General News Archive 2007

Japanese whaling fleet set sail
(Added: 19 November 2007)
The Japanese whaling fleet set has set sail to the Southern Ocean in defiance of international condemnation with plans to land what could be the biggest catch of minke and humpback whales since the 1960s. As it has for more than two decades, the Japanese Government referred to the expedition as “scientific”.
Click here for full report

Springer returns to Johnstone Strait
(Added: 16 November 2007)
The Marine Connection has received news from colleagues at Orcalab, Hanson Island - Springer the orca has returned to Johnstone Strait and is looking great! This young female born 2000 and officially named A73, was discovered alone in Puget Sound, Washington in 2002 after her mother had apparently died.
Click here for full report

New bait to save Gangetic dolphins
(Added: 16 November 2007)
A bait developed from the viscera of ordinary fish (internal organs) by the Patna University is expected save the lives of endangered Gangetic dolphins. An alternative to dolphin oil, widely used by the fishermen to prepare baits to catch fish in eastern India was needed as more than 80 per cent of the dolphins are killed in Bihar, Bengal and Assam for their oil. According to a recent census, only 2,000 dolphins are found in India and researchers have been training fishermen to use the new bait to catch fish.

Dolphin born at Monkey Mia
(Added: 16 November 2007)
A new dolphin calf was born at Western Australia’s captive facility Monkey Mia. The baby dolphin is the second born to Piccolo, part of a small group of trained dolphins that may be hand-fed by visitors. Whilst feeding dolphins may appear harmless it can cause problems. Dolphins live in highly complex social groups and feeding is a large part of their social interaction. It can result in dolphin mothers not teaching their calves how to catch fish, instead taking them to the beach and leaving them to fend for themselves. The Marine Connection strongly opposes to hand feeding of wild dolphins for the sake of the welfare of the animals and to protect the development of their natural instincts in the wild.

Migaloo may not be spared
(Added: 13 November 2007)
Japanese whalers have refused to say if they will target Migaloo who is so far the only completely white humpback whale in the world and who is often spotted among the humpbacks which form the basis of Australia’s whale-watching industry. As the Japanese whaling fleet prepares to leave port and head for the Antarctic, the Japan Fisheries Agency has given a firm "no comment" to questions about white whales. Japan hunts almost 1,000 whales each year in the southern hemisphere, and will target 50 humpbacks for the first time this summer along with 50 fin whales and hundreds of the smaller minke whales.

Workshops to protect Hawaii's whales
(Added: 09 November 2007)
The Department of Land and Natural Resources, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Regional Office, is holding state-wide workshops which commenced on 8 November 2007.
Click here for further information

New calf good news for 'J' pod
(Added: 09 November 2007)
We are delighted to report that a newly born orca has been spotted with J pod. The calf's mother appears to be J-14, making this her fifth successful birth.
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New collection to support Marine Connections' work
(Added: 07 November 2007)
Stella McCartney has partnered with Maurice Ohayon's Notify for a one off denim collaboration for the pre-spring 2008 collection.
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Whales spotted in unusual areas
(Added: 07 November 2007)
Humpback and fin whales swam hundreds of miles north of their usual habitat this summer in what could be another sign of the effects of global warming and the shifting Arctic ecosystem. Humpbacks were spotted over the summer in the Beaufort Sea east of Barrow, the northernmost community in the United States. Fin whales were detected by acoustic monitoring in the Chukchi Sea, more than 300 miles north of their normal range. Both species normally stay south of the Bering Strait in Alaska waters.
Click here for further information

Surfers take action against drive hunts
(Added: 01 November 2007)
Acclaimed professional surfer and dolphin defender Dave Rastovich made a bold declaration against the ongoing commercial slaughter of 25,000 dolphins and porpoises killed each year in Taiji Japan.
Click here for further information

Standby to make a difference
(Added: 17 October 2007)
Climate change is one of the most serious environmental threats facing the world today. Standby Saturday, (20th October 2007) will see the first nationwide overnight switch-off of non-essential appliances, such as TV's, home computers and mobile phone chargers, with the aim of significantly reducing the UK's energy wastage caused by standby power.
Click here for further information

