 25, 2002 (20:31) * 21 lines
This is the same excuse they use all the time for beaching. How are these infections spreading?
85 Whales Found Beached Near Tokyo
The Associated Press
TOKYO - Eighty-five whales were found beached on a coast near Tokyo on Monday, one day after 10 whales believed to be from the same pod washed up on the same shore.
Officials rescued 32 of the whales on the beach, 55 miles east of Tokyo, but the rest died. Town official Yasunari Jitsukawa said the melon-headed whales discovered over the past two days were 6 feet to 10 feet long.
Television news footage showed the dead whales lined up in a row along the beach. They were to be buried in the sand after marine researchers examined them, said local official Kazuhiro Kosai.
On Sunday, local officials saved seven of 10 beached whales. The three that died disappeared during rescue efforts, and town officials said they believe locals took them to eat.
Whale meat is considered a delicacy by many in Japan. Commercial whaling is banned under an international convention, but many restaurants here get stocks of whale meat from Japan's controversial scientific whaling program.
Although the government urges communities not to eat whales that wash up dead on their shores because they might carry diseases, it is not illegal to do so. When about 50 similar whales swam ashore in the same area last year, locals shared some of the 20 dead ones.
On Sunday, Nobuhiro Inaba, a marine biologist at a local aquarium, said the whales may have come too close to the beach while chasing prey or may have lost their sense of direction due to parasite infections.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 144 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Feb 26, 2002 (14:49) * 9 lines
infections are not killed off by the salt water--some have adapted quite well. but mostly what causes problems with our marine life is us.
the ocean is not a free toilet, ok! so those of you who know better, don't dump your junk in there. we have sewage floods and they block off whole stretches of coastland until the ocean waters it down. well, why's it going there anyway??
put your trash in the trash. 'nuf said.
if you come across a beached animal, do not attempt to push it back in. you will only do more harm than good. please notify wildlife and fisheries or the lifeguard on duty with as much info as you can about the location and the kind of animal it is. these animals get themselves into enough stress that they don't need well meaning folks to cause them more.
oh, and something i saw just sunday--a guy walking away from a protected reserve with a baby white shark over his shoulders. in california, white sharks are not on the bag list. i can only assume he was fishing for something else and this took his line. it should have been released and not kept for a trophy or for fin selling. i sure hope he ate it.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 145 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Mar 10, 2002 (13:31) * 3 lines
an orca baby has been spotted off the coast near seattle--they think it may have been separated from it's pod family. now they're in a dilemma--because she is showing signs of stress (a skin infection), they wonder if they should tow it to alaska where her pod most probably went to, or adopt her into an aquarium environment. one orca specialist is concerned about too much human handling and that she'll never be rehabilitated should we place her in an aquarium until she heals. they're also worried about what will happen to her once the salmon move on. she was, though, feeding for herself, and very playful.
oh, and they've dubbed her "Little Orcan Annie"
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 146 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Mar 27, 2002 (18:51) * 5 lines
there have been reports of dolphins and sea lions washing up on local beaches--namely manhattan beach. i told someone of a visit we made to a local reserve (abalone park) and about the seal we found way up on shore-no way it got there by itself-maybe got caught in the tide.
anyway, they're trying to find out what the deal is. more when i know more....
and an update, orcan annie is doing well and still fending for herself. her infection has gotten better! *yaaaaay*
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 147 of 181: GeoCritter (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 27, 2002 (22:16) * 3 lines
Fantastic news about Orcan Annie (Luv that name, too!)
There have been lots of whale and dolphin beachings lately. I wonder if this is seasonal or what is going on.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 148 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Mar 28, 2002 (09:58) * 1 lines
right down the street is the Cabrillo Aquarium and Mammal Rehabilitation Center. The news spoke to a marine vet there and she said that what happens is the fish are feeding on stuff (can't remember the exact name) that is infected with a bacterium. The dolphins and sea lions eat these fish and viola. She did say that it is a bit early for them to be seeing this type of problem as it usually occurs later in the year. will try to get more info on the subject (maybe even the news article)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 149 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Mon, May 27, 2002 (20:48) * 47 lines
from geospring:
Topic 36 of 77 [Geo]: Oceanic Geo
Response 76 of 76: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sun, May 26, 2002 (16:33) * 42 lines
Mexico Becomes World's Largest Whale Sanctuary
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico announced an accord on Friday to
protect whales in its waters, making it the world's largest national
sanctuary for the giant mammals, environmental groups said.
