Wednesday 21 December 2011

Time lapse map of 2053 nuclear tests 1945-98

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U8CZAKSsNA

Take a look at this fantastic time lapse art by a Japanese artist of 2053 nuclear explosions from 1945-1998.

Its pretty scary to behold what damage to dolphin and whale populations we could have done in that timeframe from whatever polution resulted from them.

Now that a huge debris raft is about to hit the US from the japanese meltdown maybe we'll learn?

Monday 19 December 2011

Taiji Dolphin slaughter and arrests



Taiji - Two days after arresting Dutch citizen Erwin Vermeulen, Wakayama police stormed the hotel where Sea Shepherd cove guardians and a Save Japan Dolphins monitor is staying. What is going on?
In a shocking twist following the arrest of Dutch national Erwin Vermeulen two days ago, Wakayama Prefecture police raided the Charmant Hotel near Kii-Katsuura last night, where several cove guardians for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) and one cove monitor for Save Japan Dolphins (SJD) are currently staying. The raid occurred shortly after what monitors and guardians reported as the worst dolphin slaughter of the season. According to Sea Shepherd, the 20 policemen "armed with a warrant ... seized computers, phones, hard drives, photos, cameras and anything they deemed suspicious." At first report, it was believed that three cove guardians and one SJD member – Heather Hill, had been detained, but Japanese police only confiscated equipment used to catalog the Taiji dolphin drives. Save Japan Dolphins verified this morning, that unlike the Sea Shepherd's equipment, Hill's equipment was checked before being returned to her. The raid followed a particularly brutal dolphin drive and slaughter of around 34 striped dolphins. Striped dolphins are notoriously skittish and panic more than any other dolphin species. They often throw themselves onto rocks in the cove, in an attempt to escape. Although this is Hill's second visit to Taiji in a couple months and she has witnessed several slaughters, yesterday she says, "will probably always be, the longest and hardest day of my life." Hill added that fishermen, in an attempt to prevent the dolphins' escape, "tried to position themselves between the rocks and dolphins." Divers, Hill said, "sat on the rocks to push and kick the dolphins that slammed their bodies into the wall, tearing their skin open and staining the water with blood." It is the recording of this type of evidence, that Taiji it appears, is doing its best to stifle. Looking back over the events of the past few months, Japan has clearly declared its intention to raise the stakes significantly with regard to its whaling activities. This season, guardians and monitors are followed around the clock by Taiji police. Activists have welcomed their presence and protection, describing them as polite and protective. Yet the police who conducted last night's raid, are from a separate entity representing the Wakayama Prefecture. A source for SSCS said that Wakayama police often "sit down to breakfast with the dolphin hunters." Recently, the reallocation of $28.5 million in disaster funds by Japan to support its whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean, has drawn much criticism. The money has been used to employ the Japanese coastguard to defend its whaling ships this year. Furthermore, Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) along with Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd (organizations that operate whaling vessels), has hired American law firm Miller Nash to represent it in a suit aimed to prevent "acts of violence" by Sea Shepherd activists during this year's whale hunt. In Taiji, the critical pressure being placed on the coastal town is fraying tempers and forcing a crackdown. A few weeks ago, Sea Shepherd cove guardian Rosie Kunneke alleged she was pushed by a Taiji fishermen. SSCS also reported a kidnapping attempt on Kunneke, possibly by Japanese "Yakuza" gangsters, an organized crime syndicate called "boryokudan," or violence group, by Japanese police. Lauren Williams of Australia's Daily Telegraph, recently reported that the Yakuza may have launched a campaign of intimidation to force a media blackout on the furor surrounding the country's killing of dolphins and whales. Both cove guardians and monitors have further reported the strange rearranging of flora at various lookout points used by guardians and monitors to document the dolphin drives. Sticks of bamboo have been cropping up in the unlikeliest of places, in what activists say, is an attempt to block viewing areas of the cove. One fisherman was recently captured on video by SSCS and given a warning by local Taiji police, for trespassing and planting bamboo. Then, just two days ago, Dutch national Erwin Vermeulen was arrested and accused of shoving a Dolphin Resort Hotel Employee during the transfer of a Risso's dolphin from a sea pen to the hotel. Vermuelen is still being held, and under Japanese law says SSCS, can be detained for up to 23 days without speaking to a lawyer. Last night's raid has ratcheted the tension up another notch, prompting SSCS Captain Paul Watson to call the move by Wakayama police, an of "frustration and desperation." The raid has left Sea Shepherd cove guardians unable to document and report further dolphin drives. After querying the reason behind the issuing of the Wakayama police search warrant, Save Japan Dolphins cove monitor Heather Hill responded simply, "Friendship with Erwin Vermuelen." In Taiji it appears, friendship can have dangerous consequences. How long will it be before Japan's continued obsession with whaling and dolphin hunting, starts costing lives? Meanwhile, according to Capt. Paul Watson, Vermuelen will be released "if he simply pleads guilty."
This opinion article was written by an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to reflect those of DigitalJournal.com

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Dolphin Planking !


Pic found at Animalwise

Fear ,d esperation a dolphin sufering in Taiji.

Beauty and the Beast

Some mornings here in Taiji you just know are going to be ‘slaughter days’…
But at the same time, some mornings you get either a plesant surprise, or the disappointment of a lifetime. To have both in one day happens rarely, and when it does it feels literally soul-crushing.
We awoke to a very overcast and dark morning here in Taiji, though with glass-like seas. There was an overwhelming sense of doom almost lingering in the air, as we watched the banger boats leave to hunt dolphins… B, Heather, Nikki and myself went up to the promontory to scout the horizon and Scott and Erwin went up to a new area; ‘Point Erwin’.
The boys could see the drive a little more clear if dolphins were found down South, and this morning I received a message from Scott that it looked as though the dolphin hunters had found a pod. Every ten or so minutes I would be updated, and for a while it wasn’t looking good.But then it seemed as though the pod had gotten away, and the seven boats that were driving it to the South had started making their way back. Three bangers stationed to the North began to return and drove straight into Taiji Harbour. For a precious fifteen or so minutes, our hopes started to rise higher and higher… even the sun came out into a glorious sunrise. It looked as though it was going to be a great day for the dolphins!