'Dave' the dolphin sustains another injury
(Added: 15 October 2007)
The solitary female bottlenose dolphin known as 'Dave' has had a significant part of her tail fluke cut off, possibly by a boat propeller and also some superficial injury to her dorsal fin.
Click here for full report

Makah members face legal action for whale kill
(Added: 08 October 2007)
Further to our previous report (see 10 September 2007 below), we can confirm that five members of the Makah tribe were taken into custody for violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Click here for full report

Could sewage leak be a threat to dolphins
(Added: 01 October 2007)
Thousands have had their holiday ruined due to a sewage leak in Eilat on the Red Sea, however this leak could also prove dangerous for the animals at nearby Dolphin Reef.
Click here for full report

Dolphin Discovery forced to close temporarily
(Added: 01 October 2007)
Reports have been received today from Anguilla that Dolphin Discovery has been forced to close its doors to visitors until the question of planning permission has been addressed a new location has been decided and developed.
Click here for full report

Rare dolphin sightings in the Baltic Sea
(Added: 28 September 2007)
For the first time in several years, common dolphins have been sighted far into the Baltic Sea. The dolphins were sighted near the island of Hiddensee – the last sightings were in 2001. The main problem for the common dolphins would be lack of food over the winter months.

Pilot whale filmed eating squid
(Added: 27 September 2007)
Researchers from the Society for Cetacean Study have scored an historic first in waters off south Tenerife by filming a whale eating a giant squid.
Click here for full report

Sinking of whaling ship
(Added: 20 September 2007)
Animal rights activists have claimed responsibility for the sinking of a whaling ship in a Norwegian port on 31 August. It’s not known how the Willassen Senior went down but the group has claimed that after ensuring the vessel was unoccupied, they opened the salt water intake valve, unleashing a torrent of water into the heart of the killer ship. Several whaling ships have been targeted since Norway resumed commercial hunts in 1992. On 14 September Iceland's Fisheries Minister, Einar Gudfinnsson, announced that he was extending the minke whale commerical hunt until 1 November 2007.

UK Government and its commitment to the Marine Bill
(Added: 12 September 2007)
This coming November, all eyes will be on the Queen's Speech to see whether or not the Government view the Marine Bill as a priority commitment for the coming year.
Click here for full report and how you can help

Gray whales may be starving
(Added: 11 September 2007)
Starvation may be impeding the recovery of the Pacific gray whale population. This population was thought to have recovered from commercial whaling, but now a new genetic study suggests the marine mammals once numbered between three and five times the 22,000 population estimated today.
Click here for full report

Gray whale killed near Neah Bay
(Added: 10 September 2007)
A Californian gray whale was harpooned and shot at the weekend, dying many hours later. Five Makah tribal members were detained as the kill was conducted without permission from the Makah tribal government.
Click here for full report

Virus threatens dolphins
(Added: 31 August 2007)
Spain has asked authorities around the Mediterranean and adjoining seas for help in monitoring an infection which threatens a protected species of dolphin. The virus is practically the same one which provoked a massive epidemic over ten years ago and could also affect various whale species. Morbillivirus, which causes measles in its human form, has been found in quite a few dead striped dolphins recently washed ashore on beaches in Spain. Spanish regional governments and environmental experts will now meet to discuss the issue on September 13.

Possible sighting of 'extinct' dolphin
(Added: 29 August 2007)
The rare white dolphin native to China's Yangtze River that scientists officially declared extinct recently has apparently been spotted swimming in the wild.
Click here for full report

Calls to help clean River Thames
(Added: 29 August 2007)
Once again, the Marine Connection is supporting environmental charity Thames21, to help bring together volunteers for the ‘Cleaner Thames Challenge’ taking place at low tide on the Isle of Dogs, East London from 27 to 30 September 2007..
Click here for further details

Whale kill shocks tourists
(Added: 27 August 2007)
While Iceland's fisheries minister Einar K Guofinnsson said they won't allocate new whaling quotas after the current season ends on on September 1, whale watching tourists off Japan encountered the bloody killing of a Baird's beaked whale.
Click here for full report