The office of Mexican President Vicente Fox said the "Area of Refuge"
accord would provide added protection in areas such as reproduction,
growth and migration to 39 whale species that spend time in Mexican
waters.
The accord was signed at the International Whaling Commission
meeting in Shimonoseki, Japan.
"We have the largest national protected area for whales in the world," said
Juan Carlos Cantu, the coordinator of the Greenpeace Mexico biodiversity
campaign.
"We're talking about nearly 3 million square kilometers (1.15 million
square miles) of the Pacific ocean and the Atlantic ocean and the
Caribbean," he added, speaking on national radio.
Some 17,000 Gray whales come into Mexican waters each year, many of
them using the warm waters as a breeding ground.
Since 1933, Mexico has been active at international forums to protect
whales. Early this year it established penalties for whaling in its waters.
"No marine mammal, regardless of species, can be hunted for
commercial uses or for subsistence," Fox's office said in a statement,
adding that only accredited institutions would be allowed to capture
whales for scientific or educational purposes.
The International Whaling Commission wound up an acrimonious
annual meeting on Friday after rejecting both a bid by native peoples to
keep hunting whales and Japan's wish to resume commercial hunts.
The five-day meeting in the old Japanese whaling city of Shimonoseki
hardened battle lines in the long-running feud between those who want to
hunt whales for commercial and traditional reasons and those who want
to protect them.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 150 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Sat, Jun 22, 2002 (10:41) * 1 lines
heard on the news last night that a beaked whale was found washed up on manhattan beach. turns out that these guys live here but can remain under water for 30 mins. unfortunately the whale was dead and probably a victim of whatever the stuff is that's been making seals and pelicans sick. the females have no teeth but pull plankton in with their tongues--the males have two front teeth for defense.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 151 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Jul 21, 2002 (13:13) * 1 lines
just saw on CNN that a blue whale was found washed ashore (think in san fran). because these whales are a rare site, they are going to milk this death for all its worth (that sounds really bad but, they are doing research on its death plus other stuff). am trying to find the article.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 152 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Jul 21, 2002 (13:14) * 1 lines
here's the archive for the beaked whale: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/062102_nw_beached_whale.html
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 153 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Jul 21, 2002 (13:28) * 1 lines
ok, i even went to cnn.com and the article on the blue whale isn't listed. hmmmm.....anyway, they're going to do something called a necropsy (something like that)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 154 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Jul 21, 2002 (16:52) * 1 lines
found the article: http://www.kron.com/Global/story.asp?S=864628
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 155 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Jul 21, 2002 (16:53) * 20 lines
Posted: July 19, 2002 at 10:53 p.m.
SAUSALITO, Calif. (AP) -- The hulking carcass of a 70-foot-long dead whale finally floated near the shore of a secluded beach near Sausalito Friday evening.
The whale was first spotted on Wednesday, floating dead in the water about three miles off the San Francisco coast. Large propeller wounds were seen on the mammals body, according to the Marine Mammal Center, suggesting the whale might have died from a collision with a boat.
The mammal center had planned to throw a rope around the whale's tail, tow it ashore and perform a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death. A great white shark chomping on the carcass Wednesday evening stymied that effort and that kept the diver and the rope out of the water.
The strong sea current finally brought the whale close to an area near Rodeo Beach, about 10 miles north of San Francisco. Upon closer examination, the whale is too decomposed to perform a full necropsy, said Jennifer Witherspoon of the mammal center.
The center planned to send someone out to measure the whale and take some blubber samples, Witherspoon said. The last whale to wash ashore was a much smaller gray whale on San Francisco's Ocean Beach in 2000. Portions of that whale still remain where it washed ashore, Witherspoon said.
