Whaling News Spring 2016 - Cetacean Society International

Transcription

Vol. XXV No. 1
A publication of Cetacean Society International
Spring 2016
Whaling News Spring 2016
By Heather Rockwell, CSI Representative to International Whaling Commission
In late October, the 66th Annual Meeting of the
International Whaling Commission (IWC) will
convene in Portoroz, Slovenia. As we look ahead to
another showdown with the whalers this fall, here is
what they have been up to so far this year.
When the Commission last met in Portoroz in 2014
(IWC/65), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had
ruled that Japan’s scientific research program in the
Antarctic was actually not scientific and was therefore
illegal. Some of us in the conservation community
hoped this would signal an end to Japan’s relentless
slaughter of minke whales in the Southern Ocean
Sanctuary, especially after they announced the
suspension of their 2014/2015 Antarctic hunt.
However, Japan started putting down markers soon
after IWC/65 that they would be returning to their
southern killing grounds. They submitted a new
“scientific research” proposal to the Commission
before the end of 2014 (NEWREP-A or JARPAIII)
with the intent to lethally take 333 minke whales
annually starting in late 2015. Unfortunately, Japan’s
whaling fleet set sail in December 2015 for Antarctica
to kill minke whales – which is in complete disregard
of the Commission’s recommendations that all new
proposals must be considered by the full Commission
prior to a permit being issued, and of advice from
scientists of the IWC Scientific Committee who stated
that lethally taking whales for this research is not
necessary. It seems that despite international
condemnation and scientific skewering of their bogus
research program, Japan will continue to do whatever
they want without any repercussions.
In interesting news out of Iceland, Kristjan
Loftsson, the owner of Iceland’s only fin whaling
company Hvalur, announced that there would be no
hunting of fin whales this summer in the North
Atlantic. With thousands of tons of frozen fin whale
meat sitting in Japan and at least one shipment of fin
whale meat returned to Iceland due to findings of high
levels of toxins, Loftsson blamed it all on problems
with Japan's slow, cumbersome, outdated food safety
regulations. Although minke whale meat in Iceland is
marketed and sold mainly to tourists, fin whale meat
is sold and exported exclusively to Japan, where
diminishing interest and demand are most certainly
contributing to Loftsson's problems and this temporary
halt to fin whaling. Upon hearing Loftsson's
announcement, the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik called
on Iceland to cease all commercial whaling operations.
Let's hope the U.S. government maintains this strong
stance against Iceland.
And finally, a look at Norway, where government
subsidies are keeping the diminishing commercial
minke whaling industry afloat. Despite Japan's
rejection of imported Norwegian minke whale meat
tainted with high levels of pesticide in 2015, Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan recently met with one
of Norway’s parliament members to discuss
cooperation on fisheries issues, including whaling.
Clearly, Japan is looking for Norway to support their
scientific whaling program in exchange for Japan
supporting Norway's commercial whaling program.
BREAKING NEWS: As this issue of Whales
Alive! went to press, we received the horrific news that
Japan’s Antarctic whaling fleet had returned early to
the port of Shimonoseki with its full quota of 333
minke whales, of which 200 were pregnant females.
This slaughter in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary of
breeding females is senseless, shameful and completely
unscientific.
Whales Alive! • Spring 2016 • Published by Cetacean Society International • Page 2
Whale Watching 101
By Cynde McInnis
Whale watch season is upon us!!! Early reports are that
humpback, fin and right whales are in and around
Massachusetts Bay!! At Cape Ann Whale Watch, in
Gloucester, MA, the season begins in mid-April and we
are very much looking forward to it.
For most of the year, there are whales off the coast of
MA. During spring, summer and fall, humpback whales
make the nutrient and food-rich water their feeding
grounds. In the winter, the humpbacks head south — many
to the Dominican Republic and other areas in the West
Indies. In the warmer, calmer and more protected water,
females give birth to their calves and fatten them up for
their migration north. Males are often competing for
females and singing — something scientists are still
seeking explanations for.
The past few years, there has also been an increased
sighting of humpbacks around Virginia Beach between
December and March. Sometimes they are seen feeding,
so perhaps these are animals that don’t make the long
migration to the breeding grounds? Each humpback has a
black and white pattern on the underside of its tail that is
Whales Alive!
A publication of Cetacean Society International
Editor: Brent S. Hall
CSI is an all-volunteer, non-profit, tax-exempt
organization with contacts in over 25 countries. Our
mission is to advocate for and protect cetaceans from
harm and harassment, to increase public awareness,
and preserve their well-being and that of the marine
environment. We support and promote benign activities
such as regulated whale watching, nonlethal and
humane research, and widespread educational,
environmental programs relating to free-roaming
cetaceans internationally. Our ultimate objective is the
global acceptance of peaceful coexistence and mutual
enrichment for both humans and cetaceans.
Cetacean Society International
65 Redding Rd-0953, Georgetown, CT 06829-0953
Phone: 203-770-8615 Fax: 860-561-0187
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web: csiwhalesalive.org
CSI is a member of WhaleNet
President: David Kaplan Esq.
Vice President: Cynde McInnis
Secretary: George A. Upton
Treasurer: Rachel DeCavage
Executive Director: William W. Rossiter
as unique as our fingerprints. The researchers at the
Virginia Aquarium are collecting photo ID’s of these
individual animals to help figure out where they are coming
from, and if they are seen in other locations over the course
of the winter. As of the 2015 season, there have been
humpbacks matched to the Gulf of Maine, Newfoundland,
the Gulf of the St. Lawrence and Silver Bank (Dominican
Republic). Seventeen humpbacks have been seen in
multiple seasons. We look forward to hearing about how
many new whales were sighted in 2016!
Along with the humpbacks, Massachusetts Bay is also
home to fin and minke whales in the spring, summer and
fall, but not as much is known about their whereabouts in
the winter. Fin whales have been seen off the coast of
Virginia in the winter, although typically a little further
offshore than the humpbacks. Whether they are passing
through or there to hang out is still somewhat of a mystery.
Right whales usually arrive in Massachusetts Bay
sometime after the New Year. Females and new calves
spend part of the winter off the Southeast United States
(Georgia and Florida). In the past couple years, a
significant number of males and non-reproductive females
have been spotted on Jordan Basin in the Gulf of Maine.
It’s thought that that might be an important place for right
whales in the winter. Sometime between early January and
mid-late May, they come to Massachusetts and the Great
South Channel (SE of MA) to feed on the rich abundance
of copepods — a small zooplankton that is the basis of their
diet. Finally, in the summer they tend to move towards the
Bay of Fundy — although in the past couple years, fewer
whales have been sighted there. Is that because of climate
change? At this point, we don’t know. For the most part,
researchers aren’t even sure where the roughly 500 whales
have been in the summer. There have been scattered
sightings in unusual places like the St. Lawrence River, but
time and more research will paint a better picture of what
is happening.
Whale watching out of Gloucester typically takes us
to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
Designated in 1992, it’s a place of natural significance with
over 500 species of plants and animals found there. The
basis is Stellwagen Bank, an underwater plateau roughly
19 miles long and 100 feet deep that helps create a “soup”
of plankton, the bottom of the food chain. Plankton attracts
fish, which in turn attracts whales, dolphins, porpoises,
sharks, turtles and birds in the spring, summer and fall.
Whale watch season begins April 16 and ends the last day
in October. People often ask about the best time to go. To
be honest, we can only tell you the best time to have gone
(but not until the end of the season.) There really isn’t a
difference between morning and afternoon either in terms
of whales, but there are typically less people in the
morning. The weather is nicest in July and August (warm
and calm), but we can have those beautiful, flat-calm days
in any month. If you do decide to come, here are a couple
suggestions.