Whale researchers hit the jackpot
(Added: 17 August 2007)
Sighting of five blue whales near the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia has raised hopes that world's biggest creatures are returning to Canadian waters. A group of whale watchers/researchers were amazed to spot the largest number of blue whales seen together in the area for over 40 years.
Click here for full report

New Zealand: dolphin management plan
(Added: 17 August 2007)
The New Zealand Government will shortly release a plan to manage the threatened hector's dolphin. Numbers of the small dolphin have plummeted from 30,000 in the 1970s to an estimated 7000. Set nets are the biggest threat to the species as sixty percent of deaths to the animals dolphins are from these nets, drift and trawl nets are also a major threat.
Click here for full report

Solitary dolphin may have been injured by boat propellor
(Added: 16 August 2007)
Animal welfare organisations that have been monitoring Dave the solitary female bottlenose dolphin living on the Kent coast have reported that she has sustained injuries which appear to have been caused by being struck by a boat propeller. Although the wound is not considered to be life-threatening and consists of a series of parallel cuts on her dorsal fin, such injuries have been known to cause infections in dolphins which have proven fatal.
Click here for full report

UK detectives help seek killer of dolphin advocate
(Added: 16 August 2007)
The St. Lucia government has hired nine British detectives to try to solve the August 2006 murder of dolphin advocate Patricia Lee, 60, London Daily Telegraph writers Paul Henderson and Richard Savill reported on May 14, 2007.
Click here to read more

Lost whale sighted off Poland
(Added: 14 August 2007)
A whale has been spotted off the Polish coast after apparently losing its way. The animal was sighted in the Gulf of Gdansk and confirmed as a minke whale, possibly the same whale seen off Sweden a month ago. This is a rare appearance of such a marine mammal in the Baltic Sea.
Click here for full report

Slaughtered minke whales pregnant
(Added: 25 July 2007)
Japanese whalers recently reported that they thought it was good news that almost all of the female minke whales they killed last season were pregnant because it shows the population is increasing. 262 out of 286 were pregnant. A fin whale killed was also pregnant.
Click here for full report

NZ bottlenose dolphins in decline
(Added: 25 July 2007)
Research undertaken around the Doubtful Sound area, New Zealand over the past eight years has identified that the resident population of bottlenose dolphins is in such steep decline that it could face extinction by 2050. There are only 56 animals left. In response to the identification of these threats the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DoC) has now put out a threat management discussion paper for public discussion which highlights the different options it is considering to mitigate the identified threats.
Click here for full report

Springer back with her pod
(Added: 24 July 2007)
The story of a small, emaciated female killer whale wandering alone off the coast of Washington State couldn't have ended any better if it were a movie. Five years after a massive effort by marine experts, volunteers and government officials in Canada and the USA, Springer is thriving with her family's pod.
Click here to read full report

Most polluted European arctic mammal
(Added: 17 July 2007)
According to a new study published in the latest issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, killer whales hold the record for being the most-polluted European arctic mammal. Contamination levels are six to 20 times higher in killer whales compared to other high-Arctic species, such as polar bears and beluga whales.
Click here to read full study

Whales head south into danger
(Added: 17 July 2007)
From the Sunshine Coast to southern Tasmania, towns are joining forces in a push for Australia’s Government to take action and stop the looming humpback slaughter by Japanese whalers.
Click here for full report

Gone but not forgotten
(Added: 15 July 2007)
The Marine Connection are very sad to report the death of Neil Lea on Tuesday 10 July. Neil was a real advocate for all animal rights who despite struggling with illness himself for many years, never stopped campaigning against injustices to the voiceless creatures of the earth. He will be very sadly missed and our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his friends, wife Mary and son Seamus also his mother Doreen for who Neil will be irreplaceable. Neil’s funeral will be held on Saturday 28th July in Manchester.