She also said there's no real plan in place to dispose of the 70-ton carcass near Sausalito. They'll just let nature take its course and watch the whale rot away.
In the mid 1970s, KATU anchorman Paul Linnman reported from the scene of the infamous "exploding whale" in Florence, Ore. where a road crew attempted to dynamite a 45-foot beached whale in order to break it apart and carry away the pieces.
The explosion proved a bit too powerful and sent chunks of whale raining down over the assembled crowd and landed on vehicles up to a quarter mile away.
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 156 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Jul 28, 2002 (20:42) * 1 lines
the LA Times reports that 60 stranded false killer whales were found on Bremer Bay in Australia. They were found by fisherman and many had to be euthanized due to failed attempts to get them back in the water. no article in the paper, just a big pic with the above caption.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 157 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Jul 29, 2002 (19:07) * 2 lines
ok what's going on here? some more whales beached in massachusetts, see link below:
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/072902_nw_beached_whales.html
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 158 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Jul 30, 2002 (21:17) * 3 lines
more on those beached whales:
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/073002_nw_beached_whales.html
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 159 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Aug 6, 2002 (21:04) * 3 lines
Update on Keiko, the killer whale:
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=entertainmentnews&StoryID=1297902
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 160 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Sat, Jul 26, 2003 (00:31) * 1 lines
ok, saw something on local news that caught my attention: mexico has made it illegal to capture dolphins off its shores BUT, it's ok if you capture them somewhere else and bring them there. case in point: mexico finalized some legal documentation that allowed fisherman off the soloman's to capture dolphins and sell them over to this group from mexico (for some wildlife deal-swim with dolphins or something) for $400 each. the dolphins are kept in pens and according to the director of the mexican marine park, they're doing wonderful.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 161 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Jul 28, 2003 (19:39) * 15 lines
found this on reuters today:
Romanian Police Find 40 Dead Black Sea Dolphins
Sat July 26, 2003 09:07 AM ET
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Dozens of dead Black Sea dolphins have been found on a beach south of Romania's Danube Delta port of Sulina, the border police said on Saturday.
"We found 40 dead mammals stretching for 20 miles," a senior officer told Reuters from Sulina -- 260 km east of Bucharest. "There's no immediate explanation for the incident."
He said a joint commission made up of policemen and environment authorities is investigating the find.
Last year, the police found 12 dead dolphins entangled in fishing nets in the Romanian Black Sea waters.
Hunting dolphins is prohibited in Romania, which aims to join the European Union as early as 2007.
Environmentalists say a growing illegal trade in live Black Sea bottlenose dolphins for aquariums and other attractions over the past decade has threatened their survival. The mammals' vulnerability is increased by their slow reproductive cycle and water pollution.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 162 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Fri, Oct 3, 2003 (20:13) * 3 lines
no pictures but here's the article on a solo whale to be reunited with a pod:
http://64.4.14.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=7ec1c5b55fa3409a6971f5378974885a&lat=1065226359&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2ereuters%2ecom%2fnewsArticle%2ejhtml%3bjsessionid%3dGRPI4W4IHKBHQCRBAEZSFEY%3ftype%3dscienceNews%26storyID%3d3543935
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 163 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Fri, Oct 3, 2003 (20:14) * 32 lines
in case the link doesn't work here's a cut/paste version of the above article as reported on reuters:
Lonely Whale Off Canada to Get Family Reunion
Wed October 1, 2003 10:16 PM ET
By Allan Dowd
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - A lone killer whale off Canada's Pacific coast will be relocated back to U.S. waters, where it is hoped he will join his family, Canadian officials decided on Wednesday.
The officials said they agreed to attempt to relocate the whale, officially named L98, but nicknamed Luna, because they fear he is in danger.
A scientific panel recommended intervention last month after reports emerged that L98 had been injured by collisions with float planes and by humans upset by his interfering with watercraft.
Killer whales are social animals and experts speculate that L98 is seeking the attention because he is lonely.
However, it is not known if his family pod will accept him.
The orcas off the Washington state and British Columbia coasts normally spend their lives swimming in family groups.
