Posts Tagged ‘Humpback whale’
Claiming Success Too Soon Could Result in Serious Failure
NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service has claimed the endangered species act (ESA) a success for humpback whales worldwide; I too agree that the ESA has provided humpbacks the protection they needed after nearly being decimated by commercial whaling, but the story isn’t all that simple. A delisting at this time would be premature and humpback whales are now facing a whole new…
Read MoreRare white whale spotted in New Zealand
A rare white (albino) humpback whale has been spotted off the coast of New Zealand. The New Zealand Department of Conservation (DoC) whale survey sighted the whale, thought to be one of just four in the world, in Cook Strait, between the North and South Islands. It is thought that the whale may be Migaloo,…
Read MoreIn Loving Memory – Spinnaker
R.I.P. Spinnaker, 2004 – 2015 Born in the warm waters of the West Indies during the winter of 2004, Spinnaker spent her first year of life by her mother’s side. Having survived the 1500 mile swim to her summer home in the Gulf of Maine, Spinnaker quickly learned how and where to find food…
Read MoreOrca Watch in Scotland
For the past few days, as part of its Shorewatch programme, WDC has been participating in the annual Orca Watch in Caithness in the very north of Scotland. The event is run at this time of year to coincide with peak sightings of orcas that visit the Caithness coastline and the Northern Isles of Shetland…
Read MoreRare humpback whale spotted in English Channel
A humpback whale, believed to be young, has been spotted in one of the world’s busiest shipping routes in the English Channel. The sighting is so unusual that fears have grown concerning the whale’s health or potential to strand on the shore. The humpback whale is one of the most energetic of the large whales…
Read MorePossible illegal Humpback hunt in Haiti reported
Reports have come into WDC regarding an incident in Haiti involving a humpback whale. It appears that a small humpback whale in poor health has been harpooned by local fishermen in north Haiti near Fort Liberte, approximately 9 km west of the border with the Dominican Republic. The disoriented whale entered the shallow bay at…
Read MoreGuest review of a new book on culture in whales and dolphins
I have pleasure in introducing another guest blog by Icelander and WDC friend, Kris Hjalmarsson, who reviews a brand new book exploring ‘culture’ in whales and dolphins. As a frequent visitor to the WDC website, I feel fortunate that I have been given this opportunity to post my review of a recently-released book, The Cultural…
Read MoreCelebrating amazing orca and humpback images from Norway
I have the pleasure of introducing another guest blog from long-term WDC supporter and volunteer speaker, Clare McEnally. Clare’s relationship with WDC began 16 years ago when she went dolphin watching with her family in Scotland. Clare currently lives in Norway and is studying the Norwegian language with the longer term aim of studying for a masters…
Read MoreNorth Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalog Adds 8,000th Identified Whale!
WDC Senior Intern Kate McPherson has spent two summers with WDC cataloguing humpback whales. As a seasoned photo-ID researcher, we asked her to blog about the 8,000th whale added to the North Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalogue. Her thoughts are below. Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s colleagues at Allied Whale have recently entered the 8,000th individual to…
Read MoreShorewatch’s September Big Watch Weekend
After a fantastic season it’s time for Shorewatch’s bi-annual Big Watch Weekend: 12th, 13th and 14th September. During this weekend our dedicated Shorewatchers layer up and anchor themselves to their Shorewatch sites, with the aim of completing as many Shorewatches as possible. We will then be able to see what is going on at that exact…
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