• Bring a sweatshirt. Believe it or not, even when it’s
90 degrees on land, we often put a layer on at sea.
• Bring your camera. But, don’t watch the whales
through your lens the whole time. Take a minute to enjoy
them with your eyes!
• Wear good shoes. This isn’t a fancy place; please
leave your heels at home!
• If you have children, bring a coloring book or activity.
We have 3-5 educators on every trip, and we will do our
best to entertain and educate you while going to and from
the whales, but it’s always nice to have something else to
do!
We hope to see you sometime this summer!!
CONNY's Corner
By Patricia Sullivan
Are cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) safer
in captivity than in the wild? A ludicrous question?
Perhaps, but one that should direct our attention to the state
of our planet, and of caretaking and stewardship of captive,
non-human animals.
Anti-captivity and animal rights advocates,
shareholders, and organizations such as all-volunteer
nonprofit Cetacean Society International have cause to
celebrate following the March 17 announcement about the
partnership between SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment
and the Humane Society of the US to end captive orca
breeding and phase out theatrical orca whale shows. Chief
executive officer and president Joel Manby wrote an Op-Ed
piece in the Los Angeles Times asserting the rationale for
the unprecedented, historic shift: “Americans' attitudes
about orcas have changed dramatically…now we need to
respond to the attitudinal change that we helped to create…”
This monumental move to transform SeaWorld’s
business model is worthy of praise and commemoration
as, according to Manby, the remaining orcas “… will be
the last generation of orcas in SeaWorld's care.” Wildcaptured or born in captivity, Manby promises the more
than twenty SeaWorld orcas will continue to “receive the
highest-quality care, based on the latest advances in marine
veterinary medicine, science and zoological best
practices…” SeaWorld is an undeniable force for good in
rescue operations, one of the largest in the world, and has
committed to increase the work and focus in this area so
that stranded marine mammals receive rehabilitation and
care. Stocks have risen since the announcement.
Well-deserved congratulations aside, skeptics express
relentless concern about the remaining marine mammals
in captivity including but not limited to dolphins and
belugas, and remind the world of the four people killed and
100+ aggressive acts by captive orcas, the innumerable
animals who have died in capture and captivity (only 20
of the 145 wild orcas taken into captivity are alive today);
sinking SeaWorld stock prices since the release of the
documentary Blackfish, failed pregnancies and premature
births/deaths, the captive orcas around the world, for
example, wild caught Kiska in Canada; Morgan in Loro
Parque, Spain; Kshamenk in Mundo Marino, Argentina;
Lolita at Miami Seaquarium (deemed most eligible for
release to a more natural environment by experts) – and
most regrettable, the imminent death of beloved and
infamous Tilikum, who, at the time of this writing,
languishes in a med pool in SeaWorld Orlando,
unresponsive to treatment for a bacterial lung infection.
Little has been reported about SeaWorld’s expansion into
the Asian and Middle East markets, but the probability is
troubling.
Nevertheless, partnerships, collaborations and progress
in captive animal care are to be applauded. Globally,
groups and individuals have been working tirelessly in
anticipation of the retirement of eligible orcas to a
sanctuary or sea pen facility. Millions continue to call for
the end of orca captivity, full stop. SeaWorld’s
announcement is certainly a positive step forward, but it
would be wise to also use this momentum to move toward
education about and activism for protection of our planet’s
dwindling natural resources, as Manby claims will be done:
“…we are partnering with the Humane Society of the
United States, the nation's largest and most effective animal
protection and advocacy organization. Together, we will
work against commercial whaling and seal hunts, shark
finning and ocean pollution.”
The scope of work in animal protection and
environmental advocacy is massive. Again, Manby joins
environmentalists and advocates by acknowledging the
need for education, energy and difficult decisions “… to
halt and reverse the exploitation of wild places and the
extinction of wild species.”
Is protection for wild orcas and other marine mammals
alone unattainable? According to an article published
online January, 2016, PCB pollution continues to impact
populations of orcas and other dolphins in European
waters, cetacean populations in the Northeast Atlantic and
the Mediterranean are declining faster than they can
recover. The meta-analysis of European data collected from
1990-2012 showed that several cetacean species have very
high mean blubber polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)
concentrations which are likely the cause of population
declines and suppression of population recovery. Even
though the US Congress banned PCB production in 1979
and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants banned it in 2001, because of PCBs'
environmental toxicity and classification as a persistent
organic pollutant, and “despite regulations and mitigation
measures to reduce PCB pollution, their biomagnification
in marine food webs continues to cause severe impacts
among cetacean top predators in European seas.” The study
found three out of four species: striped dolphins (SDs),
bottlenose dolphins (BNDs) and orcas, or killer whales
(KWs) - had mean PCB levels that markedly exceeded all
known marine mammal PCB toxicity thresholds.
PCBs are not the only poison in the ocean. Roger
Payne, founder and president of Ocean Alliance, presented
to the International Whaling Commission annual meeting
in 2010, reporting results of studies of cells from sperm
whales indicate pollution is reaching the farthest corners
of the oceans. Sperm whales like CONNY – the
magnificent, one-of-a-kind life-size model built in 1976 by
the Connecticut Cetacean Society (now Cetacean Society
International) on the grounds of The Children’s Museum
– are at risk worldwide. Listed as Vulnerable on the
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN) Red List, populations of these deepdiving toothed whales are scant and require further
analyses. In addition, efforts to assess the conservation
status of sperm whales and the impact of whaling, including
social disruption, on current populations are compromised
due to the lack of a good model of sperm whale population
structure. Global population is estimated to be in the
100,000s, significantly less than pre-whaling numbers
which may have been as high as 1,100,000. The greatest
threat to Sperm whales had been extensive commercial
hunting, particularly of large males, but that has virtually
ended although small-scale fisheries still exist in Japan and
Indonesia. A number of threats still remain, including
entanglement in fishing gear (especially gill nets),
collisions with ships, ingestion of marine debris, and ocean
contaminants. Heavily depleted populations from whaling
days have still not recovered.
The IUCN report reflects studies through
approximately 2008, omitting a wealth of science about
events from then until now. Between January 9 and
February 4, 2016, 29 sperm whales stranded and died on
North Sea beaches in Netherlands, France, Britain and
Germany, the largest mortality event on record. Mass
strandings of sperm whales are not uncommon in the
region, with records of sightings dating back to the 16th
century. Multiple explanations have been offered, such as
the whales searching for food in shallow waters (sperm
whales can dive as deep as two miles to find food),
disorientation, starvation, depletion of prey - giant squid
and octopus, warming of the world’s ocean, and noise from
underwater bomb explosions and seismic surveys. Little
has been said about a possible culprit – noise from offshore
wind farms. Because that area has the world’s largest
concentration of offshore wind turbines, it is reasonable to
infer that the noise created by the turbines can interfere
with whales’ sonar, communication and navigation and
could be one cause. Investigation is ongoing.
There is overwhelming evidence that our ocean is in
peril, and the health and safety of marine animals is in
jeopardy like no other time in history. Regardless, good
people continue to do great things to protect and preserve
our increasingly endangered cetaceans.
Learn more by visiting
http://www.csiwhalesalive.org/ and
http://www.worldcetaceanalliance.org/ or check out our
Facebook pages.
http://us.whales.org/wdc-in-action/fate-of-captive-orcas
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/41755/0
Patricia Sullivan MS Ed. Education Director, Cetacean
Society International Co-Chair, Policy, Advocacy and
Campaigning Working Group of the World Cetacean
Alliance
SeaWorld, the Humane
Society of the U.S., and
Tilikum: What Will Happen
Next?