Scientists have been struggling over what to do with the young orca since he was discovered in July 2001 swimming alone in Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Experts do not know if L98 was accidentally separated from, or forced to leave, his family pod, known as L pod. It spends summer and fall south of the Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, at least 160 miles (160 miles) away.
Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) said it will work out the details of a relocation plan with U.S. officials and private groups.
L pod normally stays in the area until late November before leaving to winter deeper in the Pacific, officials said.
Officials warned that if the pod does not accept L98 back, they will have to take more steps to protect him since Strait of Juan de Fuca has heavy marine traffic.
"If it fails, DFO may need to consider other options, including captivity or other permanent means of dealing with Luna," the department said.
Officials last year reunited a young female orca found orphaned and injured near Seattle with her family pod that spends the summer more than 400 miles to the north in Canadian waters.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 164 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Oct 20, 2003 (19:09) * 49 lines
Southern Right Whales in Big Comeback
Sat October 18, 2003 09:12 PM ET
By Ed Stoddard
HERMANUS, South Africa (Reuters) - The huge beasts delighted the crowd as they rolled and sprayed in the surf, just meters (yards) from the jagged and rocky shore.
The crowd had come for the annual whale festival in the South African seaside resort of Hermanus, one of the prime spots on the planet to indulge in whale watching from the comfort of dry land.
On this particular morning the viewers were not disappointed, with at least nine southern right whales observed at close range, including two females with calves.
Once pushed to the edge of extinction, southern right whales are now riding the comeback wave.
Their population is believed to be rising at an annual rate of seven percent -- a staggering figure for an animal that usually attains lengths of around 14 meters (44 feet) and weighs up to 40 tonnes or more.
Annual counts have shown growing numbers in South African waters, where the plankton-eating giants spend much of their time.
Last year's assessment revealed the biggest number yet of the gentle leviathans in the survey's 30-year history, with 845 counted during a seven-day aerial survey of South Africa's south coast -- 169 more than the previous year.
In an age of ravaged fish stocks and messy oil spills, this is a rare piece of good environmental news on the marine front.
"In all of the southern hemisphere, there are estimated to be 9,000 to 10,000 right whales at the moment," Dr. Peter Best, a zoologist with the Mammal Research Institute at the University of Pretoria, told Reuters.
That is remarkable considering where their numbers once stood as a result of uncontrolled whaling.
"In the 1920s, their numbers were down to as low as 300 by some estimates," Best said.
RIGHT WHALE TO KILL
Right whales were easy targets for commercial whalers because they moved slowly and obligingly floated to the surface when killed by harpoons -- hence their name, as they were the "right whale" to kill.
They have been protected since 1935, enabling the southern variety to be fruitful and multiply -- which it has done with apparent enthusiasm.
Its cousin, the Atlantic northern right whale -- hunted in France's Bay of Biscay as early as the 12th century -- has not fared so well and is believed to number only around 300.
The north Pacific species of right whale may be even more endangered but little is known about it. Even its calving grounds remain a watery secret.
The Atlantic right whale's woes stem partly from the fact that its annual migration route, between the Caribbean and the rich feeding waters off Nova Scotia, is also a busy shipping lane. Many perish in collisions with ships.
The southern migration routes are not so busy, though ship-whale mishaps do occur occasionally.
Off South Africa's south coast, right whales can usually be seen between May and November before they move off to the southeast Atlantic and other feeding spots.
"The cows and calves seem to like the sheltered areas," said Best, referring to the whales' penchant for swimming within meters of the shore in bays like Hermanus, about 100 km (60 miles) southeast of Cape Town.
That is a boon for Hermanus and other sleepy coastal villages, enabling them to grab a slice of the lucrative whale-watching industry.
According to a 2000 study by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the global whale-watching industry was worth $1 billion a year, attracting five million visitors annually to 87 countries.
And being able to observe whales from the shore -- as you can in Hermanus -- is ecologically-friendly and assuages growing concerns that boat-viewing expeditions may disturb and in some cases even harm the animals.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 165 of 181: Leah (Leah) * Tue, Oct 21, 2003 (03:44) * 3 lines
My parents live near Hermanus, and this is truely a great attraction to see.
