The Shepherd's beaked whale is so rare it has never been filmed live before (AFP/Australian Antarctic Division, Mike Double)

Thursday, February 23, 2012. SYDNEY — Australian researchers Thursday revealed they had filmed a pod of extremely rare Shepherd’s beaked whales for the first time ever.

The Australian Antarctic Division team was tracking blue whales off the coast of Victoria state last month when they spotted the reclusive mammals, which are so rarely seen that no population estimates of the species exist.

Voyage leader Michael Double said the black and cream-coloured mammals with prominent dolphin-like beaks had been spotted in the wild only a handful of times through history.

According to the Australian environment department, there have only been two previous confirmed sightings — a lone individual in New Zealand and a group of three in Western Australia

They have never been filmed live before.

“These animals are practically entirely known from stranded dead whales, and there haven’t been many of them,” Double told AFP, calling the footage “unique”.

“They are an offshore animal, occupying deep water, and when they surface it is only for a very short period of time.”

Double said what was remarkable about the sighting was that the whale was previously thought to be a solitary creature, yet was in a pod of 10 to 12.

“To find them in a pod is very exciting and will change the guide books. Our two whale experts will now carefully study the footage to work out the whale sizes and so on and prepare a scientific paper.”

The Shepherd’s beaked whale, also known as the Tasman beaked whale, was discovered in 1937 but little is known about them.

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Feb. 22, 2012. WASHINGTON - Internet giant Amazon.com appears to have removed all whale products from its wholly owned Japanese website overnight following worldwide publicity that scores of whale products were offered for sale.

A new campaign launched yesterday by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Humane Society International (HSI), revealed that Amazon Japan, the wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon Inc, not only sells products from endangered and protected whale species, but also products containing dangerous levels of mercury.

Worldwide publicity followed the release of the EIA report Amazon.com’s Unpalatable Profits and tens of thousands of people have taken via Twitter, Facebook, HSI’s online petition and sending protest emails to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

“We welcome Amazon’s action to remove whale products from its Japanese website but urge Amazon to confirm it will enact a company-wide ban on the sale of all products derived from whales, dolphins or porpoises,” said Allan Thornton, President of the Environmental Investigation Agency.

Kitty Block, Vice President of Humane Society International said: “In just 24 hours, more than 35,000 HSI supporters have appealed to Amazon for a total ban on the sale of whale, dolphin and porpoise products.  The public wants these animals protected rather than killed and sold for profit. “

Interviews and images are available on request: please contact :

• Allan Thornton, EIA President via allanthornton@eia-global.org or telephone 202 483 6621
• Katie Jarl, HSI Media Contact, kjarl@humanesociety.org or telephone 301- 258 1483

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22 February 2012 (Kouichi Shirayanagi). Disposal of a 12 meter long, 15 ton Sperm Whale carcass has proven to be too large a task for the municipality of El Houaria to handle. The leviathan’s massive body has been lying on the beach of Sidi Daoud for the past five days.

The head of the El Houaria Fishing Association, Moncef Miladi, complained that the carcass, through the process of decomposition, has been releasing blood onto the beach. “None of the authorities have come to clean the sea,” said Miladi.

According to Miladi, it is unusual for a whale to wash up on the Tunisian shore. Given that sperm whales typically inhabit deeper waters, it is likely that the whale lost it’s way on a migration route.

An official at the municipality of El Houaria who requested to remain unnamed, said that the disposal of the whale will require a coordinated effort between multiple government agencies. “We called our civil protection agency and the unit of processing management for the Governorate of Nabeul, and the two agencies are working on a plan now to either move the carcass or bury it in the ground somewhere near the coast,” he said.

While the cause of death of the whale has not been confirmed, marine pollution often impacts the ability for whales to hear, leading them dangerously off course from their regular migration routes. There is also a possibility that the whale suffered from a disease that weakened it, according to the Tunisian National Institute for Marine Science and Technology.

Sperm whales can grow up to 20 meters long, and are often found swimming in waters between 2500 and 5000 meters deep where they feed off different species of squid.

Faten Bouraoui contributed to this report.

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Sickener : Whale burgers

22 Feb, 2012 (ANDREW DARBY). Online retailing giant Amazon is under pressure to halt whale meat sales on its Japanese language website.

The Seattle-based business, which wholly owns its Japanese subsidiary, has a stated policy of prohibiting the sale of unlicensed or illegal wildlife products including endangered species, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency.

But EIA found 147 different whale products for sale on amazon.co.jp, including some from listed endangered species, in a December survey.

Others came from its legally disputed research whaling program.