By William Rossiter
On March 17th Joel Manby, President and Chief
Executive Officer of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. and
Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society
of the U.S, announced an agreement between the
corporation and organization that centered on the
immediate cessation of SeaWorld’s breeding program for
orcas, including SeaWorld’s four orcas rented to Loro
Parque, Canary Islands. The calf that will be born to already
pregnant Takara will be the last to be born into captivity at
SeaWorld’s parks. This news deserves a celebration,
especially for those of us with CSI and many other
organizations who have been working for decades to end
the captive exploitation of cetaceans. California
Assemblyman Richard Bloom certainly celebrated the
breeding ban, which his 2014 AB2140 or the “blackfish
bill” proposed to accomplish. Of course we’re a long way
from that goal, but this is a very big step in the right
direction. Other than a handful at HSUS everyone with
every other organization working to stop captive cetacean
displays was as surprised by the announcement as the
media, which erupted with excited headlines. Skeptics
looked for loopholes, inured by decades of experience, and
there may be “clarifications” over time, but the
announcements together amount to one of the most
significant and positive victories in several decades of
advocacy efforts.
Manby outlined SeaWorld’s plans for “new, inspiring,
natural orca encounters, rather than theatrical shows”,
beginning in San Diego during 2017, followed by San
Antonio and Orlando through 2019. The “programs will
focus on orca enrichment, exercise, and overall health”,
apparently motivated by SeaWorld’s long-awaited
acceptance that they can’t survive by catering to customers
who only want to be entertained by trainers directing orcas
to leap through hoops, jump for balls or splash everyone
in the first few rows. In an odd twist, SeaWorld will be
trying to present the audience with the real orca, the one
seen in increasingly awesome documentaries, the orca
anyone with a TV can see is a charismatic, complicated,
intelligent, social predator that is reduced to a caricature
when ordered to perform tricks in the equivalent of a closet.
This is an experiment in audience tolerances as much as
preferences, dependent upon ticket-buyers’ responses. If
this is more than repackaging, and paying customers are
satisfied with the still-cued, choreographed and controlled
behaviors of the orcas minus the splash and screams, the
experiment in what HSUS calls the “humane economy”
will be a business success, and SeaWorld will survive
longer than their orcas do.
To Pacelle a “humane economy” is how corporations
should respond and adapt to public concerns over animal
welfare. He linked the event to Ringling Bros. year-old
pledge to phase out its use of elephants in traveling acts.
Both men stressed SeaWorld’s increasing efforts to rescue
and rehabilitate marine mammals, with a five-year $50
million package that included advocacy against commercial
whaling, seal killing, and shark finning. In addition to
“protecting coral reefs and reducing the commercial
collection of wild-caught ornamental fish” HSUS also
spoke of SeaWorld’s commitment to provide “only
sustainably raised seafood, crate-free pork and cage-free
eggs, and to offer more vegan and vegetarian options at all
of its restaurants and other food service operations, which
serve more than 20 million people annually.”
Rescue and rehabilitation programs have provided a
back door for bringing in new captives. SeaWorld’s
increased effort to help distressed marine mammals may
result in many deemed unreleasable kept by SeaWorld
parks, which of course will use this example of "humane
economy" to emphasize that "SeaWorld cares". On that
theme "JJ" was a young gray whale "rescued" many years
ago who was released only because he got too big to
handle. Before then a team financed by the U.S. Navy
secretly tried to test JJ's hearing to document the point at
which loud sounds might deafen him, but he fought the
crude apparatus. I don't want to think that SeaWorld's
"rescue" will ever again resemble that mutual ordeal, or
the continuing ordeal of Kshamenk.
Kshamenk, as tweeted by @samsimon, (Sam Simon) who
added "This is Kshamenk, the most abused orca in the
world, permanently bent from living in a pool."
Kshamenk was "rescued" twenty-five years ago by
Argentina's Mundo Marino, which has profited well from
clueless customers ever since. Shortly after Kshamenk had
been put on display by Mundo Marino, ostensibly as a
breeding partner for Belen (who died soon after), Gabriela
Bellazzi asked me, on behalf of CSI, to help her convince
her government that Kshamenk had been illegally
"rescued" after being forced to strand by an operation
directed by Mundo Marino. Even with proof in hand Gaby's
efforts failed, and I learned a lot about Mundo Marino's
political influence, and Argentina's corrupt officials and
rampant chauvinism. As president of Wild Earth
Foundation, and officially directing stranding response
efforts in her region surrounding Chubut, Gaby will keep
such travesties from happening again. SeaWorld partnered
with Mundo Marino in 2011 to train their husbandry staff
how to obtain Kshamenk's sperm, which resulted in Makani
being born to SeaWorld's Kasatka in 2013. And this is
Elsa, a young female orca that followed a trawler into
Provincetown harbor in 1982 and followed the vessel out
a month later.
The Zodiac behind the kayak is weighed down by
representatives from the New England Aquarium, NMFS,
and the Center for Coastal Studies. NEA was thinking of
“rescuing” Elsa at the Aquarium, with NMFS in the middle
and CCS opposed to the silliness of capturing a wild orca
perfectly capable of providing for herself. As long as she
didn’t strand she was to be left untouched, so of course no
one reported her resting in the shallows. Let’s not go back
to the 80’s, SeaWorld! "Rescue" means what it should to
the California Marine Mammal Center north of San
Francisco. Their celebratory releases of successfully
rehabilitated marine mammals show what the world's best
marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation effort should
look like. It's truly non-profit yet open to the public, staffed
24/7 every day by people who compete for the honor of
volunteering there, supported by a legion of donors.
You may not expect to be reading presumptuous
comments about big business in Whales Alive!, but it's
important to understand that the breeding ban and much
else is an experiment that must succeed. Manby's CEO
appointment in April of 2015 was similar to many other
businesses facing failure, including considerable leeway
from the board to stabilize the corporation. No one could
have predicted then that SeaWorld would ban breeding of
orcas less than a year later. CEO's come and go depending
upon their performance, and if Manby's vision doesn't
satisfy the board someone else may take the helm and steer
away from everything just announced. Evidence of
reluctance and resentment by employees used to the "old
ways" may interfere, especially at management levels.
Manby has his hands full with much left to explain. For
example, what happened to August, 2014's "letter of intent
with Village Roadshow Theme Parks, a leading
international entertainment and media company, to codevelop theme parks in Pan-Asia, India and Russia. This
letter of intent, along with our previously announced
memorandum of understanding with our partner in the
Middle East, creates exciting opportunities for us to extend
our parks and brands beyond our domestic borders." The
current Middle East partner remains a mystery, but in 2008
SeaWorld Dubai, Aquatica, Busch Gardens and Discovery
Cove theme parks were planned for "Worlds of Discovery"
on Dubai's now-abandoned Palm Jebel Ali. Manby in
March reiterated progress in SeaWorld’s global expansion
plans, saying the company had “moved to the next phase
of our international development strategy" and signed an
MoU with a Middle Eastern partner.