Unfortunately, every year, at least one whale will beach, and the community will unsuccessfully try to save it. It is still a mystery as to why this happens.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 166 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Nov 24, 2003 (20:33) * 5 lines
Dolphins and Fish Nets: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=ZDHHDF00JFMNYCRBAELCFFA?
type=scienceNews&storyID=3861189
New Kind of Whale: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/111903_nw_whale.html
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 167 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Nov 24, 2003 (20:34) * 1 lines
for the first link, make sure you get the whole thing in your browser address bar or it won't show up. dunno why it separated the thing out.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 168 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Nov 24, 2003 (20:36) * 1 lines
speaking of beached whales, a one-month old found itself on sunset beach. haven't learned if the necropsy determined the cause of death though. folks tried to get it to sea world but the poor thing just gave out. (after being first loaded on one truck (too small) and onto another (just right).
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 169 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Jan 14, 2004 (19:51) * 3 lines
on reuters today, a humpback whale was saved from fishing nets--they said it had wounds on it which indicated she (it was a female) had been in there awhile.
speaking of humpbacks, it's their annual migration period (either from alaska to mexico or vise-versa). i've only seen one so far (the period for So Cal is from Dec-Mar).
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 170 of 181: Paul Terry Walhus (terry) * Fri, Jan 16, 2004 (17:16) * 3 lines
One more than I've seen in Central Texas so far.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 171 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Nov 23, 2004 (19:48) * 26 lines
Got this off of MSN News:
New Zealanders say pod circled them to fend off 9-foot great white
Updated: 8:26 a.m. ET Nov. 23, 2004
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A pod of dolphins circled protectively round a group of New Zealand swimmers to fend off an attack by a great white shark, media reported on Tuesday.
Lifesavers Rob Howes, his 15-year-old daughter Niccy, Karina Cooper and Helen Slade were swimming 300 feet off Ocean Beach near Whangarei on New Zealand’s North Island when the dolphins herded them — apparently to protect them from a shark.
“They started to herd us up, they pushed all four of us together by doing tight circles around us,” Howes told the New Zealand Press Association (NZPA).
Howes tried to drift away from the group, but two of the bigger dolphins herded him back just as he spotted a 9-foot great white shark swimming towards the group.
“I just recoiled. It was only about 2 meters (6 feet) away from me, the water was crystal clear and it was as clear as the nose on my face,” Howes said.
“They had corralled us up to protect us,” he said.
The lifesavers spent the next 40 minutes surrounded by the dolphins before they could safely swim back to shore. The incident happened on Oct. 30, but the lifesavers kept the story to themselves until now.
Environment group Orca Research said dolphins attacked sharks to protect themselves and their young, so their actions in protecting the lifesavers was understandable.
“They could have sensed the danger to the swimmers and taken action to protect them,” Orca’s Ingrid Visser told NZPA.
~*~*~*~*~*
pretty cool, huh?
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 172 of 181: Cheryl (CherylB) * Tue, Jun 7, 2005 (10:42) * 35 lines
Dolphin mothers pass tool use to daughters
Andreas von Bubnoff
6 June 2005; | news@nature.com
Australian dolphins learn to hunt with sponges stuck to their noses.
Bottlenose dolphins are known to be smart, but a study of tool use has emphasized just how clever these mammals can be. Female dolphins in an Australian bay seem to be learning from their mothers how to stick marine sponges on their noses to help them hunt for fish, researchers say.
"It is the first documented case of tool use in a marine mammal," says Michael Krützen of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, who led the study into how the trick is passed from one generation to the next. Rather than being an inherited trait, the tool use is probably being learned by daughter dolphins from their mothers, the researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences1.
Sponge-using dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were first described in 1997 in Shark Bay, 850 kilometres north of Perth, Australia2. Since then, all dolphins known to use this tool have come from the same bay, and the vast majority have been female. Direct observations have been rare, but researchers think the dolphins use the marine sponges to disturb the sandy sea bottom in their search for prey, while protecting their beaks from abrasion.
