Posts Tagged ‘science’
Fossil discovery suggests ancient whale hunted other whales
New findings published this week suggest an ancient whale that lived millions of years ago may have included the young of another whale species as prey. Discovered in 2010 the whale, known as Basilosaurus isis, lived during the late Euocene period around 35 million years ago. Up to 18 metres in length, it had a…
Read MoreLast chance to see pink river dolphins?
I was lucky enough to go on the trip of a lifetime recently, to the rainforest of Peru. I’d been planning for this trip for a long time, scraping together any spare cash over the years and finally, I got my chance. Working in the fundraising team at WDC we often talk about all the…
Read MoreLooking out for dolphins and porpoises in Wales
Have you ever fancied yourself as a dolphin researcher? If you think you’ve got what it takes, you could join us on the remote Welsh island of Bardsey (Ynys Enlli) next year. I have just returned from Bardsey Island with my colleague Pine Eisfeld-Pierantonio. We spent the last two weeks of August looking out for…
Read MoreHow long do bottlenose dolphins survive in captivity?
We were happy to host Zoology student, Grace Long for a two week placement at our UK headquarters, in March. Grace is a student at the University of Exeter and she’s keen to get into whale and dolphin research and conservation. She joined our End Captivity team during her time with us and took on…
Read MoreTwo white whales sighted off Australia and New Zealand
White whales are very rare, but in the last couple of days there have been sightings off both New Zealand and Australia. An adult white humpback whale, possibly the famous whale known as Migaloo, has been seen off the coast of Gisborne on New Zealand’s North Island. Meanwhile, off Lennox Head in New South Wales,…
Read MoreStudy reveals how smart dolphins get more snacks
The importance of considering whales and dolphins as individuals, each with their own personalities, experiences and strategies has been highlighted by a study of interactions between dolphins and fishermen off the beaches of Laguna, in Brazil published in the journal Animal Behaviour. At various locations in Laguna, between 10 to 20 dolphins will herd fish to where the…
Read MoreBelugas may have changed eating habits to survive
According to a study by University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers, beluga whales in Alaska’s Cook Inlet may have changed their diet over five decades from saltwater prey to freshwater fish and crustaceans in a bid to survive. Information gained from the analysis beluga bone and teeth has shown that the belugas formerly fed on prey…
Read MoreRare white orca returns
Colleagues from the Far East Russian Orca Project (FEROP) have encountered one of the rare white orcas off the Commander Islands, about 100 miles off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. The orca, known as Mama Tanya, was last seen in 2010. Research indicates that between 5-8 orcas in this population may be white…
Read MoreNew season looking out for Risso's dolphins
I was on an early morning beach dog walk on Monday, our first day back on the Isle of Lewis this year when I saw a fin slice out of the water in the quiet, still bay in front of our accommodation. I held my breath. Not just any fin, but a Risso’s dolphin! We…
Read MoreBlue whales in New Zealand found to be genetically distinct
Blue whales have long been known to frequent the waters around New Zealand but now scientists have discovered that the whales living between the North and South islands appear to be a genetically distinct population. A survey in 2014 by a team from the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University identified around 50 blue…
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