It all changed so suddenly. The banger boats appeared as if out of no where in front of the promontory. Seven of them. Lined up in drive formation… and then we spotted the pod.
They were driving quickly, so we headed straight for Glenda’s Hill to get a good look down toward the Cove.
The pod were so exhausted, especially for Striped dolphins. Now, every time I see the gorgeous markings that identify a dolphin as Striped, I feel a huge knot in my stomach. For me, seeing Striped dolphins in the cove has been by far the most horrible to endure, as they would normally throw themselves up onto rocks in a desperate attempt to get away from the banging and roaring motors… It is heart wrenching. For this to be legal anywhere in the world is absolutely beyond me. For pride, for culture, for money… it doesn’t matter in the end- to see these animals’ fear, desperation and prolonged suffering should be enough to halt the insanity…
Today was a little different to all other Striped dolphin slaughters I have witnessed in the past… as a testament to just how exhausted these animals were, they allowed themselves to be pushed straight into the killing cove without jumping on rocks… the suffering for this particular pod was to occur out of sight, under tarpaulins. But no amount of screens could obscure the noises you can hear from within the killing cove… noises that will continue to stay with me in both my waking and dreaming states.
And, just like that, a family was destroyed. The only thing left to see was a small boat full of dolphin bodies (covered up, of course) with a few men, the beast of the Earth, strewed on top…

For those of you who want to help us make a difference and have a hand at stopping the dolphin slaughter in Taiji, click here! Also- to help me in my mission to give a voice to the youth of the world, read all about my ‘In Our Hands’ project and PLEASE get involved!
You can follow my Facebook for more updates from Taiji and my journey… Also email me at pathtoprotect@hotmail.com with any comments or questions!
Thanks again for all the support guys!
On the path to protect,
Nicole.

Wednesday 7 December 2011

Dolphin art will diminish !

Nicole McLachlan
The past few days here in Taiji have been slaughter-free.. The boats have left the harbour at sunrise, and returned with nothing. I'll say it once and I'll repeat myself now, while there is all a cause for celebration of the absence of bloodshed here in Taiji, that doesn't necessarily mean that there is nothing to be concerned about… As the numbers of migratory dolphins inevitably dwindle along the coasts of Japan (and other nations) should these slaughters continue, we will see an ever decreasing amount of dolphins passing by, and an ever increasing number of slaughter-free days here in Taiji.
What should be understood is that these dolphins don't just have to consider the dolphin hunters of Taiji or wider Japan as their greatest threat- the fact is that these animals are now living in an ocean where they are lucky to survive to a mature age. With pollution, fishing nets and gear, chemical poisoning and many other threats- the last factor that these animals need is the threat of slaughter… this is something that mankind can stop. We are seeing a hugely decreased number of dolphins this season, and if things continue in our oceans then it is only a matter of time before we could be looking at yet another area that these beautiful animals have been wiped away from…
We have been busy in Taiji monitoring the other crucial factor in the slaughter issue- that of captivity. We have been monitoring the Risso's dolphins captured only a few short days ago from the wild (with their family members killed before their eyes), as well as a very mentally ill Pilot Whale at Dolphin Base which has barely moved from his one corner of a sea pen in the entire two and a half months that I have been here for… We will update as we notice anything further from here on the ground.
If you've ever seen the documentary, Earthlings, then you will understand what I am saying and why, as you read this blog. If you have seen the documentary but don't understand, then perhaps you should take the time to re-watch it.
If you have never seen it, then I suggest that you not only watch it, but take notice and never, ever forget the lessons learnt throughout the 100 or so minutes it will take to gain possibly the most significant knowledge ever attainable- knowledge about the actions of mankind all over the world and compassion for the living beings we share this planet with. It will be the most valuable portion of your life that you could ever spend…
Understanding the basic laws of nature will be paramount to essentially 'saving' our planet, our animals and the children of tomorrow…
In today's society, humankind have come so far away from these basic laws, that life on Earth is now threatened in a very real way. In 100 years, we have laid out so much destruction on Earth- both above and below water- that we risk completely losing anything that was once 'natural' forevermore. Animals, even if they are not subjected to direct interactions with mankind, are now adapting and evolving to suit the rapidly unnatural world that humans are inflicting. Fish in the ocean must now adapt to a chemically altered sea, land animals the world over must adapt to the countless ways in which we affect their lives… whether it be visible or not. In time, if things do not change, we may soon live in a world where there will be no 'naturally' occurring ecosystem, animal or plant left on Earth- we will live in a world which has become completely and irreversibly affected by humankind that there will be no turning back, no second chances.
Sometimes when I feel as though hope for the future of the natural world on Earth is fading I remind myself that, sooner or later, all humans will understand what we are doing to the planet. I just hold on to the hope that it won't be too late- that we won't be hearing in 50 years time from presidents and prime ministers over public announcements the world over, that we are in a dire crisis- there are no animals left in the sea, there are no animals left on land except those in laboratories, slaughterhouses and captive centres, the coral reefs of the world are gone, we are standing to lose over 66% of the oxygen we breathe from the atmosphere, and warfare, riots, looting and other chaos is running rampant over the world as people realise that they were lied to or kept in the dark about the effects of what humans have been doing to our natural world…
When in fact, the information and resources are there to find out what is happening and to educate yourself right now… we just have to look beyond what our governments and the media tell us. This may all seem like I am being a little drastic- but at the end of the day if things continue, people will be looking back in years to come and asking "why wasn't something more drastic done to prevent this?"
The question is, will mankind act fast enough and stand up before it really is too late to stop the ever growing effects of over-population, industrialisation, exploitation of animals for consumption, fashion, science and entertainment, habitat loss, ocean acidification… the list is almost never-ending.
I feel strongly that there is enough information out there already at the fingertips of anyone with access to a computer, television, radio, mobile phone etc- I feel that there is enough hope in the innocent minds of younger generations who, before being tainted by growing up in an unnatural world, show more compassion, understanding and acceptance toward other beings than most adults.
We just have to take the time to make the connection.  www.whalesongart.com

Monday 5 December 2011

Sea Shepherd 2012 campaign

2011-2012 Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign >>> 8th expedition to oppose the illegal activities of the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean.
During the past seven campaigns, we have saved the lives of over 2,781 whales and exposed illegal Japanese whaling activities to the entire world. Last season, we were able to save more whales than the Japanese whalers were able to kill. Eight hundred and sixty-three (863) whales are alive and swimming in the sea because you enabled us to intervene by supporting our ships and crews.

Friday 2 December 2011

Greek whale stranding

2011-12-02

Unusual Whalewww.whalesongart.com Stranding In Greece

WDCS has received reports of an unusual stranding of a minimum of three Cuvier's beaked whales which occurred yesterday, 30 November 2011, on the western shores of the Greek island of Corfu.

