This Week in Whales: Dolphins Use a Wingman; Leaking Cargo Ship Threatens Killer Whales; Pygmy Sperm Whale Saved by a Hundred Volunteers...
News in the world of whales this week (or close to this week). Apologies to TWIW readers for getting this edition out a day late and for its brevity, but I just returned from attending a meeting of the polar bear range states and am still coming up for air. I will write more on that very interesting meeting later. Anyway, without further ado, this week in whales…
- You’re not the only one in the animal kingdom who could use or has used a wingman. Turns out that male bottlenose dolphins have more success with the ladies when they form social alliances as opposed to going solo.
- Dolphins and whales are still dying at alarming rates in the Gulf of Mexico, with death rates double their normal rate. While cautious scientists and government officials go to great pains to emphasize that they still do not know exactly what is causing this “unusual mortality event,” we do know that the most heavily oiled shoreline from the BP disaster corresponds with the most whales and dolphin strandings. As my colleague has writing, as this dolphin die-off continues, it is imperative that we get answers as to why and hold responsible parties accountable.
- Good news and bad news out of New Zealand. Let’s start with the bad: oil pollution from the stranded container vessel, Rena, is threatening endangered killer whales. Rena hit a reef off New Zealand on October 5 and has been leaking toxic pollution ever since. Killer whales have been seen in the area of the pollution, which can cause liver damage, chronic cell infiltration, stomach ulcers, jaundice, and inflammation after ingestion. The good news out of New Zealand is that a group of a hundred volunteers helped a stranded pygmy sperm whale return to sea. The whale was found stranded early in the morning and for the next 5 hours 100 people helped keep the whale alive until it could returned to sea, where it swam out of sight.
- Five killer whales entertained themselves in the Strait of Gibraltar by following a group of people swimming between Spain and Morocco for a fundraiser. The killer whales followed the swimmers for 12 miles at about a distance of 100 yards behind.
- Interesting book out by Diana Reiss, Director of Dolphin Research at Biltmore’s National Aquarium, titled “The Dolphin in the Mirror: Exploring Dolphin Minds and Saving Dolphin Lives.” The book discusses how dolphins can recognize themselves in mirrors and solve problems in much the same was as humans and great apes.
- PETA has filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld for enslaving killer whales. Interesting stuff.
Meanwhile, in other news of “whales”…
Meanwhile, this week in Wales…
Lonely Planet has announced that coastal Wales is the “best region on Earth” to visit next year. Part of the designation recognizes The All Wales Coast Path, which will squiggle continuously from Chepstow in the south to near Queensferry in the north.