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Dominica announces new protections for sperm whales

Dominica has placed almost 800 square kilometers of sea off the west coast of the...
Commerson's dolphin

New Important Marine Mammal Areas added to global ocean conservation list

Commerson's dolphin Experts from a number of countries have mapped out a new set of...
Vaquita. Photo Thomas Jefferson

Scientific Committee gives first ever official species extinction warning

Photo: Thomas Jefferson We have welcomed the urgent call by experts to protect the vaquita...
blue whale

Whale fossil from Peru may have been heavier than blue whale

Scientists examining the bones of a 39 million-year-old ancient whale have concluded that it may...

Sixth Calf born to Southern Residents

This week, the Center for Whale Research reported another new calf in J pod, seen swimming with presumed Mother J17 (Princess Angeline).  This latest new arrival, designated J53, is the third new baby in J pod in 2015, and the sixth overall within the last year.  He or she joins other J pod calves J50 (born December 2014), J51, and J52; and two new L pod calves L121 and L122.  The first year of life can be difficult for new orca calves, with a mortality rate of approximately 50%.  So far, all the new additions seem to be doing well, and the four who have made it past the six-month mark have been given names by the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor: J50 (Scarlet), J51 (Nova), J52 (Sonic), and L121 (Windsong).  Birth rates in the Southern Resident community fluctuate between years and has been shown to be closely correlated with the coastwide abundance of their primary prey, Chinook salmon.  Prior to this year, the Southern Residents had not had a suriving calf since 2012, and have had a nearly two-to-one death-to-birth ratio in recent years.