It is not possible at this early stage to give an exact reason for this stranding, however, on the basis of the report there appears to be strong evidence that a high pitched man made noise from an unknown source heard by rescuers in the location as the strandings were occurring. This noise could have been as a result of military activity, or from seismic surveys known to have been carried out in the area.

Whilst the cause of the stranding has yet to be confirmed, this one fits the sonar pattern perfectly. We hope that all parties will be forthcoming with providing all information necessary to conduct a full and transparent stranding investigation. Whilst many navies go to considerable lengths to mitigate the impacts of their activities, clearly more needs to be done - and there is no time to waste in fully protecting areas such as the Mediterranean, where Cuvier's beaked whale populations are in real trouble.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Dolphin Language - great article

The Discovery of Dolphin Language

28th November 2011
Researchers in the United States and Great Britain have made a significant breakthrough in deciphering dolphin language in which a series of eight objects have been sonically identified by dolphins. Team leader, Jack Kassewitz of SpeakDolphin.com, ‘spoke’ to dolphins with the dolphin’s own sound picture words. Dolphins in two separate research centers understood the words, presenting convincing evidence that dolphins employ a universal “sono-pictorial” language of communication.
The team was able to teach the dolphins simple and complex sentences involving nouns and verbs, revealing that dolphins comprehend elements of human language, as well as having a complex visual language of their own. Kassewitz commented,
We are beginning to understand the visual aspects of their language, for example in the identification of eight dolphin visual sounds for nouns, recorded by hydrophone as the dolphins echo located on a range of submersed plastic objects.
The British member of the research team, John Stuart Reid, used aCymaScope instrument, a device that makes sound visible, to gain a better understanding of how dolphins see with sound. He imaged a series of the test objects as sono-pictorially created by one of the research dolphins. In his bid to “speak dolphin” Jack Kassewitz of SpeakDolphin.com, based in Miami, Florida, designed an experiment in which he recorded dolphin echolocation sounds as they reflected off a range of eight submersed objects, including a plastic cube, a toy duck and a flowerpot. He discovered that the reflected sounds actually contain sound pictures and when replayed to the dolphin in the form of a game, the dolphin was able to identify the objects with 86% accuracy, providing evidence that dolphins understand echolocation sounds as pictures. Kassewitz then drove to a different facility and replayed the sound pictures to a dolphin that had not previously experienced them. The second dolphin identified the objects with a similar high success rate, confirming that dolphins possess a sono-pictorial form of communication. It has been suspected by some researchers that dolphins employ a sono-visual sense to ‘photograph’ (in sound) a predator approaching their family pod, in order to beam the picture to other members of their pod, alerting them of danger. In this scenario it is assumed that the picture of the predator will be perceived in the mind’s eye of the other dolphins.
When Reid imaged the reflected echolocation sounds on the CymaScope it became possible for the first time to see the sono-pictorial images that the dolphin created. The resulting pictures resemble typical ultrasound images seen in hospitals. Reid explained:
When a dolphin scans an object with its high frequency sound beam, emitted in the form of short clicks, each click captures a still image, similar to a camera taking photographs. Each dolphin click is a pulse of pure sound that becomes modulated by the shape of the object. In other words, the pulse of reflected sound contains a semi-holographic representation of the object. A portion of the reflected sound is collected by the dolphin’s lower jaw, its mandible,where it travels through twin fat-filled ‘acoustic horns’ to the dolphin’s inner ears to create the sono-pictorial image.
Click To Enlarge
The precise mechanism concerning how the sonic image is ‘read’ by the cochleae is still unknown but the team’s present hypothesis is that each click-pulse causes the image to momentarily manifest on the basilar and tectorial membranes, thin sheets of tissue situated in the heart of each cochlea. Microscopic cilia connect with the tectorial membrane and ‘read’ the shape of the imprint, creating a composite electrical signal representing the object’s shape. This electrical signal travels to the brain via the cochlea nerve and is interpreted as an image. (The example in the graphic shows a flowerpot.) The team postulates that dolphins are able to perceive stereoscopically with their sound imaging sense. Since the dolphin emits long trains of click-pulses it is believed that it has persistence of sono-pictorial perception, analogous to video playback in which a series of still frames are viewed as moving images.
Reid said, “The CymaScope imaging technique substitutes a circular water membrane for the dolphin’s tectorial, gel-like membrane and a camera for the dolphin’s brain. We image the sono-picture as it imprints on the surface tension of water, a technique we call ‘bio-cymatic imaging,’ capturing the picture before it expands to the boundary. We think that something similar happens in the dolphin’s cochleae where the sonic image, contained in the reflected click-pulse, travels as a surface acoustic wave along the basilar and tectorial membranes and imprints in an area that relates to the carrier frequency of the click-pulse. With our bio-cymatic imaging technique we believe we see a similar image to that which the dolphin sees when it scans an object with sound. In the flowerpot image the hand of the person holding it can even be seen. The images are rather fuzzy at present but we hope to enhance the technique in future.
Click to Enlarge
Dr Horace Dobbs is Director of International Dolphin Watch and a leading authority on dolphin-assisted therapy.
I find the dolphin mechanism for sonic imaging proposed by Jack Kassewitz and John Stuart Reid plausible from a scientific standpoint. I have long maintained that dolphins have a sono-visual language so I am naturally gratified that this latest research has produced a rational explanation and experimental data to verify my conjectures. As early as 1994, in a book I wrote for children, Dilo and the Call of the Deep, I referred to Dilo’s ‘Magic Sound’ as the method by which Dilo and his mother pass information between each other using sonic imaging, not just of external visual appearances, but also of internal structures and organs.
As a result of Reid’s bio-cymatic imaging technique Kassewitz, in collaboration with research intern Christopher Brown, of the University of Central Florida, is beginning to develop a new model of dolphin language that they are calling Sono-Pictorial Exo-holographic Language, (SPEL). Kassewitz explained,
The ‘exo-holographic’ part of the acronym derives from the fact that the dolphin pictorial language is actually propagated all around the dolphin whenever one or more dolphins in the pod send or receive sono-pictures. John Stuart Reid has found that any small part of the dolphin’s reflected echolocation beam contains all the data needed to recreate the image cymatically in the laboratory or, he postulates, in the dolphin’s brain. Our new model of dolphin language is one in which dolphins can not only send and receive pictures of objects around them but can create entirely new sono-pictures simply by imagining what they want to communicate. It is perhaps challenging for us as humans to step outside our symbolic thought processes to truly appreciate the dolphin’s world in which, we believe, pictorial rather than symbolic thoughts are king. Our personal biases, beliefs, ideologies, and memories penetrate and encompass all of our communication, including our description and understanding of something devoid of symbols, such as SPEL. Dolphins appear to have leap-frogged human symbolic language and instead have evolved a form of communication outside the human evolutionary path. In a sense we now have a ‘Rosetta Stone’ that will allow us to tap into their world in a way we could not have even conceived just a year ago. The old adage, ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’ suddenly takes on a whole new meaning.

