Sunday Snowday

Since most of the US is being effected by the current Arctic blast coming down from the north, here's some pictures of animals in the snow

WildAid's Top 5 Stories of 2013

#5- Ivory Busts
As the poaching crisis gained attention this year, the media reported on the ongoing smuggling efforts of illegal traders. CNN’s Ramy Inocencio reported on “one of the biggest busts of its kind in Hong Kong” when officials seized 1,120 ivory tusks and 13 rhino horns valued at more than $5.3 million.

 #4- Big Names Join Demand Reduction Campaigns
This past year saw several big names join the fight to reduce the demand for endangered wildlife products. The Clinton Global Initiative launched a campaign to save African elephants while the Obama administration sought input from NGOs, including WildAid to stop demand for products like ivory and rhino horn. The Duke of Cambridge spoke out in support of demand reduction, even in Mandarin, joining us in our latest message that also features iconic athletes David Beckham and Yao Ming.

 #3- Ivory and Terrorism
National security became the focus of several media reports as more evidence linked the trade in illegal wildlife products to groups including Somalia's al-Shabaab and Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army.

#2- Rhinos Killed in Record Numbers
Rhinos were poached at a record pace this year. Nearly 1,000 were killed in South Africa for their horns, up from a then record 668 in 2012 and 13 in 2007. The grim reports came directly from South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs and were tempered slightly in December with news that Thandi, a rhino who survived poachers taking her horn, is now pregnant.

 #1- Sharks Gain Respect 
In 2013 we saw children come together (on a beach) to protect sharks as well as some airlines pledging not to ship fins. Several states in America banned shark fin and even Hong Kong took a stand against shark in soup. However, news that China banned shark fin from state banquets two years ahead of a self imposed deadline sent a message around the globe that will put other governments on notice.

WildAid.org 

Biggest new animal discoveries of 2013

 

Thousands of species were scientifically described for the first time in 2013. Many of these were "cryptic species" that were identified after genetic analysis distinguished them from closely-related species, while others were totally novel. Below are some of the most interesting "new species" discoveries that took place or were formally announced in 2013. 

Click here for the complete list of discovered species in 2013

Season's Greetings!

80-year-old Orca 'Speiden' missing, presumed dead

 

SEATTLE -- An 80-year-old Orca whale has been missing for about six weeks and Orca spotters are presuming her dead.

The Orca J8, also known as "Speiden," was last seen on Sept. 19 near Victoria and has not been seen the last two times the J Pod was in the Puget Sound's Saratoga Passage, officials with Orca Network said. Speiden has a distinct sound when she breathed and a notch at the base of her fin making her easy to identify, day or night.

"At 80 years old, she was right in the upper limits of longevity for females," said Howard Garrett, co-director of the Orca Network. "It was probably just a natural passing after a long life."

Garrett said that Speiden was not known to have any offspring during their studies, but it's hard to know for sure since their research didn't begin until after the whale capture era from 1966-1976, when dozens of whales were taken from the area waters.

"Over 40 were delivered from her family, so she may have lost several offspring during those years," Garrett said.

Garrett says Speiden is especially missed now that her J Pod and neighboring K Pod families have both been sighted in the Puget Sound waters this week.

"She was always great to have out there because she was so familiar," Garrett said. "We'll miss her. It's always reassuring to see the whales that we know and recognize out there. She was one of the ones that everybody who watched these whales knew very well."

The Orca Network said Spieden was not the most senior Orca in the pod. Orca J2, "Granny," is believed to be 102 years old.

Source: Komo News 

Can Orcas keep pets?

We often observe fur seals or Dall's porpoises following groups of fish-eating orcas. But this group we saw some days ago had an unusual companion. A single Pacific white-sided dolphin was travelling with the orcas, as a normal group member, for at least 1.5 hours. At first we mistakenly thought he was a strangely coloured calf. This is amazing to us not only because of this weird companionship, but also because Pacific white-sided dolphins are rarely seen in this area. We have never observed them before in the nearshore waters of the Commander Islands. Perhaps this dolphin was travelling with orcas for a while and then followed them to our research area from offshore or more southern waters where this species is more common. The more you look closely at nature, the stranger it becomes.

