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General News
London to Amsterdam challenge
(Added: 20 August 2010)
Over past months Alan Ridderhof has been cycling around many UK cities including Brighton, Oxford and Cambridge - his aim?, to raise money for charity. Now Alan is raising funds to help protect dolphins and whales.
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Greenland Defies IWC Rules
(Added: 18 August 2010)
Greenland's Ministry of Fisheries has just announced that it will allow a hunt of nine humpback whales to start immediately, despite the fact that this decision violates International Whaling Commission (IWC) regulations clearly specifying that the quota of humpbacks cannot legally come into effect until mid-October. Greenland obtained approval from the IWC last June to kill nine humpback whales a year. Two boats from Ilulissat, and one each from Aasiaat and Kangaatsiaq, can hunt the whales from August until the end of December. This will be the first humpback hunt in Greenlandic waters since 1986.
The pitch of whale calls
(Added: 03 August 2010)
According to a new study of the blue whale population in the eastern North Pacific, these whales are able to synchronize the pitch of their calls with an extremely high level of accuracy, and a very slim margin of error from call to call.
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New southern right whale project
(Added: 25 July 2010)
Marine Connection is pleased to report on a major three-year scientific research project, aiming to find information which could see rare southern right whales flourishing once again in New Zealand coastal waters.
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Genetics in gray whales
(Added: 20 July 2010)
A new genetic study could result in restrictions on where the Makah tribe can hunt for gray whales, prompting a review of the results by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which is now conducting its own gray whale research.
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Australia-Japan case due in 2012
(Added: 20 July 2010)
Final written arguments in Australia's complaint against Japan over whaling in the Southern Ocean will be due in March 2012, the world court has confirmed. The case will take years to resolve.
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South Korea restaurants serving whale meat
(Added: 14 July 2010)
The number of restaurants in Ulsan, Korea offering whale meat has increased sharply over the past year, exceeding 100. The figure is up nearly four times from a year earlier and the highest since the IWC adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986. Minke whale is the main item with a six metre animal selling for over $20,000.
Pathologists investigate Moko's death
(Added: 09 July 2010)
The team at Massey's Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences Massey University have been busy trying to determine the cause of death of Moko, the friendly interactive dolphin that frequented New Zealand waters whose body was found washed up on Matakana Island, near Mt Maunganui.
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Baby humpback whale seen in NZ waters
(Added: 09 July 2010)
A baby humpback whale, believed to be just two days old has been spotted in New Zealand waters for the first time. The 4m calf was spotted with its mother and to be born while the whales were still off New Zealand's east coast indicated it was a premature birth. It still had neonatal folds along its body.There has never been any reported sightings of humpback calves in New Zealand, even in the days of commercial whaling, which ended in the country in 1964.
Is this Moko?
(Added: 08 July 2010)
Marine Connection has received news that the body of a bottlenose dolphin, believed New Zealand's famous Moko, has washed up on a beach on the east coast of the North Island.
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Smallest whale population faces extinction
(Added: 01 July 2010)
According to a study just released the world's smallest known whale population has dwindled to about 30 individuals, only eight of them females.
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Migaloos' safety
(Added: 28 June 2010)
Whale watchers who get too close with the famous white humpback Migaloo could be hit with stiff penalties under new protection measures. The Australian Government has declared Migaloo a "special interest" whale.
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More threats from Japan at IWC
(Added: 15 June 2010)
Once again, Japan is threatening to pull out of the International Whaling Commission if no progress is made towards easing an international ban on commercial whaling. Japan has frequently threatened to pull out of the IWC in the past.
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Dolphin shot 12 times
(Added: 11 June 2010)
A post mortem on a dolphin found dead north of Port Adelaide showed it had been shot a dozen times.
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Whaling fleet set sail
(Added: 11 June 2010)
Japan's whaling ships has set sail from three separate ports in Japan with more than 200 crew to hunt whales in the Pacific waters.
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Dolphin in custody dispute
(Added: 06 June 2010)
Moby Solangi whose involvement in the captivity trade of cetaceans is well known, continues to fight for custody of a male bottlenose dolphin. Until the dispute is resolved, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) wants the animal to be looked after by the US Navy.
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Will Australia take Japan to court?
(Added: 31 May 2010)
According to recent reports, Australia who for many months has been threatening Japan over its annual whaling in the Southern Ocean has finally launched its unprecedented international legal action.
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Good sightings of basking sharks
(Added: 27 May 2010)
More than 100 basking sharks were sighted recently off Donegal's Dunaff and Malin Head, Northern Ireland, compared to 106 being tagged during the entire season last year, this is good news. Malin Head was identified last year as one of the top European "hotspots" for the sharks and although they are not protected under Irish legislation through the Wildlife Act, there is an EU moratorium on catching or landing the fish as a bycatch. It is protected in Britain, and there are plans to extend this legislation to Northern Irish waters.