Closer to home, SeaWorld is a major taxpayer and
employer in San Diego. Manby's success will be measured
by many factors, including a reversal of the 16 percent
decrease in payments to San Diego between 2013 and 2014
for their leased land on Mission Bay. Those payments are
based on revenue, which obviously was declining. Money
aside, Manby's plan certainly will satisfy San Diego's
SeaWorld lease and master plan, which requires that 3/4
of the park's attractions include "a significant education or
animal-conservation focus" and local public sentiment
opposes a ride-heavy theme park on Mission Bay. Will his
vision that “guests just want to observe and learn and we
don’t need all these 'theatrical tricks'" be verified on the
balance sheet? Critics say that customers come to be
entertained, not taught. With that in mind, SeaWorld
Orlando plans two new roller coasters, San Diego plans an
aquarium-based submarine ride attraction at its park, and
San Antonio is talking of a "new dolphin habitat and guest
experience".
Negotiations at very personal level between the men
began in January. Secrecy was paramount to prevent
insider trading on SeaWorld stock, which on the 17th alone
rose 9.43%, more than the stock value had lost since the
beginning of 2016. Obviously SeaWorld’s board was aware
of the plan and must have been pleased with investors’
reactions: they didn’t fire Manby! Investors had been
worried by many indicators that SeaWorld was unable to
reverse a trend that began with the death of trainer Dawn
Brancheau in 2010, the third human the adult orca Tilikum
had killed. The trend accelerated with the release of
Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s “Blackfish” in 2013, a film she
began so as to “explore the trainer relationship and
experience”, but reoriented brilliantly so that the
experience endured by captive orcas changed the minds
and hearts of ever increasing audiences. Building on the
best efforts of anti-captivity organizations like CSI, the
“Blackfish” effect continued to grow.
Without taking away any credit from Blackfish for
accelerating this revolution, Tilikum is the reason we’ve
come so far, which makes his current plight even more
poignant. These images by Heather Murphy, Ocean
Advocate News, may be among the last taken of Tilikum.
The aerial image shows SeaWorld’s medical pool at
Shamu Stadium (white tent, lower right) where Tilikum
was kept physically isolated from the others. Who provided
the helicopter for that image? The incredible, indomitable,
courageous and committed Dr. Ingrid Visser, the world
scientific authority on wild orcas who has put her life on
hold to help captive orcas. I have been honored to have
known Ingrid at least since 1991, and understand why
resources like http://www.orcaresearch.org/ and
http://www.freemorgan.org/ can’t even keep up with her
selfless efforts.
Here Heather shows Tilikum languishing by the gate
with his head raised in an unusual posture, watching and
listening as the show goes on. Heather had to make quite
an effort for this image, because SeaWorld doesn’t want
the public to see him this way. She said that no one on staff
spoke of him unless asked. Thanks to Heather and social
media many people have shared what she witnessed. As
this is written, about all Tilikum has to do now is float, be
medicated and think, day and night. Caring people cannot
help wondering what he’s thinking about, but how can we
know, given our ignorance about orcas and what he
remembers about his life? We might wonder if he has any
happy memories; we only know of the tragedies in his life.
But what we should wish for is that he is aware that
whatever he’s endured has become the symbol and catalyst
for meaningful changes to the business of exploiting whales
and dolphins to entertain. As you read this Tilikum likely
has died of a lung infection that SeaWorld’s best medical
attention could not cure.
SeaWorld used social media beginning in early March
to announce Tilikum’s impending death, perhaps to
preempt another round of negative publicity that they have
experienced almost continuously since the movie
“Blackfish”. The initial announcement and several posts
about how much they care have not yet included a public
diagnosis of the bacterial infection, which prompted several
experts to wonder if it is a “super bug”. SeaWorld has
stressed that, at 35, Tilikum’s death was not that early for
male orcas, without mentioning that the proven stress of
captivity on whales and dolphins often leads to immune
deficiencies that lead to infection. Look again at the aerial
image as other orcas press close to Tilikum. All of them
may be on a daily regimen of drugs, all in a confined space
with an orca whose infection resists treatment and has
publicly not been confirmed non-communicable to other
orcas and humans. Unna died from a Candida infection in
December at San Antonio’s SeaWorld. She also had been
under constant care by the best SeaWorld could offer.
Candida has killed other captive orcas but has never been
found in wild orcas.
Wild male orcas can expect to survive far longer than
35 in a world full of survival threats. And free wild females?
This March photo by Heather MacIntyre shows 104year old Granny spyhopping in Puget Sound! SeaWorld
has always named their captives, but publicly all orcas used
to be called Shamu. Decades ago only discerning fans
would have noticed that Shamu looked different that day,
not knowing that the previous Shamu had died in secret.
Some Shamus were rumored to have been buried at night
under parking lots or dumped in landfills. None of these
comments are meant to disparage SeaWorld’s medical
teams or any other employees. Along with all the others
doing these often difficult jobs at every captive cetacean
display facility, they are doing their best with the resources
they are given, motivated by a personal commitment for
all the animals in their care.
Social media is responsible for empowering the
accelerating trend that’s forcing SeaWorld to act. Its
growing influence affects everyone with Internet access,
from expert eight-year-olds to 80-year-olds trying to catch
up. Of course the key is learning what to trust; what’s real
and what’s not. Today’s 14-year-olds know a lot more
about the world than their parents did at their age,
sometimes good, too often bad, often bewildering and
intrusive, but here to stay. Every day they access social
media outlets that flood an eager audience and prompt
exchanges between people of all ages, especially the
teenagers whose parents pay for the tickets to see
SeaWorld’s shows.
After Dawn Brancheau’s death SeaWorld tried to
counter the media storm with social media through sites
like http://ask.seaworldcares.com/ or https://twitter.com/
SeaWorld. Despite their glossy look they stumbled,
drawing incessant criticism for their simplistic selfpromotion and free interpretation of facts. The easiest way
to see through the illusion promoted by SeaWorld’s social
media is to review expert resources like Facebook’s “From
the Dolphins’ Point of View”. For some history on the link
between SeaWorld and the infamous Taiji dolphin
slaughters see http://voiceoftheorcas.blogspot.com/. For
information on specific dolphins and whales at specific
facilities, see http://ceta-base.org/, but be understanding
that the volunteers posting births, deaths, transfers and
other data sometimes can’t keep up with the action, and
much remains hidden from public view by the industry.
Without question Manby’s announcement was
addressed to the unforgiving world of investors and the
financial media, which routinely had broadcast significant
drops in share values and investor confidence, and the
wider media that had reported reflexive changes as
SeaWorld executives struggled with bad news. For
example, Manby’s comments on the revised themes of the
shows repeated November announcements that San
Diego’s “theatrical killer whale show” would be replaced
during 2016 by a “new orca experience” in an “informative
and more natural setting” beginning in 2017. But when the
California Coastal Commission approved construction of
SeaWorld San Diego’s expansion for Blue World with
caveats prohibiting orca breeding or transfers to and from
the park, SeaWorld in December put the already-started
project on hold and sued the Commission. In January the
corporation announced that the fast-lifting floors required
after the death of Dawn Brancheau were being removed,
citing their long-delayed cessation of some in-water
interactions between orcas and trainers. Do you remember
the ex-trainers’ comments in “Blackfish”, that they were
left clueless about so many safety issues as well as staff
injuries? Are current trainers better briefed? How many
others have quit? While San Antonio highlights their
beluga interaction opportunities, SeaWorld Orlando ended
their beluga interaction program in February, without
explanation. Why? And what executive decided to send an
employee using an alias to infiltrate and spy on PETA?
That made as much sense as prodding a very big gorilla
that really digs social media! By March the corporation
was cautioning investors over an expected “shortfall in
international attendance in 2016”, along with the then
current 9% drop in stock price. By April Chief Parks
Operations Officer Dan Brown and Chief Zoological
Officer Brad Andrews will have been replaced. What else
will have happened by the time you read this?