Click To Enlarge
David M. Cole, founder of the The Aqua Thought Foundation, a research organization that studied human-dolphin interaction for more than a decade said,“Kassewitz and Reid have contributed a novel model for dolphins’ sonic perception, which almost certainly evolved out of the creature’s need to perceive its underwater world when vision was inhibited. Several conventional linguistic approaches to understanding dolphin communication have dead-ended in the last 20 years so it is refreshing to see this new and highly-nuanced paradigm being explored.”
The human capacity for language involves the acquisition and use of a complex system of vocal sounds to which we attribute specific meanings. Language, the relationship between sounds and meanings evolved differently for each tribe of humans and for each nation. It is generally believed that the human language faculty is fundamentally different from that of other species and of a much higher complexity. The development of vocal language is believed to have coincided with an increase in brain volume. Many researchers have wondered why dolphins have brains comparable in size with those of humans, considering that Nature creates organs according to need. The Kassewitz team’s findings suggest the large dolphin brain is necessary for the acquisition and utilization of a sono-pictorial language that requires significant brain mass.
Dolphins enjoy constant auditory and visual stimulation throughout their lives, a fact that may contribute to their hemispheric brain coordination. The dolphin’s auditory neocortical fields extend far into the midbrain, influencing the motor areas in sucha way as to allow the smooth regulation of sound-induced motor activity as well as sophisticated phonation needed for production of signature whistles and sono-pictures. These advantages are powered not only by a brain that is comparable insize to that of a human but also by a brain stem transmission time that is considerably faster than the human brain.
Kassewitz said,
Our research has provided an answer to an age-old question highlighted by Dr Jill Tarter of the SETI Institute, ‘Are we alone?’ We can now unequivocally answer, ‘no.’ SETI’s search for non-human intelligence in outer spacehas been found right here on earth in the graceful form of dolphins.

Whalesong review.

St Andrews scientists ask if whales have 'dialects'

Killer whale Scientists want to establish whether or not whales have different dialects

Related Stories

Members of the public are being asked by scientists at the University of St Andrews to help them investigate the way whales communicate.
So-called "citizen scientists" from across the world are being urged to listen to and help classify sounds made by the mammals.
The St Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit is part of the Whale Project - a global effort to categorise whale calls.
It aims to establish whether calls vary between different groups of whales.
The Whale Project website site displays calls from both killer whales and pilot whales.
"Citizen scientists" who log on are presented with a whale call and shown where it was recorded on a map of the world's oceans and seas.
Distinctive dialect After listening to the whale call, members of the public are then asked to listen to a number of potential matching calls from the project's database.
If a match is found the results are stored.
Prof Peter Tyack of the University of St Andrews said: "By asking hundreds of people to make similar judgements, we will learn how reliable the categories are, and they get the fun of hearing these amazing sounds."

Start Quote

Killer whales are thought to learn their calls from their group”
Prof Peter Tyack University of St Andrews
"Only a few researchers have categorised whale calls."
Scientists hope to address a number of questions about whale communication.
Biologists studying killer whales have reported that each group of whales has its own distinctive dialect of calls, with related groups having dialects that are more similar.
The Whale Project asks "citizen scientists" to test these results by making their own judgements of similarity between calls.
Much less is known about the calls of pilot whales than of killer whales.
Researchers from St Andrews and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts want to know the size of the pilot whales' call repertoire and whether call repertoires vary between groups, as in killer whales.
"Most mammals have a fixed species-specific repertoire of calls, but killer whales are thought to learn their calls from their group," said Prof Tyack.
The Whale Project is co-sponsored by science magazine, Scientific American.
Those interested in taking part should go to the Scientific American website to set up a login and password. www.whalesongart.com

Wednesday 23 November 2011

The Cove Today

Power Through Innocence

by Nicole McLachlan
One thing is certain here in Taiji... every single day, you will encounter something unexpected. Whether this comes in the form of something tragic, something hopeful or even something ... you can be sure that when you awake in the morning here, your day will be like none other you've had previous.
Today was a prime example of this for us here in Taiji...
We rounded the corner of Taiji Harbour just after 6am this morning, just as the two dozen or so dolphin hunters were preparing their boats for a morning at sea- with projected stormy weather remaining far out on the horizon, the migrating dolphin pods travelling past the waters of Taiji would be in jeopardy once more. It wasn't too long before we spotted the 'banger boats' forming a militant line behind an unsuspecting pod of Risso's dolphins. The drive from out at sea to the small inlet of Taiji was relatively quick this morning, so Rosie and myself raced down to the cove to park our car, before beginning the short but steep trek up a neighbouring cliff to the dreaded 'killing cove' of Taiji.
We barely made it a few hundred metres away from the carpark at the larger cove before I spotted two people on the cold, stony shores of the cove... I quickly identified them as being westerners, so I promptly made my way down to introduce myself, and to find out how and why they came to be here in Taiji. I approached the man closest to me, wearing a sky blue jumper, to my immediate surprise- it wasn't a 'man' at all, but a young boy... After introducing myself to him, I found out that he is just 14 years old... He and his father had heard of the dolphin slaughter here in Taiji through the infamous documentary- they both travelled here to witness the slaughter first-hand. I quickly found out that Ben (the young boy) was a musician, and had come to the cove not only to spread awareness, but to somehow utilise his talents to m ake a difference here in a unique way... I offered to show the father and son duo around the areas we would usually monitor during a slaughter, all the while learning about their journey in coming to Japan.
Soon after, the four of us settled ourselves atop the neighbouring cliff, watching the drive hunt proceed before our eyes...
Once the dolphin hunters had successfully forced the 8 Risso's dolphins (including 3 juveniles) into the Taiji Harbour area, things suddenly took an unexpected turn...
The Risso's dolphins began to fight back!
There was nothing that the dolphin hunters could do to contain the pod of dolphins- and as soon as it seemed as though the pods' fate was sealed, they would jump a net, swim under a banger boat and speed off toward safety right under the noses of the hunters... If it weren't for the topography of the area leading up to the cove (we nickname it 'the funnel'- a long trench of deep water surrounded by jagged rocks and reef, forming an underwater pathway directly into the cove)... Once the dolphins are in this 'funnel', there is very little chance that they will ever swim free again. Today, however, it seemed as though the Risso's dolphins just would not give up- the hunters persevered with their frantic and irritated chase for hours... At one point, a helicopter flew overhead in circles around the drive hunt, as well as a large Coast Guard vessel patrolling waters nearby- we are convinced that the authorities and hunters thought that us activists had something to do with the dol phins' refusal to enter the cove... however, we were just as astounded!
In a moment that I will never forget, and one of the most severe and poignant contrasts I will ever set my eyes upon, Ben got up (during the drive) and played a song on guitar... His incredible talent, coupled by the innocence exuded by his young age made for an incredible scene. On one hand, you have Ben- still a child in his own right, playing beautifully haunting music with such innocent and well meant intentions, and you have the sounds of the hunters madly beating away at their metal poles, trying to force the pod of dolphins to their imminent deaths... The scene before me was so powerful it actually overwhelmed me quite a lot.
After another hour or so, the hunters managed to tire the pod out completely- after a 6 hour gallant fight... They were herded into the killing cove like so many before them...
Seeing Ben at the cove today gave me just that little bit more hope for the futures of generations to come... the message of marine conservation, and in particular- compassion for other living things- is living through and gaining strength amongst the youth of the world. I desperately hope that it will be this up and coming new generation of leaders that will reverse and mend the mistakes of the past...
I thought it fitting that I bring you guys the scenes of the drive this morning through the image of Ben playing his song... as you listen, you can feel the innocent but passionate hope for a brighter future. To read a short article that Ben wrote about his journey to Taiji, head to this site. Please watch the video below to see Ben's powerful message through his amazing talent.

