Taiji - 1st 2 months

Picture taken from I Love Dolphins facebook page

On November 1, Ceta-Base (the online database for marine mammals) reported:

"2012/2013 Drive Fisheries page has been updated.
Since the start of the season on September 1st, 2012 a total of 407 dolphins from four species have been driven into the cove in Taiji, Japan. Of this total 156 were killed, 221 were released and 28 were live-capture, two additional animals died (one pilot whale after live-capture and one incidental death of a bottlenose following a drive). Species captured, sold & killed include: Bottlenose Dolphins (T. gilli), Risso's Dolphins (G. griseus), Short-finned Pilot Whale (G. macrorhynchus) and Striped Dolphins (S. coeruleoalba)."

This story made it to ABC news in San Francisco on Wednesday.  It's so good to see these horrible events getting more national attention.  Check it out

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news%2Fiteam&id=8877991

The 2012-2013 quota in Taiji is 2,089 marine mammals.  Let's hope they aren't able to reach that number!

There have not been any killings in the past two days.  The Cove runs blue.

This hunt continues through March, but it's never too late to fight.  

To sign the petition, CLICK HERE

Spade-Toothed Beaked Whale - Who Knew?

(Photo: New Zealand Department of Conservation via AP)

Who knew in 2010 when a whale and her calf beached themselves in New Zealand that a new species would be discovered?  Thought to be another species, the whales were buried in the sand.  Only recently, DNA samples were done to show that this was a new species.

Previously, this species was only speculated from two skull fragments and a mandible until DNA tests were done on the beached whales.  In the latest issue of Current Biology, it was revealed that the Spade-Toothed Beaked Whale is indeed the rarest whale, and one of the most rare living mammals, in the world.  The whales will be dug out of the sand for further testing.

The Spade-Toothed Beaked Whale species is thought to dive deep, feeding mainly on squid, however it is difficult to know for sure since there has never been a sighting in the wild.

It makes you wonder what else is out there that has yet to be discovered.

Taiji Update

For those of you who are new followers, every year in a small, hidden cove in Taiji Japan, bottle-nosed and Risso dolphins as well as pilot whales are driven in by fisherman using large metal poles banging on the sides of their boats.

Once in the coves, they are netted and await their fate for sometimes days at a time.  A chosen few are taken for a life of captivity in various waterparks while the others are brutally slaughtered, left to bleed to death, for their meat.

This hunt goes on from September through May.

On Halloween, a pod of approximately 100 pilot whales were driven into the cove.  After being netted overnight in close quarters after a stressful drive, 15 of the whales were killed.  The others waited again, some watching their own family members being murdered in front of their eyes swimming in their blood.  Later they were released.

By this time, the pod was stressed, injured, confused and hungry.  A calf had been drowned in the net and another was found floating outside the cove.  They were clearly not able to handle this type of abuse.

This morning, another pod of Risso dolphins have been driven into the Cove.  Two were quickly taken for a life of captivity, a newborn calf was released with no mother, and the rest were slaughtered.

It's time for this to end!

Please consider signing the petition below:
http://www.takepart.com/actions/cove-help-save-japans-dolphins

The Voices of Ocean Advocate say Thanks

Today I am participating in the "I'm Thankful For My Readers" Blog Hop brought to you by 
Vikki and Tara Tyler

The Rules are:
1.Sign up on the linky list
2. Post thanks to your readers on your blog between Monday November 5 (anytime) and Wednesday November 7 by 1700 UK/1200 Midday EST US time.
3. If you don’t have a CP and you would like, go ahead and post a ‘personals’ ad.
4. Be CREATIVE. Write a letter, a piece of flashfiction, a haiku, poem, or vlog. It can take whatever form you like. We’d like it if you kept it under 300 words but won’t be counting.
5. You don’t have to name your readers though do if you want, and feel free to link to them.
6. Hop around and comment on other people’s!

My thanks is coming from the many cetacean voices that inspire me to keep Ocean Advocates going. Here's what they have to say...

