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Orcas stalk Alaskan fishermen for easy meal

Orcas stalk Alaskan fishermen for easy meal

Fishermen from Alaska heading for the Bering Sea are having to cope with pods of orcas feeding on their catch before it can be hauled onboard. Halibut and black cod are caught using longlines but the orcas are capable of stripping a whole line clean, sometimes just leaving the habibut lips on the hooks. Orcas…

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Possible lifeline for threatened orcas in Russia

According to a draft order from the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, an orca ecotype known as Bigg’s (or transient) orcas, who roam across vast areas in the waters of Russia’s Far East will be given their own entry in the Russian Red Book – a document that lists rare and endangered species. The draft order…

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The return of Iceberg, the all-white killer whale

Last week, I reported that after five years, Iceberg, the big all white male killer whale has been resighted by WDC’s Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP) team.  Iceberg is still travelling with his family of fish-eating orcas – 12 or 13 orcas in his pod, all except him normal looking. He’s now at least…

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Four orcas trapped in ice rescued

Four orcas, including a young calf, who had become trapped in ice near Sakhalin Island just metres from the shoreline have been successfully freed. Rescuers, along with volunteers from the local community, worked together to break up the ice and initially two females and a calf were able to escape. The team then had to…

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More orcas captured in the Okhotsk Sea, Russia—When will it stop?

Three orcas (killer whales) have been captured in the Okhotsk Sea in the Russian Far East, according to sources at the Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP). The first one, captured in early July, was moved through Sakhalinsky Bay on July 15, 2015. Since then, two more have been captured, also thought to have been caught in…

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Captive orcas held in horrific conditions

Disturbing news is coming out of Russia that two orcas, Narnia and another unnamed male, both captured from the wild in 2012 and 2013, respectively, are currently being held in cramped conditions in a makeshift rusty tank as delays to the opening of Moscow’s new VDNKh Oceanarium continue. The orcas were flown to Moscow last…

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Russian quota issued for 10 more orca captures

What now for Russian orcas? Following the news that two orcas were captured in the Okhotsk Sea, Russia, we now have the announcement of the 2014 quota allowing potential captors to apply for permits to catch 10 more orcas. Actually, usually the quota and the permit process happen before the actual captures, but this is Russia. …

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Russian Orca Captures: The Inside Story

Eight killer whales have been taken from the wild in the Russian Far East in the last year, seven of them since August. They are being held in small pools near Vladivostok and are awaiting their fate. The news, as revealed on the russianorca facebook page run by a group of Russian killer whale researchers, has prompted…

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