Friday 18 November 2011

The number of whales could have been much higher in the past


Scientists have seriously underestimated the number of whales that lived before industrial-scale hunting began
20 February 2005.
The oceans once teemed with many more now endangered marine mammals than previously thought, new genetic studies of whales suggest.

So few whales seen today
So few whales seen these days (Photo: Kaikoura, South Island)
Whalemeat samples bought from a Japanese sushi market and analysed by scientists indicate that experts have seriously underestimated the size of the populations that roamed the seas before industrial- scale hunting began more than a century ago. The numbers of some species may have been 10 times greater than previously calculated.
The findings refute suggestions by whaling nations such as Japan that a resumption of hunting is justified by the increase of many whale populations beyond their natural size, the researchers said this weekend.
The latest information, reported to the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC, is crucial to discussions within the International Whaling Commission (IWC) where some experts are suggesting that hunting minke whales could be resumed because the recent rise in their numbers is unprecedented and is hampering recovery of other whales.
Steve Palumbi, a marine biologist at Stanford University in California, found that the genetic diversity of whales is so large that it can only mean that past population sizes were much bigger than anyone had estimated.
"Genetic variation is related to long-term population size," Dr Palumbi said. "The International Whaling Commission estimates that past population sizes of humpback whales numbered no more than 115,000 before whaling."
His analysis of humpback whale DNA, however, led him to estimate that the past population size of breeding females alone must have been between 125,000 and 250,000 individuals
"Mature breeding females make up about one sixth to one eighth of a whale population, so these numbers suggest a global humpback whale population size [in the past] of about 750,000 to 2 million animals," he said.
Whales sometimes seen
Whales are sometimes seen (Photo: Puerto Vallarta)
Dr Palumbi also discovered that the Antarctic population of minke whales is now the longest surviving whale population on earth, and was also one of the largest - many times larger than previous estimates for the IWC.
Genetic variation is created by mutations accumulating over many generations. The bigger the population became historically, and the longer it has existed, the bigger the diversity of the DNA within an existing whale population.
"Best estimates suggest past abundance was about 10 times higher than thought for humpback and fin whales, and was about three times higher for minke whales," Dr Palumbi said.
The study also attempted to find out when the dramatic decline in whale numbers occurred. Dr Palumbi said that it was relatively recent - thousands rather than millions of years ago, and probably later than the last Ice Age about 10,000 years ago.
The decline affected many species worldwide. "We know of one factor that accounts for these patterns - historic whaling," Dr Palumbi said.
"Whales have shown remarkable resilience to cataclysmic events, until the last one, which is us.
"Ice ages, sea level change and even loss of local food sources did not interrupt their lives."
Separate research presented to the conference showed that whales sing to one another over hundreds of miles and use their songs to navigate across oceans.
Underwater microphones developed to monitor Soviet submarines have detected cohorts of humpback whales travelling thousands of miles as a group, singing to each other as they go, said Christopher Clark of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
"Whales will aim directly at a seamount that is 300 miles away, then once they reach it, change course and head to a new feature," Dr Clark said. "It is as if they are slaloming from one geographic feature to the next. They must have acoustic memories analogous to our visual memories."
http://news.independent.co.uk

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Only 1% of Atlantic sharks are protected.

Only a tiny fraction of sharks caught in the Atlantic – less than 1% – are under protection, even though most shark species are heading towards extinction, a report warns on Tuesday.
Officials from 48 Atlantic fishing countries are meeting in Istanbul this week to try to protect bluefin tuna, swordfish and other large fish.
But existing conservation efforts are only saving a tiny proportion of sharks, the report from the Oceana conservation group said.
"It's just the tip of the iceberg, and there are a lot of shark species, many of them vulnerable species, that are still being caught and killed," said Elizabeth Griffin Wilson, a senior scientist at Oceana.
Conservation groups at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (Iccat) meeting are pushing for a ban on the catch of porbeagle and silky sharks – which are at extreme risk – as well as catch limits on other species such as the shortfin mako shark.
Three quarters of the wide ranging shark now being caught in the Atlantic are under threat, the report said.
But Iccat countries to date have only limited protection for specific shark species such as the bigeye thresher, hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks.
There are no limits on the fishing of 15 Atlantic shark species even though some – such as the silky shark – are close to extinction.
Conservationist groups hope the Istanbul meeting will build on recent momentum on shark conservation.
The White House on Monday sought the Senate's approval for a new international treaty that would make it easier for countries to crack down on any illegal catches being brought to port. The state of Florida is expected to adopt new protection measures this week.
The European Union last week banned all fishing for porbeagle shark in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
But it is a race against time. Sharks were not built for reproduction. They can take take years to reach sexual maturity, and produce only a few pups.
And highly mobile animals are notoriously difficult to protect.
"You just can't manage them one country by one country because they cross international boundaries," Wilson said.
Atlantic fishing countries reported catching more than 68,000 tonnes of shark in 2009, or more than 1.3 million animals. Most were caught inadvertently by vessels targeting tuna and other fish.
Populations of some species, such as the porbeagle, which are caught for their meat as well as their fins, have fallen by 99% since the middle of the last century.
Scientists estimate it could take up to 34 years for populations to recover – even with the new EU protections.
Fishing of porbeagle sharks continue in Canadian waters, Wilson said.
Three other shark species are also at high risk: silky sharks, shortfin mako, and blue sharks, the report said.