Source: RussianOrca.org 

Orca Hunt Photo Series

Check out this amazing series of photos showing the final moments of 2 hour chase between an Orca and its prey, a bottlenose dolphin-

Source: DailyMail.co.uk

GoPro Project New Zealand

An overview of some wildlife encountered and filmed with the GoPro HD Hero 2 & 3 cameras whilst out on the water looking for orca. Edited and filmed by Robert Marc Lehmann & Dr Ingrid N. Visser for the Orca Research Trust.

Don´t miss the "coming soon" GoPro Orca Project Teaser sequence at the end!

www.orcaresearch.org

Stunning footage!!!

Cornell University's biodiversity recordings made public

The Macaulay Library is the world's largest and oldest scientific archive of biodiversity audio and video recordings. Our mission is to collect and preserve recordings of each species' behavior and natural history, to facilitate the ability of others to collect and preserve such recordings, and to actively promote the use of these recordings for diverse purposes spanning scientific research, education, conservation, and the arts.

Shift in Wind Frees Trapped Orcas

Photo by Andy Moorhouse

During Thursday night, a shift in wind and tide opened up gaps in the ice through which the trapped Orca pod could escape the ice flow in Hudson Bay. Helicopters and ice hunters were sent out to confirm that they were no longer trapped in their breathing hole. No recent disturbances in the slush and no sightings of the Orcas since Thursday indicate that they have left the area. 

Orcas Trapped in Ice at Hudson Bay

Quebec - The race is on to rescue between eight to 17 orcas filmed trapped in ice near Inukjuak, northern Quebec. Activists are now urging Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to step in and help the whales.

Video of the orcas who are spyhopping and appear stressed was originally sent to CTV by Lisa Di Ciero. Clement Rousseau then uploaded the video to his Facebook page, in the hopes of getting the killer whales some help.

 Rousseau said he posted Di Ciero's film, "hoping that the right person will see this video, a person that can help us to bring them back to the open water ..." 

Now the activist community is putting pressure on Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to step in and seek a solution. Reminiscent of the 1988 grey whale rescue in Point Barrow, Alaska, that was featured in the film Big Miracle, activists are using social media to urge Canada to take action. 

 News of the trapped whales reached CTV Montreal who said "Residents of Inukjuaq are concerned that there is not enough open water for the whales to swim out." How many orcas are trapped remains unknown, but estimates put the number somewhere between eight to 17 mammals. 

 According to CBC News, DPO officials haven't decided yet what to do about the orcas. Johnny P. Williams of Inukjuak told the station he visited the whales, and they seem desperate for air. 

 "It is difficult to go near the ice since the waves from the whales are making it impossible," he said in Inuktitut. "The breathing hole is getting smaller and smaller. Their whole body jumps up for air." 

An airplane was dispatched to determine how far the whales were from open water. Williams reported, "the open ice is too far away for the whales to go on their own and only an icebreaker could help them out." 

In 2005, six killer whales trapped by thick ice in Russian waters died exhausted and wounded after an attempt to break free. Strong winds blew in ice floes which trapped the whales in shallow waters in the Sea of Okhotsk. It is unclear how the current pod of whales became trapped. 

Erin Cunliffe said that she has already called emergency fisheries of Canada and they have the information on the orcas. "All he could tell me," Cunliffe said, "was that they are doing something about it." 

Activists are urging people to call DFO's emergency number to request they intercede on behalf of the orcas. They can be reached at (877)-722-5346. 

Inukjuak is a northern village located on Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Innuksuak River in Nunavik. It is in the Nord-du-Québec region of northern Quebec, Canada. 

 Digital Journal has contacted DFO and we will update this story as it unfolds.

Update: Nathalie Letendre of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, told Digital Journal a short while ago that DFO is "aware of the situation and confirms that a pod of killer whales is trapped in ice near Inukjuak."

Letendre added, "a team of experts from DFO is working very closely with its partners in Nunavik to evaluate the situation. Situations where marine mammals are trapped by the ice are not unusual in the North."  