Taiji Dolphins - 
Every year in a small community of Japan, fisherman bang on their boats to confuse us and drive us into a cove out of sight.  It's very scary with them making so much noise and we have no idea what's going on.  Once they have us there, they hold us in the cove with nets, sometimes for days at a time.  No food, no room to play, and very stressful.
After days, sometimes boats come in and take our children, mothers or fathers away from us by themselves. They haul them off and say something about using them in a show.  It's scary and sad to be left alone.
Later, more boats come in with spears and stab repeatedly.  We cry out as we bleed to death, leaving the cove in blood.
That is why I am thankful for the readers of Ocean Advocate.  If you want to help us, consider signing the petition HERE


Lolita
I was captured off the coast of Washington in 1970 and brought to Miami Seaquarium soon after where I have remained ever since.  At least 13 members of my family were killed during the capture.  I also live in the oldest and smallest tank in North America, only one-and-a -half times my size.
I'm 43 years old and have been in captivity for 40 years.  For those first three years of my life, I swam great distances every day.  Now it's a struggle to even turn around in my small tank.  
Since the rest of my family still in the wild were listed as endangered species, there are several groups trying to get me out of here.  It would be amazing to see my family again where I can hunt for my own food without having to do tricks in order to eat.
I'm thankful for the readers of Ocean Advocate who care about me and try to help me go home.
If you want to help me, CLICK HERE

Morgan
I was found in June 2010 swimming alone off the coast of the Netherlands.  I was sick and underweight, so a group rescued me and took me to Dolphinarium Harderwijk.  For a year, they nursed me back to health.
I was feeling better, but they wouldn't let me go home.  Instead, in November 2011 they moved me to Loro Parque to be with other orcas.  Now they won't let me go.  I have to perform in shows and the other orcas are mean to me.  They keep me in a tank that's only 7 by 20 meters. It's the smallest captivity tank in the world.
They found my family.  They can tell it's them by the sounds they make.  Oh, I only wish I could hear those sounds and see them again!
If you want to help me, CLICK HERE

Tillikum, AKA Tilly
I was captured off the coast of Iceland almost 40 years ago.  First they brought me to SeaLand in Canada.  One day I was bored from swimming circles in my little tank and thought I would have some fun.  One of the humans who is always "playing" with me got close and I grabbed her and pulled her underwater until she wasn't breathing anymore.  She plays with me, so I figured I could play back.
The next thing I knew, I was being moved to SeaWorld in Orlando.  At SeaWorld, the female whales are always picking on me.  If I am with them, they gang up and hurt me.  Otherwise, I am by myself and lonely.
In July 1999, some guy was still hanging around late at night.  Nobody saw me do it, but I had a little fun and he died too.
In February 2010 I was playing again and got carried away.  I get bored very easy and I am lonely always by myself.  I guess I was too excitable that day, so when the trainer's hair got too close, I grabbed her and took her deep into the pool.  I kept dunking her and slamming her around like a toy, since they never give me anything else to play with.  
I'm much bigger than the other orcas here at SeaWorld and everyone is scared of me.  They only let me come out to splash everyone during the shows.  Otherwise, everyone is afraid.  I am going crazy in this place and it's even worse now that everyone is mad at me and isn't allowed around me.  I hate this place.  It makes me angry and then I get in trouble when I do anything about it.  I just want to go home.
If you can help me, CLICK HERE

Although Ocean Advocates promotes and discusses many others, these are the ones that are most often talked about here.  They all want to thank Ocean Advocate readers for caring enough about them to read and learn more.

Operation Zero Tolerance

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society launches Operation Zero Tolerance today.  It is the 9th annual campaign to stop Japanese whales from illegal acts in the Southern Ocean.  

For the past 9 years, Sea Shepherd has stopped Japanese Whalers from making tens of millions of dollars in revenue from these illegal killings, and this year they are more ready than ever.

With four vessels this year (Steve Irwin, Bob Barker, Brigitte Bardot and the new Sam Simon), Sea Shepherd plans to meet the Japanese in the North Pacific off of Japan instead of in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.  