Monday 14 November 2011

Woodside Petroleum's $30m threat to Humpback Whales in West Australia

The company said in the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) that most activities associated with the development had been assessed as low risk.
However, it also said that wellhead noise levels had the potential to disturb the behaviour of marine fauna using the channel between North and South Reef at Scott Reef.
The company released for public review on Monday its EIS covering the offshore aspects of the proposed development including processing platforms, wells and pipelines.
Woodside said part of the development would be close to Scott Reef, which supported abundant populations of hard and soft corals, other invertebrates and a diverse range of fish.
Whales, turtles and sea snakes are known to live within or migrate through the Scott Reef area.
Many protests have been held at the planned processing site, James Price Point near Broome, on environmental and Aboriginal heritage grounds.
Other potential risks considered by Woodside to be greater than "low" included the behaviour of turtles being disturbed by artificial lighting and the creation of offshore exclusion zones interfering with commercial fishing.
Woodside said Sandy Islet at Scott Reef was a significant area because it was a green turtle nesting site, so vessels would try to avoid it.
The document also outlined the potential effect of electromagnetic fields on wildlife.
Potential effects on recreational fishing, shipping, scientific research, the military and tourism were "minor and localised", Woodside said.
Browse senior vice-president Michael Hession said the document demonstrated that the offshore component of the planned development could be built and operated in an environmentally and socially responsible way.
A final decision to proceed the project is expected next year, with first gas slated for 2017.
The project is expected to generate up to $50 billion in gross domestic product for the Australian economy.

Thursday 10 November 2011

Japan shamed again !

By Captain Paul Watson

After the horrific tragedy of March 11th, hundreds of thousands of Japanese people had their lives permanently altered by the triple blow of the Earthquake, the Tsunami and the nuclear horror of Fukushima.

People from around the world responded generously and millions of dollars poured into Japan to help the many families who lost their children, parents, homes, and worldly possessions.

The world responded and demonstrated that they cared yet seven months later, thousands of Japanese families remain homeless as a devastated infrastructure continues to be slowly rebuilt.

When people the world over sent their donations to Japan it was with the innocent understanding that their contributions would be used by the Japanese government for the purpose of actually helping the Japanese victims of the disasters.

What they did not anticipate or imagine is that some of these funds would be used to subsidize the illegal slaughter of whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

But that is what the Japanese Fisheries Agency has done with a large amount of the relief funds. It is a complete disgrace and the Japanese government is displaying blatant contempt in response to the world’s generosity by this shameful behavior.

On October 21st, 2011, the Japanese cabinet agreed to 2.28 billion yen (over 29 million US dollars) in tax revenue to be set aside to help those in the worst affected regions. Since then, it has been discovered that the Japanese Fisheries Agency submitted a request entitled “Measures to stabilize the scientific whaling research programme” that actually requested and received this 29 million dollars (2.28 billion yen) for security to defend the Japanese “scientific whaling” fleet in the Southern Ocean.

The justification is that some of the whalers working on the Antarctic whaling fleet vessels were from communities damaged by the Earthquake and Tsunami.

This request comes at a time when the whaling programme in Japan is suffering from debts of over 60 million US dollars.
What this actually means is that donations from around the world sent by well meaning generous people to help victims of the Earthquake will now be used to attempt to stop Sea Shepherd from defending whales in the Southern Ocean.
Japan has actually allocated nearly $30 million dollars specifically to oppose Sea Shepherd’s efforts to defend the whales of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

It is ludicrous that this wealthy economic superpower is treating Sea Shepherd like an actual nation that they are at war with. The Prime Minister of Japan has actually stated that Japan will not surrender to Sea Shepherd.

It appears that this will be a very different and more challenging campaign this season.

Despite this incredible war chest of rechanneled relief funds, the international crew of volunteers on our three Sea Shepherd ships will continue to defend whales against overwhelming odds.

Japan has political power and tens of millions of dollars, faster and larger ships and there are four whalers for every whale defender but we have something they do not – a passionate and courageous crew of international volunteers, willing to risk our lives to defend the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Operation Divine Wind – our eight campaign to defend whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary begins in early December.

Thursday 3 November 2011

The Cove - Taiji , Japan.

"Do You Know?" Two more pods of dolphins were driven into The Cove in Taiji, Japan - to bloody, horrible deaths - yesterday. We thought - we PRAYED - that this season was going to be a less deadly one, but it's now obvious that is not the case. PLEASE CHANGE YOUR PROFILE PIC TO THIS ICONIC IMAGE - and please LIKE Occupy The Cove - in solidarity with the Dolphins of Taiji. Until the slaughters have STOPPED. It's going to take many, many, MANY more of us to finally make this nightmare END. Thank you.


In the spirit of the grassroots "Occupy" Movement spreading all over the country and the world, we announce Occupy The Cove - whose intent is to symbolically "occupy" Taiji, Japan until the dolphin drives & slaughters there are ENDED!!!

Wednesday 2 November 2011

Sperm Whale Poo


Cool (and weird) cetacean fact of the day! The feces of sperm whales is helping to save the planet. WHAAAT? Australian researchers have found that iron-rich whale poop from sperm whales living in the Southern Ocean boosts the growth of phytoplankton (marine plants) which suck in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They estimate that this population of whales alone are responsible for removing 400,000 tons of carbon EACH YEAR, twice as much as they contribute through respiration. Previously, the enormous mammals were regarded as "climate criminals" (by...you can probably guess) because they breathe out carbon dioxide. But the researchers concluded that they are a major carbon absorbent, removing the equivalent of the emissions of 40,000 cars EACH YEAR. Whales... where would we be without them? (Source: http://ind.pn/bgy2ss). Cool photo by Tony Wu. -cm

Thursday 6 October 2011

Orca whales having a chat?

http://youtu.be/yJukamJxgrk

We could be able to understand what Orca whales are communicating in these fantastic songs by as soon as five years time.

At a time when the Japanese government are accepting international aid for Fukashima but then putting $20m into this seasons whaling hunt all research into cetaceans is of paramount importance.

The whaling fleet is all but bankrupt and the governments ignorance about global pressure to stop whaling is it would seem all about not 'losing face'. We've been here before .