Digital Journal asked DFO if this situation is not unusual in the North, would you say then that DFO does not think the situation critical at this point?  
NL: By unusual, I mean that it is not the first time that marine mammals are stuck in the ice. DFO considers it important to be on site to evaluate the situation correctly. That’s why our experts are presently travelling in the direction of Inukjuak.

 Digital Journal also asked how available immediate help is and whether DFO has the resources to rapidly respond and assist these whales if needed. DFO has not yet responded to the question.

Source: DigitalJournal.com

Rarest Dog in the World Photographed in the Wild

A rare New Guinea Singing Dog was seen by a group on an adventure trek on Western New Guinea Island. Photo: Tom Hewitt 

Tom Hewitt, who runs an adventure company in Papua New Guinea was out on an expedition when the group encountered the rarest dog on earth. Tom managed to take a photograph of the New Guinea Singing Dog. This may only be the second time the canine has been photographed in the wild in the last 25 years.

The ancient dog has the nickname "stone age dog", and they may be older than Australian dingos. There are 100 in captivity worldwide and it is unknown how many are in the wild.

Tom Hewitt, who has been living and working in SE Asia for the last ten years, is now based in Sabah and Sarawak from where he runs Adventure Alternative Borneo.  He was trekking with a group up the Star Mountains of Western New Guinea Island when they spotted the secretive singing dog.

Said Tom, "We watched it for around 15 minutes as it continued to watch us. It seemed as curious as we were but not particularly scared or nervous. What stood out was how healthy it looked upon closer examination with binoculars."

Tom's sighting is the first in the region. The rare dogs often live in remote, high elevations. They have an unusual reddish coat and are known for an ability to climb trees.

Source: DogHeirs.com 

this is way more awesome than those flying toasters....

Footage of Common cranes flying over Venice from BBC's Earthflight series.

Crows just wanna have fun

Best 50 Nature Photos

Click here to view the rest of this breathtaking series

Penguins in Sweaters!

Penguins caught in a New Zealand oil spill are given little sweaters to prevent them from preening and ingesting oil on their feathers.
Click here for full story

Surfers Save Stranded Baby Great White

This baby Great White Shark was stranded on Venice Beach, CA and tangled in fishing line. Luckily, some good samaritan surfers come to the rescue.

Spirit Bear

Spirit Bear

In a moss-draped rain forest in British Columbia, towering red cedars live a thousand years, and black bears are born with white fur.

Read on.....

Hello, Monday!

Orca Celebrates 100th Birthday!

Come celebrate the estimated 100 year birthday of J2, Granny !!!

The Center for Whale Research is hosting a celebration of the estimated birth year of J2, one of the oldest females in the southern resident killer whale population. Based on J2's apparent age at the inception of the Orca Survey study in 1976, she is estimated to have been born in 1911 making 2011 her 100th year, and although we do not know her exact age she is likely the oldest living whale among J,K, and L pods. This celebration marks 100 years of evoloving interaction between humans and killer whales in the ecosystem now known as the Salish Sea.

We invite everyone to come to Lime Kiln State Park to celebrate the estimated century long life of J2 and to learn more about and the obstacles she, and all the southern residents, have faced in their struggle to survive the changing world.

Please join us, bring your own picnic lunch to the park, and enjoy an afternoon of music by the Kevin Carr Family Band followed by a talk from Ken Balcomb, director of the Center for Whale Research. There will be children's games and activities provided by Jeff Hogan's Killer Whale Tales. The Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalists (SSAMN ) will also be hosting an informational booth offering tips and opportunities to foster stewardship of the Salish Sea environment on which the killer whales depend. Additionally, the Center for Whale Research Information Station will be open to provide education about the local killer whales and the Orca Survey project.

J2 100th Birthday!

WHEN: July 2, 2011, 1:00 p.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Lime Kiln Point State Park, San Juan Island
WHO: Hosted by the Center for Whale Research and supported by:

Kevin Carr Family Band

Killer Whale Tales - Environmental Science Though Storytelling

SSAMN - Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalists

Orca Network - Connecting whales and people in the Pacific Northwest

We hope to see you all there!

For additional information or questions please contact: erin@whaleresearch.com

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To find out how you can adopt a Southern Resident orca, check out The Whale Museum!