Dolphins soon to guard naval base
(Added: 27 May 2010)
Bottlenose dolphins are still on track to guard Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor's shoreline but spokesman Tom LaPuzza for the Navy Marine Mammal Program in San Diego recently commented they are not prepared to discuss when the animals will be arriving or confirm their presence.
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Marine survey washes up unusual results
(Added: 23 May 2010)
A study carried out in January of this year off the Northumberland coast which focused on the habits of dolphins and whales has thrown up some unexpected findings and the researchers are now planning to extend the survey.
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Mercury level high in Taiji residents
(Added: 11 May 2010)
Residents from Taiji, the area better known for its capturing and killing of dolphins and small whales are carrying dangerously high mercury levels, likely because of their fondness for dolphin and whale meat. The latest studies published by the Japanese government show that meat from bottlenose dolphins had about 1,000 times the mercury content of that from sardines.
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Unusual sighting in the Mediterranean
(Added: 11 May 2010)
20,000 gray whales are known to live in the eastern Pacific Ocean today, with approx 200 in the western Pacific. Scientists recently spotted one in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Israel.
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Both parties innocent in whaling collision
(Added: 09 May 2010)
A report just released shows that Australian maritime authorities have been unable to conclude who caused the collision between the Japanese whaling ship, Shonan Maru 2 and Sea Shepherd's trimaran, Ady Gil, the latter being sliced in half.
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Rescue plan for Australian dolphin
(Added: 09 May 2010)
A plan is underway to help save the snubfin dolphin, unique to Australia and in danger of extinction from the combined threats of fishing nets, boat strikes, increased shipping and large scale coastal development. There are isolated pods of the dolphins in Australia's tropical waters and it's now vital to find out how many animals there are to protect them and their habitat. The loss of just two or three dolphins over a short period of time could trigger their extinction and the Yangtze river dolphin is a stark reminder of the need to protect inshore dolphins.
Pilot whales around Moray Firth
(Added: 09 May 2010)
A group of approx 100 long-finned pilot whales was sighted recently in the shallow waters around the Moray Firth, Scotland, miles away from where they are usually seen - deeper waters around the Faroes, Iceland and Shetland. It's the first time for at least 25 years that this particular species has been sighted around the area, with only five recorded sightings of pilot whales between the ?60s and the mid-90s in the Moray Firth and all far offshore. The pilot whales showed no signs of stress.
Commercial whale hunts
(Added: 23 April 2010)
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has proposed allowing whales to be hunted under strict quotas, bringing the world a step closer to the first legal commercial whaling in nearly 25 years.
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Dolphin baby boom
(Added: 20 April 2010)
A recently published study has revealed that Hurricane Katrina, one of the most devastating natural disasters to strike the US several years back may have lead to an increase in the bottlenose dolphin population along the Gulf coast, the reason being a decline in commercial fishing.
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New whale sanctuary declared
(Added: 15 April 2010)
The South Pacific territory of Tokelau has declared a whale sanctuary in its waters, bringing to 11 the number of national and territorial sanctuaries in the region. The sanctuary will cover 112,000 square miles of ocean around the three atolls of Tokelau, which lie roughly midway between New Zealand and Hawaii.
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Illegal whale meat smuggling
(Added: 15 April 2010)
DNA detective work has shown showing that restaurants not only in the US but South Korea illegally sold whale meat from Japan. Japan, Iceland and Norway who all want to resume commercial whaling have previously stated that they can prevent whale meat smuggling by matching the DNA of the meat sold in markets to a register of all legally caught whales - however all countries have refused to make their DNA registers public.
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Dolphin 56 spotted
(Added: 13 April 2010)
A friendly dolphin, more commonly known as dolphin 56, has once again been sighted off Ocean City, New Jersey. This animal was part of a research project back in 1979 when Hubs-SeaWorld Research Institute in Orlando, captured six dolphins for the project.
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Norwegian quota largest in 25 years
(Added: 13 April 2010)
Despite talks of compromise at the International Whaling Commission (IWC), Norwegian whalers plan to kill as many as 1286 whales, six more than the Japanese quota and the highest quota set by the Norwegian government in over 25 years.
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Sammy the Whale Shark released
(Added: 21 March 2010)
The Marine Connection is delighted to report that 'Sammy' the whale shark, held in captivity at the Atlantis hotel on Dubai's Palm Island, has been released after 18 months of being used as a tourist attraction. She was released back into waters of the Arabian Gulf.
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More about orcas around NZ revealed
(Added: 21 March 2010)
Scientists recently met in Wellington, New Zealand to carry out an autopsy on a baby orca which could reveal more about the species and the health of the ocean environment.
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Icelands' illegal whale meat exports to EU
(Added: 21 March 2010)
Data from Statistics Iceland state that the country is exporting whale meat to Latvia, Denmark and Japan in defiance of international law and a global whaling ban.