They are threatening to send gunboats to protect the whaling ships and as such are treating Sea Shepherd like a country with whom they are in conflict when in actual fact they are up against most reasonable concerned citizens who care about the future.

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Japan whaling risks lives !

Japanese whaling may put 'lives at risk'

Updated October 06, 2011 00:53:34
New Zealand's foreign minister says he is concerned lives will be at risk when Japan resumes whaling in the Southern Ocean.
The Sea Shepherd conservation group says its members are prepared to die to protect whales from Japanese fleets.
When announcing this year's fleet, Japanese fisheries minister Michihiko Kano said a patrol boat would be dispatched to protect the whalers from Sea Shepherd members.
The ABC has sought comment from Japan's Fisheries Agency, but it has refused to discuss how the ship would protect the whalers or what measures it would take in a confrontation with Sea Shepherd.
Last whaling season, Sea Shepherd's militant tactics forced the Japanese fleet to call off the hunt a month early and return home with just a fifth of its quota.
New Zealand foreign minister Murray McCully says he is deeply concerned about outbreaks of violence in the Southern Ocean.
"I regard that as an ominous statement on Japan's part, because put that alongside the stated intentions of the Sea Shepherd people to use more aggressive tactics you can only conclude that lives will be put at risk on that pathway," he said.

Friday 30 September 2011

In Taiji, Wild Dolphins Refuse to Leave Their Captive Mates

September 25, 2011 by Ric O'Barry, Earth Island Institute

By Tia Butt
Volunteer Cove Monitor
Save Japan Dolphins
Earth Island Institute
I have been in Taiji for almost ten days, and have luckily seen no slaughters so far, but I really felt like I was going to see one today.  This morning, we headed out as usual at 5am and were at the harbor by 5:15am.  The sea was calm, and, as the sun was rising, I watched the banger boats as they started to leave the harbor.  I felt the same sinking feeling in my stomach that I had felt the last couple of days, hoping that they would have another unsuccessful day.
Two more volunteers have joined me in Taiji: Johanne and Camilla, two lovely women from Norway.  As we drove up to the point where we watch the drive boats go out to sea, we sensed that perhaps today would be an unlucky day for the dolphins, as the waters were so calm, and it seemed like a good day for the dolphin hunters to go hunting.
After about an hour or so we could see out on the horizon the boats forming into drive formation, and this is a sign that they have found dolphins.  My heart sank again as I watched in despair – we could see the boats working together chasing the dolphins erratically.  I kept thinking how frightened this poor pod of dolphins must be – fighting for their lives, this family that are peacefully migrating across the ocean, their home.  Suddenly, these unfamiliar boats, aggressively trying to take control of them and herd them into unfamiliar territory, attack them. It was like watching them play cat-and-mouse; one moment we thought the dolphin hunters had lost them, as the boats looked like they had given up, and the next moment, we could see them speed up again, and as they did black smoke would puff out of the back of the boats into the air, so you could clearly see that they were chasing a pod.
This went on for about three hours, and I kept thinking how exhausted these dolphins must have been, how panicked they must have felt.  I kept thinking of the babies trying to keep up with their mothers, and how this pod was very likely to be driven in, some selected for a life of captivity and slavery while others were brutally slaughtered in the Cove.  We tried to keep our positive thoughts strong and hoped as we watched that somehow they would escape.
After an emotionally exhausting three hours or so, we noticed that the boats were coming back in.  They were too far away to tell if they in fact were driving in the dolphins, so we anxiously watched them coming in closer and closer.  As I was standing there watching them coming back in, I was waiting to hear the evil sound of them banging the poles on the boats that they use to create the wall of sound to trap the dolphins and keep them from swimming away.  I did not want to hear that noise!  
And I didn't.
The boats came back in with nothing! Amazingly, the dolphins had managed to escape, after more than three hours of chasing and havoc.  They did escape.
And the feeling that I felt of seeing those boats and dolphin hunters coming back with nothing, I will never forget.  The sense of relief was immense.  I then imagined this pod swimming free again far away and hoped that somehow they could relay the message onto the other dolphins in the ocean that will migrate past this place in the next coming months to stay away, stay away from Taiji…
While I am here in Taiji, I notice how lovely and polite the locals are.  We were at the harbor yesterday, and there were three old women sitting on the bench, right opposite where the dolphin hunters sit.  We had our cameras, and there was a good chance they knew what we were doing there – they could see we were taking pictures – but they smiled nodding their heads and acknowledged me so politely.  I think about how toxic the dolphin meat is and how dangerous for these people to eat, full of mercury.  Surely the decision to remove it from the local school lunch program was a serious decision to make, so surely that should mean it should be totally banned and not sold for human consumption anymore?
I have been visiting a place called the Dolphin Resort also, while I have been here.  It is a hotel with a dolphin pool for people to swim-with and touch the captive dolphins, refugees from the Taiji dolphin slaughter. This place reminds me of a concentration camp for dolphins.  It is where formerly wild captive dolphins are held in sea pens, a sight that is difficult to see.  
Yet, there are two dolphins here that are not in the pens.  They swim around the pens, and they are free to go, but they don't leave. These animals now rely on the trainers for food, but also they will never leave their mates behind.  They would possibly not survive out in the wild on their own now anyway.  
It is unbelievable to see the loyalty of these animals! They swim around the pens communicating with the other dolphins that are in the floating pens behind the nets. The Dolphin Resort employees are fully aware that the dolphins are not going to go anywhere, so they are just left to swim around the pens.
I am hoping that I will not see any slaughters for the rest of my time in Taiji. I love the sunshine, but here I hope for many, many windy, choppy days. 

Friday 15 July 2011

International Whaling Commission shame.

Whaling meeting 'ignores needs of whales'


Humpback whale entangled in net The whaling body finds itself entangled in conflict - some would say hopelessly so

Related Stories

The International Whaling Commission's (IWC) annual meeting has closed after a tense final day when relations between opposing blocs came close to collapse.
Latin American nations attempted to force a vote on a proposal to create a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic.
Pro-whaling countries walked out, but eventually it was decided to shelve any vote until next year's meeting.
Environment groups said the delays and wrangling meant important issues for whale conservation were neglected.
But a number of nations pledged new funding for research on small cetaceans, some of which are severely threatened.
Earlier in the meeting, governments agreed new regulations designed to prevent "cash for votes" scandals that have plagued the IWC in the past, and passed a resolution censuring the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for putting safety at risk during its annual missions to counter Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean.
But the sanctuary issue threatened to derail the entire session.
"Whale species and populations from the Southern Atlantic oceanic basin were amongst the ones that suffered the most due to commercial whaling on a large scale," Roxana Schteinbarg, from the Argentina-based Institute for the Conservation of Whales, told delegates.

