Empty the tanks

anti-cap blog. Mostly Cetaceans but will include other sea life

[pourlamer]

Migaloo is back in Byron Bay, NSW!

These incredibly rare shots were taken by Australian photographer Craig Parry 

[seatrench]

Migaloo is an albino humpback whale,  usually sighted along the Australian coast,  and occasionally in New Zealand waters.  Migaloo was named by the Hervey Bay local aboriginal collective,  and it means “white fella”.  While several Humpback Whales have been spotted with almost 90% white pigment coverage,  Migaloo is the only documented albino.

(source)

[ska-ana]

After 17 days and 1,000 miles, mother orca Tahlequah drops her dead calf

Tahlequah, the mother orca whale whose plight captivated people around the world, is no longer carrying her calf.

[thelonelywhale]

Southern-resident killer whales lose newborn calf, and another youngster is ailing

One calf lost within half an hour, and another youngster is ailing in the critically endangered population of southern-resident killer whales.

Devastating news from the Center for Whale Research today: another newborn calf has died, born to 20-year old J35 Tahlequah. She was observed carrying her dead calf on her rostrum for hours.

Additionally, 4-year old J50 Scarlet is still looking very emaciated and underdeveloped. They will be testing breath samples to see if she is sick as well, as foul breath was observed recently from her.

This is just awful. These whales can’t take much more, we NEED to breach the Snake River Dams to restore chinook salmon numbers and get them food.

These are the Washington representatives that support the removal of the Snake River Dams. Call them. Email them. Tell them to keep fighting.

Patty Murray

Adam Smith

Pramila Jayapal

These are the Washington representatives that oppose the removal of the Snake River Dams. Call them. Email them. Give them hell.

Dan Newhouse

Jaime Hererra Beutler

Cathy McMorris Rodgers 

[x] [x]

[delphinidae-info]

Scientists published the first hearing tests on a wild population of healthy marine mammals. The tests on beluga whales in Bristol Bay, Alaska, revealed that the whales have sensitive hearing abilities and the number of animals that experienced extensive hearing losses was far less than what scientists had anticipated.

[a24matriline]

From right to left: A110, Magin(A71), and the four other members of the matriline

Photo credit: Nick Templeman Taken July 24 2015

[flukeprintphotography-deactivat]

Hearing reports of both humpbacks and killer whales out in Kachemak Bay right now…the whale watching season kicks off on June 2nd, just a couple more weeks to go!

This is a shot of male AX89 from July 2017.

[todropscience]

FIRST UNDERWATER FOOTAGE OF TRUE’S BEAKED WHALES

For the first time, researchers recorded the elusive True’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon mirus) in waters around the Azores and the Canary Islands (macaronesian ecoregion). This group was formed by three adult or sub-adult whales. Social behavior of this species is still unknown but the group seemed to dive in a coordinated manner, as has been observed in other species of beaked whales. Scientists took DNA samples, confirmating the occurrence of the True’s beaked whale at the southern limit of its distribution recorded in the northeast Atlantic, also they identified a new variety of coloration. The study is published in the journal PeerJ.

The recording of several observations of this species in deep but relatively coastal waters off the Azores and the Canary Islands suggests that these archipelagos may be unique locations to study the behaviour of the enigmatic True’s beaked whale.

- True’s beaked whale observed off Pico showing a pale blaze on the melon. Photo by Petra Szlama

Its distribution in the northern hemisphere is thought to be restricted to the temperate of the North Atlantic, while a few stranding records from the southern hemisphere, suggesting its absent in the tropics. No population estimates have been established on this species, but it is believed to be one of the rarest species of cetacean.

Beaked whales are one of the least known groups of mammals because of their deep-sea habitat. Only three to four of the 22 species are reasonably well-known. These cetaceans are extreme divers, Cuvier’s beaked whales has  the deepest foraging dive recorded with 137.5 minutes at 2,992 m.

Credit: Roland Edler via PeerJ Channel

Reference (Open Access) Aguilar de Soto et al., 2017.  True’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon mirus) in Macaronesia. PeerJ

[flukeprintphotography-deactivat]

Can sea otters tell the difference between resident killer whales and transient killer whales?