No matter what the news, the trends make CSI’s 1995
position on captivity more relevant than ever, but perhaps
needing a translation for today’s social media: "It is the
position of the Cetacean Society International that it is no
longer justifiable for cetaceans to be captured or maintained
in captivity for purposes of exhibition, research, or
education. There exists a moral imperative for cetaceans
in captivity to be maintained in optimal conditions for their
physical and social well-being and for efforts to be made
for their rehabilitation and release". This is CSI’s policy,
but I won’t assume everyone with CSI agrees with it, nor
agrees with everything I’ve written in this article. These
issues are propelled by opinion, which even differ on what
the most realistic welfare-based solution is. CSI’s policy
does not demand that all display facilities empty their tanks
right now. Where would all the captives go? The law still
holds that all animals are property, without the fundamental
rights we all take for granted, but that may be challenged
by the right case and a judge with enough courage. As
assets cetaceans can be bought, sold and traded, albeit
within intricate rules.
With the welfare of the captives as our overriding
concern, and an example of a prepared plan for a suitable
candidate, I ask you to consider Orca Network’s “Proposal
to retire the orca Lolita to her native habitat in the Pacific
Northwest”.
Photo courtesy Howard Garrett
This superb plan for this beautiful bay is detailed at
http://www.orcanetwork.org/Main/index.php?categories_
file=Retirement, and gives hope to everyone who shares
our concern for the ultimate fate of every cetacean now on
display. If you want to do something substantial to help,
contribute to Orca Network.
While some demand that display facilities release their
animals now, most experts on all sides agree that their
survival in the wild is unlikely. Many were born in
captivity, with no concept of the real world. Wild-caught
cetaceans are likely to have forgotten how to survive,
especially without the benefit of group support in a familiar
habitat. But if the trend continues to decrease profits and
increase costs the pressures on the parks will demand real
action, which the business-minded executives would
translate as discarding assets that were no longer providing
the income needed to maintain them. Be thankful the
animals can’t legally just be tossed away when they no
longer profit the business. And so we’re back to what you
can do: convince people not to buy tickets.
Providing sanctuaries for ex-captive whales and
dolphins demands enormous investment. Where will the
money come from? Bring on the Munchkins! Steven Dunn,
CEO of Munchkin, Inc., the baby product company,
publicly offered Joel Manby, the CEO of SeaWorld a $1
million pledge to build a cold ocean water sanctuary for
Tilikum and other captive whales. Dunn’s company
discontinued production of their “Bathtub Orca” after Dunn
said: “a bathtub isn’t big enough for an orca!”, along with
a visionary video that you can watch by searching for
“Orcas Live In Oceans”. In December Dunn attended the
first Sea Sanctuary Workshop, held during the Society for
Marine Mammalogy biennial conference in San Francisco,
and by March he had a plan to work with biologists to build
a sanctuary while attracting financial support. Similarly
enlightened CEO’s to follow Dunn’s example are a limited
and endangered population, so how might the sanctuary
sponsorship concept make business sense to hard-minded
corporations? Can you help to create and sell a suitable
plan? Can you commit to patronize and promote a
corporation that wants to try? Do you have any contacts
that might be willing to listen? As Dr. Lori Marino has said:
“There are sanctuaries for elephants, primates, tigers, lions
and other animals, but there is not a single one for dolphins
and whales.” If a sports arena can be named for a business
why not a cetacean sanctuary?
As the trend against captive cetacean display continues
what will happen to Connecticut‘s Mystic Aquarium &
Institute for Exploration and its beluga whales? With CSI’s
core in Connecticut I’m very aware that Mystic Aquarium
must not fail, in part because of all the truly educational
experiences they offer visitors, but I’m concerned that their
apparent reliance on belugas may weaken the business. The
Aquarium is an essential component of the state’s most
popular tourist area that’s centered on historic Mystic but
supplies income to many associated business and hundreds
of families’ incomes. What is not yet apparent is Mystic’s
management showing some awareness that what’s
happening to SeaWorld may happen to Mystic. As the
smallest of the “Beluga Club” that includes three
SeaWorlds, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and Georgia
Aquarium they must participate in the cooperative breeding
exchange program that the US facilities think will keep
their populations viable. As reported in previous Whales
Alive! newsletters, Mystic was involved in Georgia
Aquarium’s permit request to import 18 wild caught
Russian belugas, which NMFS rejected. The Aquarium
sued, CSI and others joined in support of NMFS, and just
before the Federal Court in Atlanta decided in favor of
NMFS (and us!), SeaWorld abruptly refused to take their
allocation of 11 belugas. With no Russian belugas and
Marineland of Canada’s refusal to sell any of their belugas,
captive breeding motivated the still unconfirmed report that
six belugas were exchanged on one day in early February,
with Naluark shipped from Mystic to SeaWorld Orlando,
which sent Maple and Aurek to Georgia Aquarium, which
exchanged Nunavik with Grayson from Shedd, while
Shedd shipped Miki to Mystic. Confused? Think how
confused those belugas must have been! There’s no public
information or published data about the impact on
individuals that are shipped between parks, but as traded
commodities they will be shuttled around until they have
no more reproductive potential. At least they won’t be sent
to Vancouver Aquarium, which has most recently been
exposed at: http://www.vancouveraquariumuncovered
.com/.
If you really want to help all the cetaceans in captive
display parks in the US now here’s something very
important that you can do right now without leaving home:
APHIS, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,
is “proposing to amend the Animal Welfare Act regulations
concerning the humane handling, care, treatment, and
transportation of marine mammals in captivity. These
proposed changes would affect sections in the regulations
relating to variances and implementation dates, indoor
facilities, outdoor facilities, space requirements, and water
quality. We are also proposing to revise the regulations that
relate to swim-with-the-dolphin programs. We believe
these actions are necessary to ensure that the minimum
standards for the humane handling, care, treatment, and
transportation of marine mammals in captivity are based
on current industry and scientific knowledge and
experience.”
Yes, this is important stuff, and changes are long
overdue, but which changes do you want, and which will
the industry push for? For one example, “the minimum
space requirements for primary enclosures…are based on
standards and scientific information available at the time
the regulations were promulgated in 1979, and amended
in 1984.” For another, APHIS is considering sunshades,
which the industry will fight. Your opportunity to comment
on the proposed rules will end May 4, 2016. It won’t be as
much fun as holding a placard at a protest, but it’s your
chance do something at a fundamental level. Start by
searching for 81 FR 5629, which will bring you to the
APHIS announcement that includes the details of the rule
changes proposed and how to submit your comments.
Disregard the April deadline, and download the file. I’d
suggest the text file, unless you have software that does
more than allow PDFs to be read. Of course this will be
time consuming, but it’s cheaper than therapy for your
frustrations and it will help you understand better what
we’re all up against. For example, search for “data” and
read APHIS’ admission that the underlying data is so
outdated, and their own resources so limited, that they leave
it to commenters to provide current information on
different sections. They will accept reputable or verifiable
information, not just peer-reviewed and published papers,
but let’s expect a flood of self-serving material from the
industry and recognize that APHIS won’t consider your
concerns without information. Why are the rules up for
review, after decades of “our side” pleading for updating?
Reducing paperwork! Search for “reduction” and read
about how the Paperwork Reduction Act may be used to
reduce the reports facilities must make. Assume the
industry’s focus will be on reducing costs, seeking the
minimum “welfare” to maximize profits. A few minutes
with the full proposal will convince you that your time to
act is now. Stay focused on a future without captive
cetaceans and don’t miss this opportunity to make a
difference!