“Start Quote

Acrimony is often the enemy of conservation”
End Quote Wendy Elliott, WWF
"Fifty-four species live in the waters where the sanctuary is proposed - it is therefore appropriate that the protection of these species in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary be extended and complemented in the reproduction areas in the Atlantic Southern basin."
The 14-strong Buenos Aires bloc of nations knew it did not command the three-quarters majority needed to win, but remained determined to put it to the test.
"We didn't come here to win the sanctuary on the vote, but we wanted to put it to a vote - we believe our conservation agenda cannot be put forward, be stressed, be highlighted, be defended in some issues without a vote," said Brazil's commissioner Marcus Henrique Paranagua.
"Why not vote on things that are controversial?"
Voting with feet
Iceland's Tomas Heidar and Japan's Joji Morishita, with other delegates Delegates from pro-whaling countries walked out in protest when a vote was called
The pro-whaling bloc said this could herald a return to the fractious days of the past, and walked out in an attempt to bring the meeting below the quorum needed for votes to count.
"We fear that the fact of voting will probably damage the very good atmosphere we have established, and might trigger a landslide of many votes for next year which might disrupt the progress we have made," said Japan's alternate (or deputy) commissioner Joji Morishita.
"This was not a hostile move to the Latin American countries - our effort is to try to save this organisation, and it turned out ok."
The good atmosphere, he added, had survived a "very difficult day".
Critics, however, said the pro-whaling countries had tried to hold the commission to ransom by their walkout.
Explosive meeting
The compromise eventually hammered out, after private discussions lasting nearly nine hours, asks countries to strive to reach consensus during the coming year.
Vaquita dead on fishing boat The vaquita was among the casualties here
If that proves impossible, next year's meeting will start with a vote on the South Atlantic Sanctuary.
That could prove a particular concern for the US, which will be aiming at that meeting, in Panama, to secure renewed quotas for its indigenous hunters.
US commissioner Monica Medina agreed the potential vote "put a hand-grenade" under next year's meeting.
"I'm more than a little concerned - we've made good progress on improving the IWC's governance and that's a good thing," she said.
"But as long as we choose to continue fighting, all of the IWC's members will lose; and the world's whales deserve better."
The US played a leading role in the two-year "peace process" that attempted to build a major compromise deal between the various parties, and which collapsed at last year's meeting.
Missing in action
Huge delays during the four days of talks meant that many items on the agenda pertinent to the health of whales and other cetaceans did not get discussed.

Guide to whales (BBC)
How to prevent whales from being killed by collisions with ships, how to reduce floating debris and how to tackle the growth of noise in the oceans were among the issues that received no discussion.
"Acrimony is often the enemy of conservation - in this case, it meant that a critical meeting on whales failed to address the greatest threats they face," said Wendy Elliott, head of environment group WWF's delegation.
"Several whale and dolphin species are in crisis - teetering on the brink of extinction - and conservation must be front and foremost at next year's IWC meeting, for the sake of the whales and the commission."
The research programmes of the cash-strapped commission received something of a boost with France, Italy and several non-governmental groups pledging a total of about £80,000 ($130,000) for small cetaceans, which include the critically endangered Mexican vaquita.

Monday 11 July 2011

Sperm whales share babysitting duties

Sperm whales: the 12-metre-long babysitters

Underwater mammals in the waters of Azores solve their childcare issues in a spirit of mutual cooperation
Azorean sperm whales have been found to look after one another's children. Photograph: Andrew Sutton
Sperm whales may be the biggest predators that ever lived, but they have childcare issues too. The solution? A very big babysitter.
Here in the Azores, where I've spent the past two weeks diving with sperm whales off the island of Pico, a resident population of these remarkable mammals search for their main source of food: squid.

While the sperm whale is a natural submarine, able to dive a mile in depth for up to two hours, young calves still suckling their mother's milk (which is 60% fat, with the consistency of cottage cheese) cannot undertake such deep plunges. So while their mothers hunt for food, calves are cared for communally in what amounts to a cetacean creche. This accompanying image, taken by the accomplished underwater photographer Andrew Sutton, shows whale altruism in action. Only one of the four juveniles with this large female is hers; she may not even be genetically connected to the others.

João Quaresma of Espaco Talassa, our Azorean skipper, told me that to see four young with one female is unusual. "Calves start to feed themselves at around three or four years," he says, "but they've found whales up to the age of nine still suckling." Studies by scientists such as Dr Hal Whitehead of Nova Scotia University have shown that sperm whales organise themselves in highly complex societies, communicating in discrete dialects of sonar clicks, passing on culture learned matrilineally. Such behaviour reinforces what we are beginning to discover about the intelligence of these whales, which possess the largest brain of any animal.

Operating under special licence from the Azorean government which determines strict care for the whales' welfare, Andrew and I snorkelled with this group, watching them silently twisting and turning around one another in a physical expression of social solidarity. It was a salutary moment.

In the 20th century, our species came close to driving the great whales to extinction. This week, the International Whaling Commission meets in Jersey to decide the fate of cetaceans around the world. Conservationists hope that they'll make the right decisions.

Sometimes whales need more than a babysitter to help them – even when she's 12 metres long.

Wednesday 4 May 2011

Sea Shepherd chased by pirates

The Steve Irwin successfully ran the gauntlet of Somali pirates today as the ship and crew transited the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea under the command of Captain Lockhart MacLean.

Their position was 12 degrees, 33 minutes North and 43 degrees and 31 minutes East at the time.
Yesterday a U.S. military Blackhawk helicopter overflew the Steve Irwin and hailed the vessel as a Dutch warship.
If the camouflage paint job and the large “77” emblazoned on the bow fooled the U.S. military, Sea Shepherd was hoping that the pirates would also be mistaken and would keep their distance.

Today three skiffs with six men in one, five in another and two in the third approached the Steve Irwin and tailed the vessel for a few miles. They appeared to be uncertain and backed off to check out a container ship a three miles distance from the Sea Shepherd ship.

Captain Lockhart MacLean notified the coalition naval authorities in the area and warned the Maersk container ship that the skiffs were approaching them.

To the pirates it must have looked like the Steve Irwin was a warship escorting the container ship. The skiffs backed off and both ships successfully entered the Red Sea.
The Steve Irwin is now heading to the Suez Canal.