The knack of learning to use tools from fellow creatures is thought to be very rare. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) have been seen to use two stones to crack open nuts, for instance, and this is thought to be a culturally acquired trait3. In other instances tool use seems to be inherited. New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides), for example, use twigs to gain access to food in nooks and crannies of trees, and can do so without having been taught by another crow4.
Daughters of Eve
To see whether the dolphin behaviour was inherited, Krützen and his colleagues analysed DNA from 13 spongers, only one of which, Antoine, was male, and from 172 non-spongers.
They found that most spongers shared similar mitochondrial DNA, which is genetic information passed down from the mother. This indicates that the spongers are probably all descended from a single "Sponging Eve". The spongers also shared similar DNA from the nucleus, suggesting that Eve lived just a few generations ago.
But not all the female dolphins with similar mitochondrial DNA use sponges. And when the researchers considered ten different means of genetic inheritance, considering that the sponging trait might be dominant, recessive, linked to the X-chromosome or not, they found no evidence that the trait was carried in DNA. "It's highly unlikely that there is one or several genes that causes the animals to use tools," says Krützen.
Andrew Whiten, a researcher who studies cultural tradition in chimpanzees at the University of St. Andrews, UK, says the work is very thorough. "Krützen and his colleagues have done a painstaking genetic analysis," says Whiten. But he cautions that there is as yet no evidence that dolphins can pick up tool use by observation.
Copy cats
Krützen points out that young dolphins spend up to four or five years with their mother, giving them lots of time to pick up the trick. "We know they are seeing it all the time," says Janet Mann, a co-author of the study from Georgetown University in Washington DC. In general, dolphins are known to imitate each other very well, Krützen adds.
Mann says the males probably learn sponging from their mothers as well, but do not engage in it when older, perhaps because they are too busy pursuing fertile females to engage in complicated foraging. She hopes to catch the dolphins in the act of learning sponge use from their mothers soon.
Krützen plans to study whether the sponge users have any advantage over non-spongers. A preliminary study of the fat content in dolphin blubber suggests that spongers get food that other animals do not, Krützen says.
http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050606/full/050606-2.html
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 173 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Jun 7, 2005 (19:56) * 1 lines
cheryl, thanks for posting this over here!
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 174 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Fri, Sep 23, 2005 (20:48) * 3 lines
this site has lots of posters and other artwork concerning marine life:
http://www.oneloveonespirit.com/One_Love_One_Spirit_dolphins.html
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 175 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Jan 3, 2006 (20:40) * 1 lines
beached whales were shot to prevent suffering: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,180422,00.html
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 176 of 181: Cheryl (CherylB) * Tue, Jan 10, 2006 (11:38) * 17 lines
41 Beached Whales Shot in New Zealand
Wildlife officers shot 41 pilot whales that beached on New Zealand's South Island, the Department of Conservation said.
A total of 49 whales came ashore Saturday near Farewell Spit in the second major stranding in the area within two weeks. Eight died on the beaches, and the remaining animals were shot when heavy seas prevented any attempt to refloat them.
"Given the hopelessness of being able to successfully refloat the whales, our prime concern was then to avoid the whales' suffering a long and painful death," Greg Napp, the department's Golden Bay area officer, said in a statement.
Napp said the latest stranding was likely unconnected to another last month when 129 pilot whales came ashore close by.
Conservation officers and volunteers managed to refloat more than 100 in that stranding, but 21 whales died.
Mike Rogers, a Department of Conservation worker, said the whales that beached Saturday were not thought to be from the pod involved in the larger stranding on Dec. 20.
"There have always been strandings at Golden Bay," he said, noting that the tide goes out as much as four miles and the animals "get trapped on this gentle sloping beach."
http://www.kfmb.com/story.php?id=33046
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 177 of 181: Paul Terry Walhus (terry) * Tue, Jan 10, 2006 (22:50) * 1 lines
Why do whales beach?
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 178 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Wed, Jan 11, 2006 (18:58) * 1 lines
that's a mystery......some say it's because of misread (interpreted) signals from our sonar, others because one of them is seriously ill (usually the alpha) and they all follow it to provide comfort, etc. some because of storms...