What you can’t see in this photo is that this male sea otter was surrounded by about a dozen or so killer whales. Luckily for him, these were residents, so they were only interested in salmon.

We do have mammal-eating transient killer whales in Kachemak Bay as well as residents, and I have been told that when the transients make an appearance, the sea otters make a mad dash for the nearest rocks to get out of the water.

This guy, however, was perfectly content in his seaweed wrap as the killer whales foraged around him. Can they distinguish residents from transients? I’d say it’s certainly possible. Studies have shown that harbor seals can detect differences in the calls of residents and transients and will only react upon hearing transients.

It’s certainly something worth investigating!

[teamcetaceans]

Why do people always assume whale/dolphin watching means boats? When I went to the moray firth I was like 2 or 3 metres from a dolphin at one point just by standing right on the shore. You can experience cetaceans up close without harassing them or going to somewhere like seaworld

[the-cetacean]

Type D Orcas (Nation Fish and Wildlife Foundation)

[prairieorca]

SUPERPOD

September 4, 2017.

Photos by Paul Pudwell. You can see the rest [here].

[prairieorca]

SRKW superpod (40+) inbound into Puget Sound today!

[x] [x]

First superpod of 2017. Better late than never!

[prairieorca]

Lots of calls on the Lime Kiln hydrophone right now: [x]

[cetacean-content]

To the people being hypocritical sorry asses, here are all the other facilities that are still operating and that owned SRKW:

US Navy Dudley Zoo, UK Marineland Antibes, France Kamogawa Sea World, Japan Marineland Ontario Miami Seaquarium Vancouver Aquarium

Let’s talk about them, aye? Stop being a hypocritical ass. If you’re going to complain about SeaWorld’s minimal efforts in SRKW conservation, complain about these parks too.

[derangedhyena-delphinidae]

You still keep using the word hypocritical incorrectly.

Seaworld is hypocritical. Seaworld says ‘we are good and helping endangered killer whales’, while not really having been, being, or doing that. That’s hypocrisy.

The absence of griping about places that had SRKW in the past? Not hypocrisy.

The entire 'point’ of these animals is supposedly educational public display. That display - in a relevant sense - is present at Seaworld and MSQ only.

I don’t know a single person who’s interested in SRKW conservation that isn’t mind-numbingly furious with MSQ for wasting Tokitae’s life like they have. There have been decades of discussion and attempts to do something. Especially after the extent of her health issues came to light, approximately 0 people should be all right with her situation. Strangely, many procaps - and Seaworld - remain a-ok with her being there.

MSQ also doesn’t really pretend it’s helping orcas, like Seaworld does.

VanAq, for all of its flaws, does actually have information about the SRKW and actionable conservation information online.

[teamcetaceans]

Cuddles was only at Dudley Zoo briefly, for 3 years, and was the only orca they ever displayed. He died in 1974. It’s pretty pointless to complain about something the company did 40 years ago. Dudley Zoo also had nothing to do with the capture of any orcas (or, as far as I know, Seaworld unlike some other UK companies that had orcas). There are other UK companies that talk about cetaceans and i’d honestly prefer that Dudley Zoo focused on animals it currently does have.

As for the others, the above answers well, or in the case of Japan and France it is very hard to campaign and get info from these places.

[californiatransients]

4/10/16 - Massive male orca CA24 returns to Monterey Bay, along with female CA180 and a male whose ID is still pending. First sighted in 1990 as an adult, CA24 is estimated to be over 40-45 years old, and is possibly the largest male in the CA community (along with CA60). His giant, wavy dorsal fin with with several distinct notches make him very easy to identify. Welcome back, big guy!

Photos by John Mayer, Daniel Bianchetta, and Jodi Frediani [x] [x] [x]

[volk-morya]

Bowhead whale and calf with a pair of Beluga whales by Corey Accardo for the NOAA.

[blackfishsound]

Photo by Nature’s Keeper Photography: Look at that face!! J54.