The Sam Simon, named after the television producer and wildlife advocate, will wait in the Southern Ocean in case the Japanese fleet gets by the other ships on the way.

According to Captain Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd has never been stronger.  The objective of Operation Zero Tolerance is to economically sink the Japanese whaling fleet, bankrupting them.  The Japanese are currently surviving on the massive allocations of relief funds from the tsunami in 2011.  Couldn't these funds have been better used elsewhere in Japan?

Ocean acoustics and Taiji Update

According to a story by Jon Bardin, Industrial whaling seems to have an unexpected consequence.  The oceans are quieter.

Last week at the annual meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Kansas City, Mo, research was presented that the volume in the ocieans has been "turned down".

The effects of man-made sound underwater is a topic of concern for marine researchers.  The sounds made by anything from speedboats to submarine sonar may be disrupting animals' acoustical landscape, making it difficult for them to migrate, hunt and mate.

However in  a new study by Michael Stocker and Tom Reuterdahl of Ocean Conservation Research in Lagunitas, CA, the oceans were actually louder in the past because of whale vocalizations.  According to the researchers, the waters in the Northern Atlantic in the early 19th century would have sounded as loud as a rock concert, measuring as high as 126 decibels.

With more human-made sounds with different acoustical properties, today's quieter oceans post a serious threat to underwater life.

Sea Shepherd Cove Guardian Nicole McLachlan's blog post

Things have been grim in Taiji for the past couple days.  Wednesday approximately 100 pilot whales were herded into the cove.  Wednesday, after a night of being forced into cramped nets following inhumanely being confused into the cove with banger boats, skiffs came in.  A few selected larger whales were dragged out of sight by their tails while the rest remained.  After the fisherman returned with the lifeless bodies of the chosen ones, the others were released.  By then, they were hungry, confused and injured.

Sadly it was reported that a baby was caught in the nets and died by her mother's side.  Another was spotted floating after the release, presumably too stressed, weak and hungry to carry on.

Check out Nicole's post above for the details.

Antarctica???

Sea World Orlando announced yesterday that they are raising ticket prices again immediately for the second time in 4 months.  This is all in anticipation of their new attraction:

Antarctica - Empire of the Penguin

SeaWorld claims that this will be the coldest theme park attraction in the world and the largest expansion in the park's history.  However it comes at a cost.

Ticket prices are being raised by over $4/day up to $89 for a single day, the same as Disney and Universal
Annual passes are being raised by over $30

Is this an attempt to deter attention from the fact that they still continue "breeding programs" of whales and dolphins for "public viewing"?  Or in anticipation to pay for the beluga whales that could potentially be imported Russia by the Georgia Aquarium?  Although they have had a penguin exhibit for a long time, will there be additional penguins added to the attraction?  If so, where did they come from?

In the video above, the display shows a very up-close-and-personal experience with the penguins.  I can't help but wonder how this will effect them.

Disney Dolphins

I live in the Orlando area so I am close to Disney and Sea World Orlando. 
Last week I was able to go to Epcot for the day to enjoy their annual Food and Wine Festival.  While I was there, we stopped in The Living Seas exhibit.  

This exhibit houses two large aquariums of sharks, sea turtles, many fish and several dolphins.  The sign above is hanging by the dolphin exhibit.  I was at the exhibit a couple months ago also while they were having one of these "research activities".  It included having the dolphins choose a given color that the "research team" called out to them.  Of course, the dolphins were correct in choosing the color.  DUH!  But...in the wild, will they ever have to choose a color for food?  NO!  Then why here???

This past week, this is what I saw.  (Sorry for the grainy picture but it was getting dark and the dolphin was at the far end of the aquarium)

In case you can't see it, there is a dolphin just hanging vertical against the wall.  He was in the same position the entire time we were there!

There are a couple petitions to try and release these dolphins.  The tank has absolutely no stimulation and you can almost see the boredom in their eyes.

Check these out:

Change.org/freethedisneydolphins

http://www.freethedisneydolphins.org