Prosecutors say man intentionally rammed humpback whales with boat.

lauricedeephd writes "Twice while piloting a jet boat, Kevin B. Carle spotted humpback whales breaching in the waters of Southeast Alaska.

And twice, prosecutors say, he veered toward the cetaceans and intentionally hit them with the speeding boat. Carle, a 44-year-old resident of Craig, was hit this week with a federal misdemeanor in violation of the Endangered Species Act for "knowingly harassing, pursuing and harming whales," according to prosecutors."

Secret of whale's open-mouth feeding tactic revealed.

lauricedeephd writes "To catch a meal, humpback whales dive at high speeds with mouths open to engulf large volumes of water filled with prey. Now scientists have detected the unique bone adaptations that allow the whales to do this without being injured by the torrents of water and pressure they face.

The study involved rorqual whales, a family of species that includes humpback whales and blue whales - the largest animals on Earth. These creatures feed on small fish and shrimp-like krill by sucking in water during dives deep into the ocean - a practice called lunge feeding."

Update: Whale crashes into sail boat - was it harassed? (story from a different angle).

lauricedeephd writes "The whale that crashed into a sailboat off Cape Town, South Africa this week left more than a giant splash and a floating pile of wreckage in its wake. There are also allegations that the whale was harassed.

The sailors on board the boat told the Today Show they weren't following or otherwise antagonizing the whale. That hasn't stopped South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs from launching an investigation into whether the sailors broke a law by getting too close to the whale."

Whale photos no fluke. Australia

lauricedeephd writes "Researchers are seeking a helping hand from tourists to track whale migration along Australia's east coast.

Queensland's Southern Cross University says pictures taken by tourists could provide valuable new data on the timing of humpback whale migration, travel speed, histories, association patterns, and movement patterns."

Cetaceans in captivity: An SFU researcher may have a solution.

lauricedeephd writes "Should cetaceans -- ocean-dwelling mammals such as whales and dolphins -- be kept at the Vancouver Aquarium? That question was on a lot of minds last week as the Vancouver Park Board debated--and defeated--a motion to hold a city-wide referendum next year on whether to phase out cetaceans in captivity in Vancouver parks (effectively, the aquarium, which is located in Stanley Park).

It's a controversial issue, with some people arguing that since cetaceans are intelligent mammals, it is akin to slavery to put them on exhibit, while others say that having the whales and dolphins at the Aquarium has educational, research and environmental awareness value. The five whales and three dolphins also draw the largest crowds to the aquarium, and thus contribute to the facility’s bottom line."

Maui to celebrate Dolphin Days. HI, USA

lauricedeephd writes "Maalaea, Maui » The Pacific Whale Foundation's Wild Dolphin Days celebration is set for Aug. 7-8 on Maui. This annual event honors the wild dolphins that live in Maui waters.

A Wild Dolphin Sand Sculpture Contest will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. Aug. 7 at the north end of Keawakapu Beach in South Kihei. The contest is free and open to everyone. Sculptures can be created by individuals, families or groups. Prizes will be awarded."

East coast oil and gas exploration poses dolphin threat. Scotland

lauricedeephd writes "Plans to commence oil and gas exploration off the east coast of Scotland could pose a threat to hundreds of marine animals including dolphins, whales and basking sharks, according to conservationists.

A proposal to conduct seismic surveys in the Moray Firth has been approved by the Department of Energy and Climate Change pending a four-week consultation."

Update: Whale of a tale! 40-ton mammal lands on yacht.

lauricedeephd writes "A South African couple was out sailing near the country's infamous Robben Island when a 40-ton whale breached and crash-landed on their yacht.

"We were watching the whale flipping its tail for about half an hour," said Cape Town Sailing Academy Administrator Paloma Werner, who was enjoying a Sunday sail with her boyfriend and sailing instructor, Ralph Mothes."

Tangalooma Island Resort - Dolphin News - Beloved Shadow.

lauricedeephd writes "15 July 2010
Memories of Shadow - A special dolphin

It is with deep sadness that we come to the realization that Shadow has passed away. Shadow last attended the dolphin feed on Wednesday 9th June with her 20 month old male calf, Zephyr. Zephyr is a high spirited little calf and has been regularly seen by himself over the last few weeks. This is unusual as a mother dolphin will never leave her calf unprotected and to see Zephyr by himself without Shadow anywhere in sight was of great concern. Even when Shadow was not hungry, she would still come into Tangalooma and interact with the other dolphins in her family group. Conversely, there were also occasions when Shadow did not attend the feed for a few nights, or a week which is normal behaviour for our wild dolphins."

Tangalooma Island Resort - Dolphin News - Nari.

lauricedeephd writes "Dolphin News, 13th February 2010
Nari - One year on!

Well it's been one year since Nari came into the feed area with a severe shark bite injury to the top part of his head around the blow hole area. It was an extremely stressful time for all of the Tangalooma staff as we were not sure if Nari would survive. "

Addiction to plastic is fuelling marine disaster.

lauricedeephd writes "In Australia alone we have used almost 14 million tonnes of plastic since 2000, according to the latest industry figures.

But tonnes and tones of discarded plastic wind up polluting the ocean and waterways and endangering wildlife."

Whale Watching Bonanza. NY, USA

lauricedeephd writes "Concerns over the health of the ocean, particularly in light of the BP oil spill, are growing. But the good news here is that the marine mammals seen in summer in the waters off of Montauk, which had been plentiful and close to shore and then virtually absent from inshore waters in recent years, have returned.

Sightings of finback whales, dolphins, minke whales, and other ocean species on whale-watching trips aboard the Viking Fleet, sponsored by the Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island, have been creating excitement not only among the passengers thrilled by a good look at the elusive creatures but among researchers happy to observe what they believe could be a longtime pattern changing."

Program sets whale-watch standards. USA

lauricedeephd writes "Federal officials and whale conservationists are trying to encourage Northeast whale-watch boat companies to mind their manners on the water: that is, treat whales respectfully, give passengers good information about the marine mammals, and help out with conservation and protection.

Some operators say they're already doing that. But with the new program called Whale SENSE, the whale-watch companies may get more customers."

Whales crowd Monterey Bay to feast on krill bonanza. CA, USA.

lauricedeephd writes "Blue whales are so big that when one surfaces to breathe, it seems a peninsula is emerging.

You see a blowhole and a glossy back the size of a vegetable garden. But there's a whole land mass down there bigger than the boat you rode out on."

Scientists test Japanese dolphins' visual capacity with plasma TVs.

lauricedeephd writes "Japanese scientists are testing visual capacity of dolphins by screening nature movies on big screen plasma TVs in front of their tanks.

Researchers from the Umikirara Aquarium in southern Japan and Tokiwa University in central Japan are showing bottlenose dolphins Nami and Nina images of killer whales and dolphins."