A check of the site today using the Japanese symbol for whale meat, found dozens of items still for sale.

In the report, Amazon.com’s Unpalatable Profits, launched with Humane Society International, the investigators bought eight whale products from Amazon Japan last year, including canned whale meat, whale jerky, whale bacon and whale stew.

“Analysis revealed six of them to have mercury levels exceeding the Japanese national limit for mercury in seafood of 0.4 parts per million (ppm) and one had a staggering mercury level of 20ppm, about 50 times the safe limit,” the report said.

It said one-third of the 147 products were not listed with a species name, contrary to Japanese labelling laws, and it was likely Amazon Japan was selling dolphin products mislabelled as “whale”.

Selling arrangements on Amazon Japan require third-party sellers to pay a 10 per cent commission for food and drink products, including whale products, on top of a ¥4900 ($57) monthly fee, the report said. The products are shipped directly from the seller in Amazon boxes.

Humane Society International/UK executive director, Mark Jones, said: “There is no humane way to kill whales, so the creatures slaughtered to produce the food products being sold by Amazon will have endured a bloody and painful death.

“As a global brand, Amazon must now act to protect both consumers from environmentally polluted products and cetaceans from the cruel exploitation of commercial whaling.”

The groups called on Amazon to enact an immediate corporate-wide policy prohibiting the sale of all cetacean products. Copies of the report were given to Amazon.com last week, EIA said.

No response has come today to a request to Amazon for comment.

The corporation reported revenues of $US48.1. billion for 2011, or 40.6 per cent up on the previous year.

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Sickener : Whale burgers

21 Feb 2012 (Mike Swain). Animal rights groups found 147 illegal items advertised including whale curry and whale bacon

Banned whale meat products are being sold openly through Amazon’s online Marketplace.

Animal rights groups found 147 illegal items advertised including whale curry, whale bacon, whale stew and tinned whale hamburger.

Clare Perry, of the Environmental Investigation Agency, said: “By allowing vendors to sell whale products it is effectively helping to prop up a trade that should have been consigned to the history books.”

An international moratorium on whaling has been in place since 1986.

Japanese vessels still track whales for scientific research purposes – but campaigners claim this is a cover for whaling.

Investigators found one company selling minke whale meat from Iceland, which opposes the ban.

The EIA and Humane Society International, which jointly carried out the probe, is calling for the public to petition Amazon to stop whale products being sold.

Director Mark Jones said: “The creatures slaughtered to produce the food products being sold on Amazon Marketplace will have endured a bloody and painful death.”

Amazon Marketplace sellers pay a monthly fee and 10% commission on sales.

No one from Amazon was available for comment last night.

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Beluga are also known as white whales and sea canaries

21 February 2012. Beluga whales are among rare species spotted at, or near to, proposed Scottish sites for marine renewable energy projects, a report says.

Also known as white whales and sea canaries, beluga whales live in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters.

Sightings of the species were made off Caithness in 2005 and 2007, according to information gathered for the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) report.

The review looked at the Pentland Firth and the sea around Orkney.

The study, called “Abundance and behaviour of cetaceans and basking sharks in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters”, was prompted by the opening up of new sites for marine renewable energy.

Among the findings was that some proposed locations for wave and tidal energy development overlapped with important areas for cetaceans.

The report’s authors – Hebog Environmental Limited and Sea Watch Foundation – gathered sightings records from wildlife databases, council rangers, ferry crews and developer Aquamarine Power.

In their findings, the authors said: “Nineteen cetacean species have been recorded in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters since 1980, 17 of these as live sightings, making it one of the richest areas in the UK.”

The report said six species occurred regularly. These were harbour porpoise, minke whale, white-beaked dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, killer whale and bottlenose dolphin.

Basking sharks along with short-beaked common dolphin, Atlantic white-sided dolphin, long-finned pilot whale and sperm whale were described as casual visitors.

‘Potential show-stopper’

Two sightings of beluga were made near Berriedale, on the east Caithness coast. Three whales in total were recorded.

The whales are listed as “near-threatened” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list.

They were nicknamed sea canaries because of the distinctive sounds they make, including chirps, squeaks and clicks.

Other rare and threatened species have been recorded around Orkney.

They included humpback whales at various locations and striped dolphins off Shapinsay and in the Sound of Hoxa.

A pod of up to 150 false killer whales was seen about east of Orkney in July 1981. They are more common in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate seas.

Killer whales, meanwhile, were frequently seen off Dunnet Head and Duncansby Head in Caithness and off Orkney.