Cook Strait whale survey successful
(Added: 11 July 2007)
An annual count of humpback whales in Cook Strait, New Zealand has resulted in 27 sightings - the most successful survey result in three years.
Click here for full report

IUCN confirm that Solomon Islands ban must remain
(Added: 22 June 2007)
The scientific arm of the international trade body that regulates trade in dolphins has denounced plans by the government of the Solomon Islands to allow export of live dolphins to other countries. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in a letter to the Solomons government, insists that any export of wild dolphins would violate CITES because studies on the status of local dolphin populations have never been done.
Click here for full report

Mediterranean cetaceans move north
(Added: 21 June 2007)
Whales and dolphins from the Mediterranean are for the first time being regularly seen in northern Scottish waters which may be the result of rising sea temperatures off the West Coast of Scotland.
Click here for full report

Further dolphin shootings - this time in the USA
(Added: 18 June 2007)
Recent killings of common dolphins along the coast of California are puzzling officials. To date five dolphins have been washed ashore, the first with damage to its’ pectoral fin, then another with a fatal bullet wound – within a week three more dolphins were washed up which had been shot through the head.
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Iceland Research Institute propose continued whaling
(Added: 13 June 2007)
The Iceland Marine Research Institute has proposed a quota maximum of 200 fin whales for the next whaling season and a minke whale quota of 400 animals.
Click here for full report

Whale caught in May 2007 was hunted in 1890
(Added: 13 June 2007)
A fragment of a bomb lance manufactured around 1880 was found embedded in a bowhead whale caught off Alaska a month ago, showing the animal must have survived a similar hunt — more than a century ago. This recent information suggests that bowhead whales have life spans that extend past one hundred years.
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Fishermen trained to save Gangetic dolphins
(Added: 05 June 2007)
In a bid to protect the highly-endangered Gangetic dolphins in river Brahmaputra and its tributaries, a training programme has been put in place for fishermen on alternative bait to dolphin oil.
Click here for full report

Dolphin found with apparent gunshot wound
(Added: 30 May 2007)
The recent sighting of a dolphin in Adelaide’s Port River which appears to have a gunshot wound has raised concerns that these animals could still be the target of either fishermen or simply people taking pot-shots at them for “fun”.
Click here for full report

Update from IWC 2007
(Added: 29 May 2007)
The annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has now begun in Anchorage and dominating this year's agenda is the five-year renewal of native subsistence hunt quotas, especially endangered bowhead whales for Alaskan Eskimos.
Click here for full report

Greenland aim to increase whale hunt
(Added: 24 May 2007)
At a recent press conference, Greenland's Directorate of Fisheries and Hunting announced that it will seek new whaling quotas during the Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) now being held in Anchorage, Alaska.
Click here for full report

Killer whale recovery strategy
(Added: 24 May 2007)
After nearly a year of unlawful delays, environmental groups in Canada have issued a warning to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to release the Recovery Strategy for British Columbia’s resident killer whales, or face being taken to court.
Click here for full report

Protection for Red Sea dugongs
(Added: 17 May 2007)
The Marine Connection are delighted to have received reports from one of our colleagues in Egypt that measures have been put in place to protect the resident dugong in the bay at Marsa Abu Dabab. We very much welcome this decision and will continue to work with colleagues in the area for the welfare and protection of marine mammals in the Red Sea area.
Click here to read the statement

35 years on - whale recorded again in Alaska
(Added: 17 May 2007)
A humpback whale first seen in Frederick Sound, Southeast Alaska 35 years ago was photographed swimming off Maui, Hawaii in February 2006 and in Seymour Canal, Southeast Alaska, December 2006 - becoming the longest scientifically tracked humpback on record. The whale - NMMLID 229 is thought to be a male. Charles Jurasz photographed the flukes of the humpback in 1978 but first sighted the animal in 1972 off Juneau, Alaska. NMMLID 229 has been photographed more than 34 times over the years in Alaska and Hawaii by various researchers.

South Korea is killing more whales than claimed
(Added: 11 May 2007)
An article in New Scientist Magazine reports that fishermen in South Korea are killing far more whales than they claim - 827 minke whales within four years which is far more than the 458 they stated. 2001-2006 figures are not complete yet. Whale meat can be sold legally in the area if the animals are accidentally caught in the nets but all deaths still need to be reported. Scientists led by Scott Baker of Oregon State University in the United States bought minke meat in South Korean markets and used DNA "fingerprinting" to calculate how many individual whales had been caught. A single minke whale alone can fetch up to $100,000 so it's huge financial incentive for fishermen to entangle the animals in their nets. The study is published in full in a specialist journal, Molecular Ecology .

