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."

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."

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."

Whale sense of smell surprises scientists.

lauricedeephd writes "Bowhead whales can smell the air, scientists say, contradicting previous thought that whales and dolphins completely lacked the ability.

Researchers dissecting bowhead whale bodies discovered olfactory hardware linking the brain and nose and the protein receptors required to smell, BBC news reported Friday."

Humpback whale pays visit to Northern Ireland's Rathlin island.

lauricedeephd writes "]A rare humpback whale has been spotted at the foot of the cliffs of Rathlin.

It’s effectively the first verified humpback sighting in Northern Irish waters since records began, according to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), as a previous sighting in 2002 was in Scottish waters close to Colonsay, Islay."

40-ton Right Whale lands on yacht during sailing trip - Cape Town, S. Africa

RexyJade writes "The pair were enjoying calm seas off the South African coast when the animal flipped into the air and smashed into their mast.

Ralph Mothes, 59, and Paloma Werner, 50, were helpless as the beast thrashed around on their 33ft vessel before slipping back into the water. Miss Werner said: "It really was quite incredible but very scary. The whale was about the same size as the boat."

Jet-ski rider fined for whale offence. Australia

lauricedeephd writes "A WARRNAMBOOL table tennis coach has copped a $400 serve after riding a friend's jet-ski too close to a whale and her calf in the Logans Beach exclusion zone.

Douglas Ian McRae, 22, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to entering and remaining in the Logans Beach exclusion zone and travelling at more than five knots within 300 metres of a whale."

The True Cost of Ignoring Nonhumans.

lauricedeephd writes "Posted by Dr. Denise L Herzing and Dr. Lori Marino, Human-Nonhuman Relationship Board
Over the millennia humans and the rest of nature have coexisted in various relationships. However the intimate and interdependent nature of our relationship with other beings on the planet has been recently brought to light by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This ongoing environmental disaster is a prime example of “profit over principle” regarding non-human life. This spill threatens not only the reproductive viability of all flora and fauna in the affected ecosystems but also complex and sensitive non-human cultures like those we now recognize in dolphins and whales.

Although science has, for decades, documented the links and interdependence of ecosystems and species, the ethical dilemma now facing humans is at a critical level. For too long have we not recognized the true cost of our life styles and priorities of profit over the health of the planet and the nonhuman beings we share it with. If ever the time, this is a wake up call for humanity and a call to action. If humanity is to survive we need to make an urgent and long-term commitment to the health of the planet. The oceans, our food sources and the very oxygen we breathe may be dependent on our choices in the next 10 years."

Whale Speak: Language Key to Their Culture.

lauricedeephd writes "Scientists are starting to consider the notion that whales might have a pretty cool culture. Maybe the Great White Whale was smarter than Ahab.

"Whales are pretty hard to study, but evidence is coming up from quite a number of species that in a whole range of ways, they're learning things from each other and they're passing it on to other whales, and that's culture," says Hal Whitehead, biology professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Whitehead says whales don't have opposable thumbs, so they can't craft material objects to pass on through the generations: "Whale cultures are in their minds and not in the things that they make.""

Way Back When Sperm Whales Were Able to Chew Their Food.

lauricedeephd writes "Sperm whales lack teeth on their upper jaws and so have no way of biting into prey. Instead, they ingest and swallow prey, most often squid, by suction.

A new study reports that a sperm whale that lived 12 million years ago, in the Miocene Epoch, did have upper and lower teeth. It apparently used its teeth to eat other smaller whales, the study reports, digging in deep and ripping off large chunks of flesh. "

Plentiful krill lures dozens of blue whales to Monterey Bay. CA, USA

lauricedeephd writes "SANTA CRUZ — Whale watchers may want to take note of the multitude of blue whales that have been spotted in the Monterey Bay in recent days, rising from the depths in an opportunistic feeding frenzy.

"Enjoy them while you can," said Wayne Perryman, a researcher with NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center."

More whales greeting the coast. Australia

lauricedeephd writes "New research shows that whales passing along the New South Wales Far South Coast are increasing in numbers.

Whale watchers say a high number of whales have been sighted during the annual migration north."