The review said it was a small population of about 30 animals linked to a community of killer whales that followed Icelandic summer-spawning herring.

Last year, the risks to whales and dolphins from tidal turbines was described in a university document as a “potential show-stopper” for marine energy plans.

The warning was contained in information about a proposed study examining possible sites where animals injured by turbines could end up stranding.

The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) offered a postgraduate studentship in the research in July last year.

UHI said how the animals would behave around turbines was unknown.

The development of marine renewables in Scotland is still in the early stages with prototype devices being built and tested.

A report published in 2010 on the potential benefits of harnessing wave and tidal power suggested £2.5bn could be spent in Scotland and 5,300 jobs created by 2020.

Industry forum Scottish Renewables and development agency Scottish Enterprise had commissioned the study.

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Researchers cut open a fin whale in Norfok's Ocean View (Daily Press)

21 February 2012. Virginia Aquarium officials told WAVY.com they plan to bury a whale on the beach where it washed ashore Sunday.

The Stranding Response Team is performing a necropsy Tuesday and will bury the 42-foot whale once it’s complete. The mammal washed ashore Sunday morning on the beach near First View Street in Ocean View.

The Virginia Aquarium’s Stranding Response Team responded to examine the whale and initially identified the 42-foot whale as a male Sei whale, but later determined it is a male fin whale, which  is an endangered species.

The whale suffered a huge 1.5-foot gash on the back of its head resulting in a fractured skull. Also found by the whale’s injuries were traces of orange and brown paint or rust, suggesting the whale was hit by a vessel, according to a spokesperson for the Stranding Response Team.

Joan Barnes with the Virginia Aquarium says because of the holiday weekend, the whale could not be moved after it washed ashore.

“The whale’s skin and organs are still in tact and in good condition, indicating that the animal has not been dead for long,” said Susan Barco, senior scientist of the Aquarium’s Stranding Response Program.

The Aquarium’s Stranding Response Team had to wait until Tuesday to perform a necropsy because of the city holiday on Monday and the unfavorable weather conditions anticipated for the beginning of the week.

Officials were on the scene Monday to monitor people’s behavior around the whale.

Stranding Response Team member Jackie Bort said the warm winter has attracted an unusual number of whales that migrate along the coast.

“Having warmer water and weather means more plankton, which means more small fish, which means more of these large predators out here,” Bort explained.

Bort added finding what killed the whale is important, “We need to know if we need to regulate shipping in this area…”

But the whale may have been dead before its collision with a vessel. Bohn Lowe, A 17-year veteran of the U.S . Navy, told WAVY.com Naval ships work to avoid collisions with the large sea mammals.

“We see a bunch of whales, a bunch of dolphins. We try to stand and stay clear, but a lot of times the dolphins will come up close towards the ship,” Lowe said.

SUBLANT spokesman Kevin Copeland confirmed another recent incident involving a marine mammal. USS Boise had an encounter with a mammal on Feb. 2. That mammal was believed to be 12 feet long. It was witnessed swimming away on its own. The incident happened in the vicinity of Thimble Shoals.

Rules for ships or boats that encounter whales are established by the National Oceanagraphic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The guidelines forbid vessels from approaching a whale head-on and require a ship or boat to maintain a certain distance from the animal.

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A newborn at the time, L-112 was traveling in the company of members of the Southern Resient killers whales when it was photographed near Vancouver Island, B.C. in February 2009. Contributed file photo/Center for Whale Research

21 February 2012 (SCOTT RASMUSSEN). The final resting place of L112 will be far from where the 3-year-old killer whale washed up on a beach in southern Washington, its body battered, bloodied and bruised.

In fact, local marine biologists hope that, despite its sad end, the young female orca will add to a growing body of research and help spark even greater interest in the marine mammals after her remains are shuttled to San Juan Island.

According to Amy Traxler of The Friday Harbor Whale Museum, coordinator of San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network, federal officials will turn over the remains of L112 to the museum sometime in the next few weeks. Traxler said the museum intends to showcase L112’s skeleton as part of an educational exhibit that’s reminiscent of a grey whale that’s long-been on display.

“It’s a very sad and unfortunate how her life ended,” Traxler said. “This is a rare opportunity though, and we’re excited we’ll be able to take possession of its remains.”

The cause of death of the 3-year-old orca has yet to be determined. Its body was found on a beach just north of Long Beach, Wash., Feb. 11. Its body was battered and bruised, however. Traxler said that the injuries appear inconsistent with what would be expected if it had been attacked by predatory killer whales. The injuries are also somewhat inconsistent with what would be expected if the killer whale had been fatally struck by a ship, she said.

