Posts by Danny Groves
Stunning new whale watching venue to be built in Norway
New plans to open a huge, land-based whale watching attraction in Norway will promote the amazing opportunities see whales in Norway but could also help change the opinions of some Norwegians who still support whale hunting in the region. The stunning looking building will sit right on the shore around 300km north of the…
Read MoreInfamous ‘whale jail’ now empty
Reports from Russia suggest the notorious whale jail in Srednyaya bay in Far East Russia is now, finally, empty of whales. The 11 orcas and 87 belugas were initially captured last year for sale to Chinese marine park facilities and were placed into a collection of small sea pens in waters near Nakhodka that became…
Read MoreLost Sowerby’s beaked whale suffered slow and painful death
A female Sowerbys beaked whale found dead on a beach at Gullane, on the outskirts of Edinburgh must have suffered a painful and slow death say experts after a post mortem confirmed rope embedded deep into her skin and blubber, and severe dorsal fluke damage. The lost whale was first reported on Muirfield Beach on…
Read MoreAre right whales ‘whispering’ to avoid predators?
A new study published in the journal Biology Letters, has revealed that North Atlantic right whales alter their calls to their young in order to protect them from predators. Normally right whales use a rising call or ‘whoop’ sound to communicate with each other but, according to the latest research, right whale mothers will ‘whisper’ to…
Read MoreFinancial worth of whales revealed
Policymakers and economists at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have placed a substantial value on the benefits of having healthy whales in the ocean. The report looks at the economic benefits whales provide to industries such as ecotourism, and also the environmental benefits (such as how much carbon they remove from the atmosphere by absorbing…
Read MoreAntibiotic resistance in dolphins mirrors trend seen in humans
Samples collected from dolphins by scientists over a 12 year period indicate that dolphins may be mirroring the trend in human resistance to antibiotic drugs. Researchers looked at the samples from bottlenose dolphins living in the Indian River Lagoon in Florida between 2003 and 2015 and found that nearly 90% of the 733 samples taken…
Read MoreCanada to move two captive belugas to theme park in Spain
Two captive beluga whales are to be moved from the Marineland theme park in Canada to a Spanish facility, despite the Canadian government recently banning live imports and exports of these marine mammals, and the capture of wild whales, dolphins and porpoises for aquaria. The Canadian Fisheries Minister approved the permits for the move under exceptions…
Read MoreWDC in talks with New Zealand‘s Minister for Conservation over dolphin protection
WDC team meets NZ Minister for Conservation Representatives from Whale and Dolphin Conservation have met with New Zealand’s Minister for Conservation, Eugenie Sage to discuss much-needed protection for Māui and Hector’s dolphins. The meeting was secured as part of WDC’s campaign to save these dolphins (collectively known as New Zealand dolphins) and took place as the…
Read MoreFirst Bryde’s whale auction held after Japan resumes commercial hunts
An auction of Bryde’s whale meat has taken place in Japan, the first since the Japanese government decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (the body that regulates whale hunting) several months ago, and ignore the current international ban on commercial hunts. Around 70 Bryde’s whales have been caught in the sea south of Aichi…
Read MoreMicroplastics found in brains of crabs is cause for alarm
Researchers at the University of Brighton have carried out the world’s first study into microplastics in the brains of a crustacean species, which could have wider implications for other marine creatures like whales and dolphins. After feeding polystyrene fluorescent microplastic spheres to mussels, the researchers then fed these mussels to velvet swimming crabs. The stomach,…
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