Whaling Commission begins
(Added: 08 May 2007)
The Norwegian commercial hunt for minke whales began recently with the total whale quota this season is 74 animals; commercial hunters have permission to kill 38 minkes, while scientists have permission to kill 36.
Click here to read full report

Orca calf confirmed as newest addition to 'J' pod
(Added: 04 May 2007)
An orca calf spotted in Monterey Bay, California in March this year (see 27 March report below), has been confirmed as the newest addition to the Puget Sound orca population.
Click here to read full news report

Man charged with harrassing whale
(Added: 03 May 2007)
An Australian man who was charged last July with harassing a rare humpback whale by buzzing past the animal with his speedboat in Rose Bay has been fined $12,000. The gentleman said he was simply trying to get a closer look at the whale and that his only previous experience with whales had been on a charter boat in Mexico. His father however, is trying to gain support for plans to put 174 luxury boats in the area.

Two men found guilty of trafficking whale teeth
(Added: 27 April 2007)
The former director of a whaling museum and an antiques dealer have pleaded guilty to illegally importing hundreds of sperm whale teeth from the UK.
Click here to read full story

Concerns for rare Maui dolphin species
(Added: 23 April 2007)
There are concerns for the future of the world's rarest marine dolphin as an autopsy on a newborn Maui’s dolphin revealed the presence of the bacterium Brucella, which creates the disease brucellosis. Brucellosis causes abortions and reproductive failures in livestock. The dolphin was born alive but never made it to the surface to take its first breath.
Click here to read full story

Australia consider whale watching review
(Added: 23 April 2007)
An increased interest in blue whales off the coast of South Australia has prompted discussions to change the state’s governing whale watching laws. These marine mammals feed in the waters between Cape Otway in south-west Victoria and Kangaroo Island in South Australia during summer and the interest from tour operators is increasing.
Click here to read full story

Young whale loses fight for survival
(Added: 19 April 2007)
The juvenile minke whale which appeared on Tuesday in the Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn sadly died yesterday at around 5.30pm. The animal initially appeared to be in good health, apart from a few cuts to the head which had been sustained during its' time in the canal. However the appearance of ocean dwelling marine mammals so far inshore always raises concern as it can be an indication of health problems, however the exact cause of death will not be known until the necropsy is completed later today.

Whale appears in Brooklyn canal
(Added: 18 April 2007)
An usual visitor to a New York canal was confirmed yesterday as a juvenile minke whale. The 15ft animal was seen in the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn and appears to be in good health, however, as with the whale which appeared in the Thames in London, concern for the whales’ welfare grows the longer the animal remains in the area. Minke whales are ocean dwelling mammals and the quality of water plus availability of food source in the canal to enable the whale to sustain itself are issues which have to be urgently addressed. For the time being the animal is being monitored by colleagues in NYC and it is hoped that it will simply follow the tide and make its way back to the open ocean of its’ own accord. Photo © US coastguard

Alaskan whalers cancel beluga hunt
(Added: 17 April 2007)
The rapid disappearance of the Cook Inlet beluga whale population has led Alaska Native whalers to agree once again to cancel their annual hunt at the request of the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Click here to read full story

Spanish fishermen kill orca 'competing' for tuna
(Added: 16 April 2007)
Spanish fishermen working in the Mediterranean have killed one of the orcas which along with its pod make twice-yearly passes through the Strait of Gibraltar.
Click here to read full story

Police warn against harassing wild dolphin
(Added: 12 April 2007)
Further to reports of harassment over the Easter weekend break, Jet skiers and people in motorised boats have been urged by police to keep away from a solitary dolphin off the Kent coast.
Click here to read full story

Gray whale continues its journey
(Added: 10 April 2007)
After spending two weeks swimming in and out of Santa Barbara Harbour, a 20 foot juvenile gray whale has continued on its journey north, back to the cold waters of Alaska, where it will fatten on a buffet of crustaceans and shrimps.
Click here to read full story