CSI's Grant Program
By William Rossiter
CSI’s grant program is different in so many ways from
others, primarily because we devote so much volunteer
time to interact with and help the people who apply beyond
simply providing a small grant at a critical time in their
careers. We get to know them rather well, perhaps because
the Internet has fostered a surprising intimacy between
people who may never meet. And so, for example, a young
scientist in Ecuador laments her dilemma that her
appointment to represent her nation officially at an IWC
meeting conflicts with her need to care for her newborn
son (her mother took care of the baby), or another is
connected with a senior researcher on another continent
who is happy to help with a technical question, because he
recalls how CSI helped him decades earlier. Everyone who
receives a CSI grant knows we have faith and trust in them;
many remind us of that at every opportunity.
Another difference is that no general CSI funds are
used for grants, including members’ donations. Everything
we give away comes from foundations and directed
donations, which since July 1st have provided about
$69,800 to 90 people or projects. If you want to help others
through CSI please contact Bill Rossiter at
[email protected] or 203-770-8615.
The benefits of having helped so many since 1982 are
too numerous to list, but one recent example ties into the
Whales Alive’s article on captive cetacean display. CSI’s
comments on the APHIS proposed rules are being assisted
by two marine mammal disease specialists, MarieFrançoise Van Bressem, DVM, PhD, Cetacean
Conservation Medicine Group (CMED), Germany and
Peru, and María Gabriela Hernández Mora, DMV, Costa
Rica. Both are experts on mutually-communicable diseases
of captive cetaceans and humans, particularly relevant to
stranding responders, trainers and interactive programs
where customers get close to the captives.
Over the years many experts have assisted CSI’s effort
to help young scientists and their projects, often by
donating their unique expertise or resources. Dr. Colin
MacLeod, a long-time friend to CSI, world authority on
Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and lecturer at the
Universities of Aberdeen (Scotland) and Bangor (Wales)
in March offered to donate some of his GIS books through
CSI to graduate students in Latin America! Since you
asked, GIS users “apply many layers of data to visualize,
question, analyze, and interpret data, to understand
relationships, patterns, and trends”, which translates in
Latin America to scientists understanding species,
populations, habitats, prey preferences and threats from
fisheries far better than ever before. Until regional students
learn GIS techniques, population and management projects
for cetaceans that range far offshore in seas inhospitable to
humans are limited to projects like Argentina’s María
Natalia Paso Viola’s. We’ve just sent her funds to better
understand human impacts on Commerson’s dolphins by
necropsy of dead dolphins either stranded or killed in nets.
Stranding networks are advancing rapidly in the region,
aided by many free copies and CDs of Marine Mammals
Ashore, the stranding response guide book. Dr. Valerie J.
Lounsbury, a marine mammal vet at the National
Aquarium, donated the books and CDs she co-authored
with Dr. Joseph R. Geraci, for CSI to distribute free to Latin
American stranding responders, with immeasurable
success.
Sena Wazer has a lot to say, all of it well worth your
attention. She is sure to effect positive changes in the world
her generation will inherit from ours. We look forward to
sharing more from her in the future. – Bill Rossiter
end, which I think is really good.
Another thing I have been doing every year on Earth
Day is go to our local Food Coop, where I set up a booth
on whales. I bring posters asking people not to release
balloons and I also bring information cards on dolphins
that are being slaughtered in Japan.
One other thing that I am super excited about is a new
organization
called
Decide
to
be
Kind
(http://www.decidetobekind.com/). This organization is
focusing on trying to get people to be kind to each other
and to the environment. Sometime in early April, some of
the organizers of the organization will be coming to my
farm to film a Kindness Challenge. I will be asking people
to bring reusable containers (instead of using disposable
containers) when they go somewhere to get a snack or drink
(such as Starbucks). I will also be announcing a cleanup
day where people can go to a local park to help pick up
garbage.
I am very happy that I can help the whales in some
way.
Sena Wazer
Whale News
By Taffy Williams / NY4Whales
My name is Sena, and I am 12 years old. I am
homeschooled and I live on a farm in Mansfield, CT. Ever
since I read the true story of Ibis at age five, I have been
trying to help whales.
Right now I am very concerned about two issues:
whales getting caught in nets and whales eating garbage
that ends up in the ocean and kills them.
I am trying to help solve these problems by doing a
few different things. One of those things is presentations,
which I really enjoy. Once or twice a year I do a
presentation to 150-200 third grade school children. First,
I show them a few very cool pictures of whales and
dolphins playing, and I talk about how much I like them,
the similarities between whales and us, as well as how
friendly they are to people. Then I show pictures of whales
and dolphins trapped in nets. I talk about how the nets make
it hard for whales and dolphins to breathe and eat. I tell the
children that we can address this problem, and show the
seafood guide (Google Seafood Guide), which they can
use to help their parents shop with more awareness. After
that, I talk about balloons being released and how whales
can mistake balloons floating in the ocean for squid and
how they can eat them, which kills them. The kids are
always really upset by pictures of whales and dolphins
caught in nets and they always have lots of questions at the
SEX WITH DOLPHINS?
Mie University, roughly 100 miles north of Taiji
(setting for the Academy Award winning film, “The
Cove”) is planning to develop a dolphin-breeding
technology. In 2015, facing mounting international
pressure, the Japan Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(JAZA) banned the taking of dolphins caught by drive
fisheries for use in Japanese aquariums. The university says
the position has since created a drop in the supply of the
hugely popular dolphins for entertainment in Japan. Mie
U Professor Motoi Yoshioka hopes to create a working
technology, saying he will start with bottlenose dolphins,
then move on to other species. Technology? Who could
forget the disturbing footage of SeaWorld employees
masturbating orcas for seminal fluid? Let’s hope the
dolphins outsmart them, somehow.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/10/nation
al/mie-university-aims-develop-dolphin-breedingtechnology/#.VutokoT82Ig
DOLPHINS AS COMBAT SOLDIERS ONCE
AGAIN
In Russia, contract bidding is open with the defense
ministry for five dolphins at 1.75 million ruble ($24,000).
Specifically, “Three male, two female, 2.3 to 2.7 meters,
between 3 and 5 yrs old, with no visible damage on their
skin, no missing teeth, physical activity and with two to
four breaths per minute.” According to Russian state media,
the purchase order requires the wild dolphins to be captured
“in the presence of marine mammal specialists and
transported humanely, in bathtubs filled with seawater.”
Russia is no stranger to the military use of dolphins. Not
only are they capable of detecting sunken ships and even
abandoned torpedoes, Russia’s dark dolphin past includes
using them to attach explosive devices on enemy vessels.
Ever wonder how the dolphins feel about this?
http://www.military.com/dailynews/2016/03/10/russian-military-seeks-five-combatdolphins.html
HEY VANCOUVER: WHOSE BREACH OF
CONTRACT?
The Vancouver Aquarium has filed a lawsuit against
a filmmaker, Gary Charbonneau, for using alleged
unauthorized footage for his documentary, “Vancouver
Aquarium Uncovered”, a film exposing the treatment of
dolphins and beluga whales at the facility. The aquarium
has not claimed actual misstatements or outright lies in the
film, and their claims of copyright infringement were not
proven in court. Charbonneau stated that the facility agreed
to allow him to film the animals, then imposed restrictions
two weeks later. They also failed to provide appropriate
settings for staff interviews as agreed. "We've been trying
to have a dialogue with them for quite a long time. They've
been invited to streaming panels, they've been invited on
the radio with me. I've invited them to a public panel
discussion and they're not replying to me at all,"
Charbonneau said in a telephone interview.
