Whaling
hrynyshyn | January 6, 2010Some has decided that the Island of Doubt is one of the top marine biology blogs around. Which is a bit odd as I rarely post about such issues anymore. But I do pay attention, and in an effort to at least acknowledge the honor, here's a relevant post:
The Sea Shepherd Society's ultra-cool trimaran, the Andy Gil, is no more:
And thanks to Southern Fried Science, here's another view of the same incident:
Who's to blame? I wasn't there and I know enough about the challenges of navigating in rough seas not to pass judgment based only on videos taken from less than ideal perspectives. But hey…
cwilcox | July 19, 2009Greenpeace protests with cute little stunts. The Sea Shepherd throws slick bombs and tries to foul props. And, so far, nothing has stopped the Japanese practice of "scientific" whaling. But now, an unlikely turn of events just might accomplish what years of efforts have failed to do: stop the Japanese fleet from catching whales.
And we have obnoxious tourists to thank for it.
The amazing spectacle of the icy continent attracts thousands of tourists a year who view their frozen surroundings from the comfort of warm, cozy cruise cabins. In the past few years, however, cruise ships have been…
cwilcox | May 30, 2009I stumbled across this link on the internets. Go to it. It shows how big a blue whale is life-size. It's almost unfathomable to imagine how large these creatures really are in person. The size of the eye alone is staggering, and scrolling around the whale's body just gave me an incredible sense of awe. They truly are magnificent animals.
Then hit the X on the left to exit the image. A though provoking message pops up:
Think before you close this window. This might be the last life size whale you will ever see.
WDCS international, you got my attention. Did they get yours?
(HT Oceanic Dreams)
cwilcox | November 12, 2008This week, two different announcements have given the whales of the world the right to be upset. It seems they can get no relief from the constant pressures we place on their populations.
Firstly, the US Supreme court decided that Navy sonar was more important, so they overturned a lower courts ruling that forced the Navy to restrict sonar practices within 1.5 miles of a whale. It sets a precedent that shoots down activist attempts at whale protection. While I understand the need for national security, it just sucks for the whales off the coast of California.
Then, all hopes of reduced…
zooillogix | July 24, 2008After becoming entangled in a fishing net off the coast of Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefrecture in Japan, a wounded and exhausted young dolphin was taken to Umitamago Aquarium, also known as Oita Marine Palace Aquarium. The dolphin did not have the energy to keep itself afloat and after a couple of days of holding the dolphin to make sure it didn't sink, the aquarium staff were also worn out. This is when aquarium vets got the clever idea of fashioning a dolphin lifejacket shown below.
This is where the story gets less cute. According to this Reuters article, the aquarium intends to keep their…