Sperm whale 'caught in the act'
(Added: 2 April 2007)
Fishermen and scientists have known for at least two decades that sperm whales were snatching small numbers of fish from miles of longline in the world's largest black cod fishery the eastern Gulf of Alaska. For the first time they have caught one in the act.
Click here to read full story

Orca calf sighting brings hope for Puget Sound population
(Added: 27 March 2007)
A baby orca recently spotted with the Puget Sound population of killer whales, who were declared endangered in 2005, could bring renewed hope for their future.
Click here to read full story

Japan's main whaling ship returns
(Added: 26 March 2007)
Just days after an International Whaling Commission review of the Japanese government's so-called "research" programme (JARPA) showed that virtually nothing has been learnt about whale populations in the Southern Ocean, the Nisshin Maru has returned to port with a haul of 508 whales.
Click here to read full story

'Dave' the turtle still doing well in the Red Sea
(Added: 26 March 2007)
We are delighted to report that the Hawksbill turtle (nicknamed Dave by the rescue team) which the Marine Connection had assisted following an injury to his shell is doing well. He was last seen on 17 March happily feeding on some soft coral at a depth of 9m. However, we are very concerned that the local captive dolphin facility, Dolphinella, have also issued a very misleading advertisement with a photograph of the turtle indicating that he is at their facility. However this is clearly an attempt to pull the crowds and we can categorically confirm that the turtle is alive and doing well - in the wild, where he belongs.

Sister sanctuaries to protect whales
(Added: 22 March 2007)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has established a “sister sanctuary” arrangement between Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of the Dominican Republic, two marine protected areas 3,000 miles apart that provide conservation programs for the same population of humpback whales.
For full story click here

UK Marine Bill White Paper launch
(Added: 15 March 2007)
Today the Government published a White Paper setting out its plans for the Marine Bill - an important step towards better protection of our seas. Marine Connection have been campaigning for better protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises and their associated environment and we embrace the opportunities presented to us in the Marine Bill and particularly welcome the publication of the Marine White Paper.
Click here for further information and to read the report

Whale kills fisherman
(Added: 13 March 2007)
A Japanese fisherman has drowned after a whale he was trying to rescue capsized his small fishing boat. Three fishermen tried to rescue the sperm whale, after it strayed into a bay off the southwestern island of Shikoku, 500 miles southwest of Tokyo.The panicked creature turned on them and struck the vessel, drowning one of the fisherman. The other two other fishermen were rescued.
Footage of the incident can be seen here

Tracking sperm whales and jumbo squid
(Added: 13 March 2007)
The sperm whale and its large prey, the jumbo squid, are among the deepest divers in the ocean, routinely reaching depths of 3,000 feet or more. Now, in a new study, a team of marine scientists reports the successful tagging of sperm whales and jumbo squid swimming together off Mexico's Pacific coast - the first time that electronic tracking devices have been applied simultaneously to deep-diving predators and prey in the same waters.
For full story click here

Dolphin population increases in Chilika
(Added: 23 February 2007)
A recent study has revealed the Chilika lake in Orissa, India is now home to a total of 135 endangered Irrawaddy dolphins. The findings of the survey indicated that the lagoon had 115 adult Irrawaddy dolphins, 15 sub-adults and five calves.
For full story click here

Whale deaths near Gibraltar
(Added: 23 February 2007)
Scientists have claimed that a high number of pilot whales dying in the Straits of Gibraltar are caused by contaminated seas, possibly due to crude oil spills from ships. In the past three months, six animals have died and their corpses have been discovered on the beaches of southern Spain. All the whales were adults and in good health. Scientists will measure the levels of hydrocarbons, heavy metals and other toxins in the bodies of the whales. Each year, 90,000 boats cruise through the Straits of Gibraltar, many spilling oil and other materials into the seas. There are about 260 adult pilot whales in the Straits of Gibraltar.

Sperm whales off Sicily
(Added: 16 February 2007)
Marine biologists in Italy say the sperm whale, once thought to have been nearly wiped from the region by drift nets, has returned to the Mediterranean. The animals are returning in remarkable numbers since they were first spotted two years ago when the Neutrino Mediterranean Observatory started picking up sounds off Catania, Sicily which turned out to be the 'clicks' of the whales talking to each other. The good news is that there may be hundreds of sperm whales off Sicily right now.