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/b-c/filmmakersays-vancouver-aquarium-failed-to-honour-contract-fordocumentary-1.2196264#sthash.qLXZ8p8d.
p72pvFZW.dpuf
BAHAMAS DOLPHIN DRAMAS
An ownership battle over eight dolphins valued at more
than $2 million, is the latest woe of the ill-fated Blackbeard
Cay’s dolphin facility. In Florida’s 11th circuit court for
Miami Dade County, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Isaacs
ruled the Bahamas government violated its own rules by
granting approvals for the facility, which included
importing the eight dolphins. The dolphins were to be
returned to Honduras, but export permits were blocked
when Blackbeard Cay’s operators claimed they owned the
dolphins. In a show of “no enforcement” by the government
of the Bahamas, Blackbeard’s Cay has continued operating
as though Justice Isaac’s ruling never happened.
Meanwhile, a petition by cetacean advocate Sam
Duncombe and the organization reEarth notes this illegal
facility has “deplorable conditions: the dolphin pens are
only 7 feet deep at mid-tide, there is no shade and there is
no protection in case of hurricanes.” While the facility was
ordered to close with the dolphins moving to a more
humane location, the government has delayed, scrambling
to open yet another dolphin facility. Sign the petition to
help these dolphins at:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/703/523/691/opposenew-dolphin-swim-facilities-in-the-bahamas/. More on this
saga at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2015/may/07/
blackbeards-cay-fearing-dolphin-row-destruction/
ECONOMIC WOES, GOOD FOR WHALES?
The Baltic Dry Index is the leading global indicator of
commerce between Europe and North America, reflecting
the international economy as sales are filled and products
shipped out as ordered. The BDI reflects cargo shipments,
which have been in “free fall” for several months. At its
apex, the BDI reached 11,793. In February, 2016, the BDI
read 290, an all-time low. What does this have to do with
whales? It means there are almost no cargo vessels cutting
through the Atlantic Ocean in either direction. It means less
acoustic barrage from vessels’ massive engines. It means
a quieter ocean! While this is really bad news for the global
economy, this is really good news for whales. Whales are
acoustically stressed from a number of sources, including
military sonar, seismic mapping and oil and gas airgun
exploration, and that constant din of oversized motors
plowing across the ocean. Container ships are huge. Some
are as large as 23 stories high and 1300 feet long, with
engines that can weigh 2,300 tons! That’s a lot of ship, and
a lot of noise! Not only that, fewer vessels also translates
to a possible reduction in ship strikes. While no one wants
the global economy in the dumps, it may be safe to say
cetaceans are happy with the lack of shipping. Let’s hope
for peace in the oceans, peace and quiet.
http://geopolitics.co/2016/01/20/international-shippingshuts-down-baltic-dry-index-freefalling/
WHALES IN THE ELECTION CYCLE
CSI takes no formal position nor does it endorse any
candidate for political office. However, cetacean advocates
remain keenly interested in candidates’ positions toward
whales, which unfortunately is rarely disclosed. Despite
the general sore lack of attention to the environment in
media coverage, one can look at a candidate’s history. One
remembers Wikileaks documents revealing that while she
was Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton sided with Japan
claiming its right to hunt for whales in the Southern Ocean,
unimpeded by Sea Shepherd. There was no mention of the
illegality of hunts either in a marine sanctuary, or under
the long-standing International Whaling Commission treaty
of 1983. There was no acknowledgement of the nature of
Japan’s “scientific research” whaling as “bogus” and
invalid, a position held by consensus throughout the
international, scientific and environmental community.
However, Clinton did propose $5 billion for green energy
jobs that would create jobs and decrease nuclear power.
On the other hand, Donald Trump says “good development
enhances the environment.” Trump touts that he would cut
the EPA, because “what they do is a disgrace. Every week
they come out with new regulations. They’re making it
impossible...”
(http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2015/10/18/dona
ld-trump-talks-taxes-trade-11-and-why-takes-personalshots-at-political/)
Meanwhile, Marco Rubio was rated 95% by the League
of Conservation Voters for his voting record on
environmental issues. Gov. John Kasich has said that
protecting the environment is not at odds with economic
growth and prosperity, and that we can’t ignore the quality
of the environment we leave our children. Ted Cruz voted
against the National Endowment for the Oceans which
would promote protection and conservation of our ocean,
coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems. CSI will be watching
and hoping for positive news for whales as the campaigns
continue. Learn more at http://www.ontheissues.org/
Environment.htm
PACIFIC OCEAN DIE-OFFS
In January, 2016, 81 “disoriented” short-finned pilot
whales beached on a shoreline of Tamil Nadu in India. 45
of the whales died.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/01/dozenswhales-die-mass-stranding-india-beach160113061302998.html
In addition, 29 sperm whales have been found on
beaches in northern Europe, including France, Germany,
the UK and Netherlands. Using tissue samples, it will take
months to determine possible causes, or if the beachings
are related.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sperm-whales-
beaches-north-sea_us_56b4bf10e4b01d80b245f063
In November, 2015, the remote, often inaccessible bays
of Patagonia, Chile, saw one of the largest mass whale
stranding events in history. 337 dead whales, most likely
endangered sei whales, were accidentally discovered
during an aerial survey, their bodies too far decomposed
for onsite identification. Sei whales are among the largest
baleen whales, second only to the blue whale.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/whales-beachedchile_us_565e7419e4b08e945fed5f8f
FAR MORE THAN WHALES ARE IN TROUBLE
There were so many they couldn’t be counted.
Thousands of the small white seabirds known as the
common murre were found in piles several feet deep. At
Whittier Beach alone, 8,000 dead murres were found, a
ghastly scene repeated all along Alaska’s coastline. The
birds were either dead or emaciated and dying, and few
were rescued. While testing and results come in, there is
speculation that prey food such as herring, capelin (smelt),
and juvenile pollock have been depleted by global warming.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e0587ee6cc0043c392e3c
d28f7b2129e/starvation-suspected-massive-die-alaskaseabirds
In recent seasons, sea lions in record numbers,
dehydrated and malnourished, have inundated rescue
centers. Scoters are down 75%, western grebes have almost
completely disappeared. For several years California’s
brown pelicans have abandoned their mating grounds in
the Catalina Islands refusing to reproduce, presumably
because there isn’t enough food.
http://www.malibutimes.com/news/article_f909e69afca3-11e3-b2ee-001a4bcf887a.html
In 2014 millions of sea stars, aka starfish, died from a
virus that killed them and turned their bodies into an oozing
“goo”. Twenty species of sea stars from Baja California to
Alaska lost 80-90% of their numbers, a catastrophically
rapid decline. Some are blaming the sea star wasting
syndrome on climate change and warmer waters that have
allowed pathogens to attack.
http://kuow.org/post/scientists-close-what-s-killingsea-stars
Officials in Alaska are reporting walruses that are sick
and emaciated and baby seals coming ashore because they
are too weak to swim for any length of time. “The most
recent discovery was a rainbow trout brought to the city
office… I’ve attached photos of the very sick fish… the
bloody entrails were exiting out and it was also bleeding
through the mouth. There were the beginnings of lesions
on the skin… We are very much aware of the possibility
of radiation from Fukushima affecting the ocean life but
we realize there are other possibilities.” (Jane Mitchell,
Kivalina City Council)
http://enenews.com/local-official-alarm-very-sickanimals-washing-ashore-alaska-fish-bleeding-face-bloodyentrails-coming-body-concerned-fukushima-radiationaffecting-ocean-life
There may be fewer reports of the die-offs in 2016,
simply because the populations that crashed one or two
years ago have not recovered enough to be considered
equally serious mass mortality events again in 2016.