“It’s a bit of a mystery at the moment,” Traxler said. “We may never really know.”

Born in early 2009, L-112 is a calf of L-86, and it was traveling in the company of other members of the southern Residents when it was first photographed off the shore of Victoria, B.C, by the San Juan Island-based Center for Whale Research. L-112 was one of five southern Resident calves born that year.

It had grown to just over 12 feet in length in three years. A necropsy, similar to an autopsy, was conducted Feb. 12, the day after the body of L-112 was discovered. Results are expected in the next several weeks, or perhaps months, according to National Marine Fisheries Service.

Listed as endangered in the U.S. in 2005, the southern residents consist of three tightly knit clans, known as J, K and L pods. They were declared endangered in the wake of the population’s 20 percent decline in the mid 1990s. As of 2010, the population totaled 87 animals, according to the Center. The southern Residents are designated as endangered by Washington state and in Canada as well.

Dr. Joe Gaydos of SeaDoc Society notes recovery of a killer whale carcass is somewhat rare.

He said from 1974 to 2008, that the bodies of only 21 percent of the Southern Resident killer whales that have gone missing, and presumably died, were ever found. At 3 percent, the recovery rate for Northern Resident killer whales is much lower, he said.

A battery of tests and research are being conducted on just about every aspect of the animal, he added.

“It’s a shame it died,” Gaydos said. “But if there’s a silver lining it’s that we’re leaving no stone left unturned and its death will help build our scientific understanding of the species and education for the public.”

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Local residents have been aiding the effort to keep the pelicans fed

21 February 2012. Authorities in the southern Russian province of Dagestan are trying to save hundreds of rare Dalmatian pelicans trapped by unusually cold weather.

The birds migrated to the area near the city of Makhachkala last week.

About 20 birds have already died of hunger after the Caspian Sea froze over, local government spokesman Arslan Dydymov told the Associated Press.

Around 1,400 Dalmatian pelicans, the world’s largest variety of pelican, are thought to live in southern Russia.

Mr Dydymov said hundreds of kilograms of fish had been bought every day by Dagestan’s Nature Protection Ministry for the pelicans.

Local residents have been volunteering to help authorities in their efforts to feed the birds.

But the authorities at the shipyard where the birds have been trapped at first refused the public entry.

“We did not let them in for the sake of the pelicans,” chief guard Magomed Eldarov told AP, citing concerns that some residents had brought bread and other foods unsuitable for pelicans.

The birds are being fed locally-bought sprats while fishing in the Caspian is impossible.

“Yesterday it seemed they ate more than enough,” Dagestan nature reserve spokesman Kurban Kuniev told AP.

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File photo / Paul Estcourt

Monday Feb 20, 2012. Scientists want ships slowed down in the Hauraki Gulf to stop endangered whales from being killed.

University of Auckland research has revealed the endangered Bryde’s whales are vulnerable to being killed by ships in the area, prompting scientists to call for speed restrictions to reduce the chance of ships hitting them.

A similar approach had been effective in protecting whales overseas, said Dr Rochelle Constantine.

“We only catch brief glimpses of Bryde’s whales at the surface in the Hauraki Gulf, but our research shows that they spend more than 90 per cent of their time in the top 12m of water. This makes them extremely vulnerable to being hit by vessels of all kinds, especially large ships that are highly likely to kill the whales when they do collide,” she said.

Compulsory reporting of whale sightings would also increase awareness, she said.

The recommendation comes after a Bryde’s whale was found floating in the Gulf last month and an examination showed it was hit by a vessel, most likely while still alive.

The 15m female whale was buried at Calypso Bay.

The New Zealand population of less than 200 of the endangered species is centred on the Hauraki Gulf.

Dr Constantine and fellow researcher Dr Natacha Aguilar attached multi-sensor tags to the whales by suction cup to track their behaviour below the surface of the ocean.

The whales were found to spend most of their time at relatively shallow depths within striking range of ships entering the Hauraki Gulf.

They were very active during the day, staying near the surface and diving less than 10m, and were closer to the surface at night.

“This was a surprise – it’s very unusual behaviour for large baleen whales. The pattern of being particularly close to the surface at night time when they’re resting, and likely to be less vigilant, makes these whales even more vulnerable to ship strike.”

Some 41 Bryde’s whales have died in the region in the last 16 years. Of the 18 examined for cause of death, 15 whales were found to have died due to ship-strike, the researchers said.

The results of the study will be used in upcoming discussions with Maritime New Zealand, Ports of Auckland, Department of Conservation and other stakeholders.

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