Posts by Katharina Khalife
Japanese whaling ships leave ports to hunt for whales
Two commercial whaling vessels departed on the 10th and 11th of June from the Japanese ports of Shimonoseki and Innoshima to kill up to 187 Bryde’s whales and 25 sei whales. Japan resumed commercial whaling three years ago after leaving the International Whaling Commission (IWC – the body that regulates whaling) and following widespread international…
Read MoreChristmas…how to get it wrapped without plastic
It’s that time of year again when there’s only one thing on most people’s minds – and in the shops, on the radio, everywhere you turn. Yes, we mean Christmas. And with Christmas comes presents, and presents means wrapping. Lots of wrapping… However, much of the wrapping paper and tape available on the high street…
Read MoreNZ government options for dolphins will be a CATastrophe
The New Zealand government is attempting to use a parasite spread by cats as an excuse to deflect from its failure to protect two of the most threatened native dolphin species in the country. Māui and Hector’s dolphins have declined dramatically due to net fishing over the last 50 years. There are fewer than 60…
Read MoreRare right whale song recorded for first time
Researchers in Alaska have documented the song of the North Pacific right whale. Most people know that humpback whales sing to each other, but now it turns out right whales have their own special songs as well. For the first time, marine biologists have recorded singing by the North Pacific right whale – one of…
Read MoreBeluga whales safely land in Iceland
Cargolux delivers Little Grey and Little White safely to Iceland on their way to the world’s first beluga whale sanctuary. Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) are happy to confirm the safe arrival of two beluga whales, Little Grey and Little White, after a 6,000 mile journey from China to Iceland. Little Grey and Little White…
Read MoreCalling all science, technology, engineering and mathematics fans!
To celebrate World Oceans Day today, WDC’s partners Mercury Learning have released another of their hugely popular STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics book bundles in support of our work to keep whales and dolphins safe and free. The bundle includes a range of STEM-themed eBooks including titles on 3D printing and particle physics worth…
Read MoreNew orca calf reported in endangered Southern Resident J pod
The Whale Centre in Tofino, British Columbia has revealed that a new calf has been spotted with an endangered orca population known as the Southern Residents. The Southern Resident orcas of the Pacific Northwest is a group of 75 individuals, the only orca population listed as endangered in the U.S. As part of the Orca…
Read MoreA next-generation plastic that can be recycled again and again
A team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has designed a recyclable plastic. Like a Lego playset, it can be disassembled into its constituent parts at the molecular level. It can then be reassembled into a different shape, texture, and colour again and again without loss of performance or…
Read MorePlay games and save whales – Gamers for Orcas event returns in March
WDC’s gaming challenge Gamers for Orcas is back for a third time in 2019, this year with a brand new warm-up event! Why not challenge friends or colleagues to a tournament, try beating your own personal best score, or even grab your PJs and set yourself up for an all-nighter with a 12 or 24…
Read MoreStranded whale had 6 kg of plastic inside their body
A dead sperm whale who washed up on a beach in Indonesia this week was found to have nearly 6kg of plastic inside their body. Whale Stranding Indonesia posted the news online, reporting that “soft plastic, hard plastic, plastic bags, plastic cups, bottled drinks, sandals and raffia” were among the items retrieved from the carcass.…
Read More