When the food is depleted, populations crash, whether
that’s birds, sea lions, or whales. Stressing the difficulties
of surveying those elusive whale populations who are
occasionally spotted as they surface to breathe, many are
cautious as we witness species die-offs in the Pacific. The
causes could be many. Species-disruption by global
warming, radiation from Fukushima, even overfishing and
bycatch. Military sonar and other acoustic pollution has
the potential to affect fish and marine mammals, even drive
whales up on the beach, while scientists predict that by
2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. The
oceans are full of hypoxic dead zones where no life exists
at all, not predator, prey or even vegetation. Never before
have the many problems in our oceans been so glaringly
obviously the result of human activity. Yet we wonder why
populations of marine organisms are disappearing?
Will the human species ever be forthright enough to
squarely take the blame, face the issues affecting our
interrelated species, and turn things around? It is imperative
that today each and every person, from every nation and
race, begin to work for the survival of all life on earth.
listen together on Culebra Island, Puerto Rico. She and
composer Barry Sharp flew into the little airport on Feb 14
for 3 full days of listening. We knew that more time was
better but Barry had to return to PhD classes at Cornell. He
was interested in Humpback whale song, and Katy said
she'd help on the condition he came out to hear live singing,
and saw the whole picture. We had wind, wind, and could
hardly go out to even try to hear singing, but on their final
day I wrote in my log book. Feb 17 2016:
KRILL AND YOU
CSI and NY4Whales reminds all that “People can live
without krill. The oceans can’t.” Share a fun video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqoYH2GTY3o
&ebc=ANyPxKqy6tZiwTcyT8pc7YSnlYZZJOLsiO3t1N
ehffH2bypjqB6jHp43FPNCcRc3oBd6KPPkXv1UV_AVJLnMK9-N9QzmLH-Zwat, then sign the
petition against CVS’s sale of krill products at
http://action.sumofus.org/a/cvs-antarctic-krill/
Wind down a little so we listened 1/2 mile W of Ferry
dock. No singing. Then went between Luis Pena & Culebra
& past Carlos Rosario to that NW spot I like. Used sea
anchor. Started hearing singing almost immediately of 1-2
whales, several miles away. As we drifted to NW the
singing got better. Harmonizing of at least 2 whales. Then
another in there too. V beautiful. Katy had us looking to
see a spout. Barry recorded some w/ his iPhone? Me
eventually w/ Sony D50. Though it was windy for Barry,
& pistol shrimp & connectors for me. Pretty beautiful
wonderful special singing we enjoyed. Waves getting
larger so Katy came back from front of boat & sat next to
me. And Barry sat down from standing, to lower our center
of gravity. Soon we were getting near white breaking water
on S of Alcarraza so we had to quickly pull in hydrophone
& sea anchor & w/ started engine get going away from
potential problem!!! Look behind us! (above this log entry
I wrote some wave-comments we expressed today: Big,
huge, XTRA bouncy, V rough & choppy). Everyone held
a cable or connector to protect from spray of waves until
we got back into protection of NW corner of Culebra. We
listened again v briefly w/ out sea anchor to still hear the
whales but quite distantly. Then pulled everything in & put
away & headed back. Happy satisfied exhilarated by
Listening to Humpback Whales with
Cornell Bioacoustics Researcher Katy
Payne and Composer Barry Sharp,
Culebra, Puerto Rico
By Paul Knapp, Jr.
I met Katy Payne about 24 years ago, and we've stayed
in touch as she continues acoustic research with elephants
and whales. And I listen to Humpback whales in the
Caribbean each winter, currently from a 4 meter Avon
inflatable boat. The opportunity finally arose this year to
Cornell bioacoustics researcher Katy Payne and Paul
Knapp Jr. at Flamenco beach, Culebra Puerto Rico,
Feb. 15, 2016
everything especially the beautiful singing. Dinghy Dock
for nachos w/ vegetables & cheese. (after Katy went to
hostel to put on dry clothes).
Upcoming Events
Compiled by Paul Knapp, Jr.
There are so many whale watching and listening trips and
festivals all the time, and many species traveling in a never
ending cycle of migration.
March Blue Whale migration, Pico Island, Azores
Portugal http://www.cwazores.com/blue-whalemigration.aspx
Spring Summer Blue Whale migration, San Diego,
http://www.sandiego.org/members/tourssightseeing/newport-landing-whalewatching/events/blue-whale-migration-spring-summer2016.aspx
June 9-12: Mystic Sea Music Festival, Mystic,
Connecticut http://www.mysticseaport.org/event/seamusic-festival/
June 26: Walk for Whales, 5 mile sponsored walks from
nine locations in UK, sponsored by WDC and SEA LIFE
http://uk.whales.org/events/walk-for-whales-2016
Sep. 30 to Oct. 2: Hermanus Whale Festival, South
Africa Southern Right whales.
http://satourismonline.com/
Listening to humpback singing with Cornell bioacoustics
researcher Katy Payne and composer Barry Sharp, Culebra
Puerto Rico, Feb. 17, 2016
Oct. 1: 8th Annual Right Whale Festival, Jacksonville
Beach, Florida. http://sea2shore.org/focal-species/northatlantic-right-whale-conservation-program/right-whalefestival/
Nov. 3-6: Sitka Alaska WhaleFest.
http://sitkawhalefest.org/
Yes, I care about cetaceans and want to add my voice to support your work on their behalf. Please enroll me as a member of CSI.
Name: _____________________________________________
Date: _________________
Phone: ___________________
Address: ________________________________________________________ Occupation (optional): ____________________
City: _____________________________ State: ___________ Zip: _________________
Available for Volunteering?______
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Note: Your membership dues or donations constitute US tax deductible contributions as provided by law. Please use the
PAYPAL option at http://www.csiwhalesalive.org/csi_membership.html or mail a check or money order payable to CETACEAN
SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL to: CSI Membership, 65 Redding Road-0953, Georgetown, CT 06829-0953 USA.
Cetacean Society International
65 Redding Rd-0953
Georgetown, CT 068290953
U.S.A.
FIRST CLASS MAIL
Whale Adoptions at Cetacean Society International
CSI takes adopting a whale to a new and exciting level. While other adoption programs last one year and you
receive a photo of the whale you adopt, CSI adoptions are for your lifetime and you receive as part of the adoption kit,
a specially-produced DVD that highlights the most exciting encounters with your adopted whale over several decades
on the water.
You can order Adoption Kits on the
CSI website:
http://csiwhalesalive.org/
csi_adoption.html
Salt has been seen every year since 1976 and it is
widely believed that nearly one million whale watchers
have witnessed her amazing close approaches and other
common whale behaviors such as feeding with her mouth
wide open, flippering, lobtailing and breaching out of the
water, sometimes with a calf by her side. The DVD of
Salt includes 22 minutes of close to boat footage with
several calves from past years. The adoption kit includes
the DVD, an information sheet with family tree and an
Adoption Certificate.
Colt is a large male humpback whale born in 1981.
As a calf and an adult, whenever a boat slowed down
when in his vicinity, Colt would swim as quickly as he
could to swim under and around the boat, for as long as
he liked. He seemed to enjoy the screams of delight as he
surfaced to breathe on one side then the other. He often
made loud noises when exhaling, but his movements to
stay close to the boats made him world famous. The
adoption kit includes the DVD, an information sheet with
family tree and an Adoption Certificate.

Whaling News Spring 2016 - Cetacean Society International

Transcription

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