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Restaurant guilty of serving whale meat closes
(Added: 21 March 2010)
The Los Angeles sushi restaurant that made international headlines recently after it was found to be illegally serving whale meat has closed. Owners were charged with violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Called The Hump, it was inundated with protesters when the news circulated around the world. Samples were taken from the premises and were found to be from the endangered Sei whale.
Dolphins at possible risk in Zanzibar
(Added: 17 March 2010)
A study of bottlenose dolphins living off the coast of Zanzibar has found that the many tourist boats operating in the area are harassing the animals, preventing them from resting, feeding and nurturing their young.
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Mystery of whale deaths
(Added: 17 March 2010)
A meeting to solve the mystery of the largest ever recorded die-off of over 300 southern right whales, including young calves is underway. The whales have been found dead in the last five years in the waters off Argentina's Patagonian coast - one of the most important breeding grounds for the species.
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Whale research ship returns
(Added: 13 March 2010)
An Australian-led Antarctic whale expedition is on its way back to New Zealand after spending six weeks in the Southern Ocean.
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Denmark refused humpback hunt
(Added: 07 March 2010)
At a recent three day meeting, the International Whaling Commission refused Denmark its request to allow them to limited hunting of humpback whales off the coast of Greenland.
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Cetaceans in the austral cone of South America
(Added: 07 March 2010)
Report by Nathan Gricks on cetaceans in this important area - a hotspot for any dolphin or whale enthusiast.
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New IWC proposal released
(Added: 23 February 2010)
Under a proposal recently released by International Whaling Commission chairman Cristian Maquieira, commercial whaling could be reintroduced on a limited basis and Japan would be able to continue hunting in the Antarctic.
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A killer whale called Luna
(Added: 21 February 2010)
The film "A killer whale called Luna" which was rescheduled from January will premiere in the UK on BBC’s Natural World on Wednesday, 24 February at 8:00pm on BBC2. The film made over three years by Michael Parfit & Suzanne Chisholm, has won 24 awards worldwide. It is about a young solitary killer whale called Luna.
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Whaling activists' trial begins
(Added: 15 February 2010)
While much of the focus on whaling is currently centred around the Southern Ocean, an important legal case has began in a regional courtroom in northern Japan. Two Japanese Greenpeace activists dubbed 'the Tokyo Two' will stand trial for trespass and the theft of whale meat. If found guilty they could face 10 years in prison.
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'The Cove' - wins best documentary at Awards
(Added: 19 January 2010)
The Cove - the documentary film about dolphin hunting in Japan's Wakayama Prefecture, was recently named best documentary at the Critics' Choice Awards in Los Angeles. It won Best Documentary Feature award, beating four other nominated movies, including "Michael Jackson's This Is It".
New minke whale study
(Added: 16 January 2010)
According to a new study supported by the Lenfest Ocean Program and published recently in the journal Molecular Ecology genetic analyses refute the hypothesis that an overly abundant population of minke whales is creating too much competition over food for populations of other whale species to rebound.
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Possible charge for dolphin assault
(Added: 16 January 2010)
Police in New Zealand are investigating reports that Moko the solitary dolphin who has a reputation for stealing surfboards and balls from swimmers was attacked with a paddle after annoying a canoeist.
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Dolphin found with throat slashed
(Added: 08 January 2010)
Wildlife officers have appealed to the public for information about a dolphin that was slashed across the throat and left on the lawn of a house in Western Australia on January 7th.
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A killer whale called Luna
(Added: 06 January 2010)
The film "A killer whale called Luna" premieres in the UK on BBC’s Natural World on Wednesday, January 13 at 8:00pm on BBC2.The film made over three years by Michael Parfit & Suzanne Chisholm, has won 24 awards worldwide. It is about a young solitary killer whale called Luna.
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UK killer whale discovery
(Added: 05 January 2010)
Scientists have revealed for the first time there is not one but two types of killer whale (orca) living in UK waters. Each differs in appearance and diet, with males of one type being much larger than the other.
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Scientists to research whales in Antarctica
(Added: 04 January 2010)
New Zealand scientists are soon to go on a six week voyage to research whales around Antarctica to study the impact of climate change on whales and prove Japan's claims that the mammals have to be killed to be studied are unecessary. It is the first time the vesselTangaroa has been used for whale research in international waters.The crew plan to use DNA darts, satellite tags, acoustics and photographs of tail markings to study the whales.
Fin whales in abundance
(Added: 04 January 2010)
Sightings of the fin whale - the second largest marine mammal used to be a rarity in the Santa Monica Bay but not anymore and researchers are having excellent sightings at the moment.
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Dolphin intelligence
(Added: 04 January 2010)
Dolphins have been declared the world's second most intelligent creatures after humans, with scientists suggesting they are so bright that they should be treated as "non-human persons."
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