Marine Connection helps injured turtle swim free
(Added: 14 February 2007)
On 17th January 2007, Marine Connection received a call from James Tunney of Red Sea Diving College in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt where we run a "See Red!" campaign. Supporters of the Marine Connection, Red Sea Diving College were ringing with an unexpected query - do you know how to fix a turtle's shell?
For full story click here

Canadian bowhead sanctuary a step closer
(Added: 12 February 2007)
A deal to create Canada's first sanctuary for bowhead whales has been signed between the Canadian government and Nunavut's land claim organisation after more than 25 years of talks and delays.
For full story click here

Killer whales stray from usual territory
(Added: 31 January 2007)
A large group of killer whales have been spotted off the coast of San Francisco, a long way from their usual feeding grounds along the Washington coast. They were first seen off Half Moon Bay, apparently searching for salmon.
For full story click here

NZ reveal footage of Japanese whaling
(Added: 26 January 2007)
A Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion undertaking surveillance against illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean has sighted Japanese whaling vessels operating in the Ross Sea - harpooning, hauling and processing the animals. Given the strong public interest in this issue, the NZ government has decided to make the footage available to the media. Japan plans to kill up to 935 Antarctic minke whales and 10 endangered fin whales this season. In 2008 they will slaughter 50 fin and 50 humpback whales. In December 2006 New Zealand led a formal diplomatic protest on Japan to express opposition to Japan's whaling in the Southern Ocean. 27 countries supported this, signifying world opinion is firmly opposed to Japan's whaling programme.

Monkey Mia dolphin pod has new calf
(Added: 18 January 2007)
The habituated dolphin pod regularly hand fed by the public at Monkey Mia beach has a new calf.
For full report click here

New cetacean publications
(Added:- 16 January 2007)
The Marine Connection has teamed up with the Natural History Museum to offer supporters 10% discount on two new dolphin and whale publications.
Click here for further information

Help stop Icelandic whaling
(Added:- 15 January 2007)
The Marine Connection is working in partnership with UK's leading anti-whaling group Campaign Whale to persuade major UK fish retailers to stop buying seafood from Iceland. The whales really need your help at this critical time!
Click here to find out how you can help

Woman hurt after a dolphin leapt onto a boat
(Added:- 2 January 2007)
A 27 year old woman was seriously hurt off the coast of New Zealand after a 300kg dolphin leapt from the water crushing the woman and the front of the boat. In the same incident, another woman was hurt after she was thrown through the boat's windscreen. A very rare occurrence, one local dolphin watching company stated that in the 17 years they had been operating only one dolphin had misjudged its acrobatics ending up on the boat though missing onlookers. In both cases, the dolphins' swam away unharmed. (Source: The Marlborough Express)

Marra died of blood poisoning from a wound
(Added:- 21 December 2006)
Further to the Marine Connection report of 15 December (below) regarding Marra the dolphin's death, it has been reported that the dolphin died of natural causes. A post-mortem examination carried out by experts found she died of blood poisoning from an infected wound. It is unknown how the animal received the wound but her proximity to the shore put her at risk from being hit by boats and other threats.
For the full story please click here

Hydrofoil collides with whale off coast of Izu Oshima, Japan
(Added:- 19 December 2006)
A hydrofoil traveling off the coast of Izu Oshima Island struck what appeared to be a whale on the morning of 18 December, damaging part of the vessel, coast guard officials said. The 281-ton "Seven Island Niji" collided with the object about 12 kilometers northwest of Izu Oshima at about 10:30 a.m. on Monday. Local coast guard officials said an object resembling a whale's back was spotted from the hydrofoil's pilothouse, promoting the captain to slow the vessel down, but it failed to avoid the object and struck it. The "Seven Island Niji" normally emits a sound that whales dislike, scaring them away.