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 179 of 181: Cheryl (CherylB) * Thu, Jan 12, 2006 (10:14) * 1 lines
It's still really sad that they do.
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 180 of 181: Cheryl (CherylB) * Wed, May 17, 2006 (13:05) * 78 lines
Dolphins Name Themselves With Whistles, Study Says
James Owen
for National Geographic News
Dolphins give themselves "names"—distinctive whistles that they use to identify each other, new research shows.
Scientists say it's the first time wild animals have been shown to call out their own names.
What's more, the marine mammals can recognize individual names even when the sound is produced by an unfamiliar voice.
Bottlenose dolphins appear to develop so-called signature whistles as infants.
The idea that they use these whistles to identify each other was first proposed in 1991 after individuals were heard to make their own unique sounds.
"The challenge was to show experimentally that the animals can use these independent voice features as signature whistles," said Vincent Janik of the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Janik is the lead author of a study on the dolphin whistles to be published tomorrow in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
He says the idea that dolphins use names "was fairly hypothetical, and some researchers regarded it as not possible."
Listening Dolphins
The research focused on wild bottlenose dolphins living in Sarasota Bay, Florida.
Acoustic recordings have been made of most of these dolphins, which have been studied for more than 30 years.
For the new study each dolphin's signature whistle was isolated from the recordings and then played back to the animals through underwater loudspeakers.
The team found that the listening dolphins responded strongly to recordings of the names of their relatives and close group members but largely ignored those of other dolphins.
Janik says the recordings were synthesized electronically to rule out the possibility that the dolphins recognized each other simply by the sound of their voices.
"It's the equivalent of a computerized voice, where you can't tell who is speaking by the voice alone," he said.
The study team says whistles that identify an individual would be especially useful to bottlenose dolphins, because they live in large groups and have complex social interactions.
"Group changes are incredibly dynamic, and you need a way of knowing exactly who's around you," Janik said. "Dolphins often prefer to spend time with particular individuals."
But living in the murky ocean makes it hard to hook up with your dolphin buddies.
"Finding each other isn't so easy in marine environments, because visibility is very poor—maybe just a couple of meters," Janik said.
"Instead of looking around, they really need some other obvious and reliable system to find another animal."
The researchers suggest the dolphins use acoustic communication and signature whistles to locate and identify individual animals.
"You really have to have something more than a voice. You need something that's as different as a name," Janik said.
Customized Whistles
The ability to develop individually distinctive calls requires vocal learning, a relatively rare skill that's seen in humans, dolphins, elephants, and a few other animals including certain birds.
Bottlenose dolphins are among the most versatile vocal learners and show cognitive abilities similar to those of primates.
The study team says young dolphins appear to create their own signature whistles from those of adult dolphins.
"They are listening to a lot of other whistles in the environment, then take parts of some that they've heard and put them together as a new one," Janik said.
Other researchers, however, have argued that dolphins don't have signature whistles.
In 2001 Brenda McCowan of the University of California, Davis, and Diana Reiss of the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn published a study suggesting that bottlenose dolphins don't use individual names but rather a shared contact call.
Their research was based on captive dolphins, which, Janik says, wouldn't have the same difficulties wild dolphins have with staying in touch.
"They don't live in the kind of complex environment that wild dolphins inhabit," he said. "They are in relatively small environs, in very clear water, and can see each other all the time."
Janik says that bottlenose dolphins may turn out to be just the first of various animals that use their own names.
Researchers have identified what could be signature whistles in other dolphin species, including spotted, white-sided, and dusky dolphins.
Some birds possibly also use names to communicate with each other, Janik adds.
"The one group of birds where that's possible is parrots," he said.
"Parrots have a very similar social structure to dolphins, and it seems they may also have a similar [naming] system."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/060508_dolphins_2.html
Topic 23 of 58 [SpringArk]: Marine Mammals
Response 181 of 181: Alpha Wolf (wolf) * Wed, May 17, 2006 (14:46) * 1 lines
awesome, thanks cheryl!!
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