Sad end for 'friendly' Marra
(Added:- 15 December 2006)
Further to our initial news alert on 13 December 2006 (see below) we are saddened to report that the dolphin remains found on a beach at Skinburness, Cumbria are almost certainly those of the solitary dolphin known as Marra.
Click here for further information

First Nations yield on whale hunt
(Added:- 14 December 2006)
First Nations on Vancouver Island, British Columbia have agreed to forgo their traditional right to hunt grey whales for at least 25 years, in return for other benefits.
Click here for further information

Dolphin carcass found cut up on beach in Cumbria
(Added:- 13 December 2006)
The body of a dolphin, cut into three pieces and held in two sacks, was found by a member of the public yesterday leading to an investigation into the death, who was responsible for cutting up and dumping the animal and whether these could be the remains of a dolphin which has been frequenting this stretch of coastline for some time.
Click here for further information

Remembering the Thames Whale
(Added:- 12 December 2006)
In January 2006, a northern bottlenose whale swam up the River Thames in London, briefly grabbing the attention of the world's media. On December 21 there is a documentary being shown in the UK about this specific animal which examines the media furore that surrounded this rare spectacle. The Marine Connection contributed towards the programme.
Click here for further information

How dolphin friendly is the '2007 Year of the Dolphin'
(Added:- 6 December 2006)
As the United Nations name 2007 as the Year of the Dolphin the Marine Connection raise concerns over the involvement of travel group TUI in this initiative.
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Beluga whale population declining
(Added:- 6 December 2006)
The beluga whale population around Anchorage, Alaska is a step closer to being placed on the endangered species list. The National Marine Fisheries Service said it expected the population to increase once unregulated hunting stopped in the 1990s, but that has not happened. Now, scientists are worried the animals could disappear within the next 100 years. Officials estimate that the Cook Inlet has a population of just under 300 belugas.

Yangtze dolphin may be extinct
(Added:- 5 December 2006)
The search for the rare Yangtze River dolphin by an international team of marine biologists is reaching the conclusion that it may no longer exist. The river dolphin, a feature of Asia's mightiest river, is probably now extinct and died out only recently, the experts said.
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Recovery plan for killer whales
(Added:- 1 December 2006)
The National Marine Fisheries Service have proposed a recovery plan for Puget Sound's endangered population of killer whales, including new research, better coordination with other government agencies and cleanup/closer monitoring of polluted sites.
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Hunters prepare for beluga cull
(Added:- 17 November 2006)
Hunters have gathered along the shoreline of an Arctic waterway, preparing to kill beluga whales that are trapped in the Husky Lakes. Most of the animals managed to find their own way out but several have remained. The Tuktoyaktuk hunters and trappers committee plan to kill the whales as soon as possible by harpoon and rifle. They will be pulled out of the water by snowmobile and butchered on the ice. The Husky Lakes are a network of salt-water inlets and bays connected to the Arctic Ocean by a series of narrow channels.

Whale hunting stopped for now
(Added:- 3 November 2006)
Whale hunting vessel Hvalur 9 has stopped hunting for the winter, having landed seven of the nine whales covered by the set whale-hunting quota. According to Kristján Loftsson, General Manager of Hvalur , the whaling is being discontinued mainly due to poor visibility and the bad weather forecast for the next several days and also apparently because the crew of Hvalur 9 holds jobs elsewhere and cannot take more time off. According to Loftsson, the ship will now sail to Reykjavík where it has been moored for the past 16 years. He does not expect revenues from the hunting to cover costs, is not concerned about the sale of the whale meat and dismisses claims that the meat will not find buyers in Japan. In response to why the meat will not be sold on the domestic market, Loftsson said that Icelanders generally do not buy meat from fin whales, as it is considered too coarse.

Sea Fisheries decline threatens marine mammals
(Added:- 3 November 2006)
With nearly one-third of sea fisheries collapsed and the rate of decline accelerating it is only a matter of time before we begin to see the knock on effects on the ocean ecosystem, unless we take drastic action NOW.
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Whale skeleton reassembled
(Added:- 3 November 2006)
The 165 bones of a California gray whale are slowly being reassembled for a new Kodiak museum in Alaska set to open next year. The whale's journey has been a long one. The 38-foot animal washed up on a beach more than five years ago in Pasagshak on Kodiak Island's northeast side.
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