They're still fishing Sep 20, 2008
"Last year I was lucky enough to see three blue whales," said Vestfals. Johnson broke down the specifics of the surveys, hardships endured miles out at sea and the reasons why the surveys are done in the first place. (Daily Triplicate)
In search of Moby-Dick Sep 19, 2008
" Melville seemed to envision our threatened world of rising temperatures and rising seas. But he also thought that the whale would survive the punitive cull of his age. It is ironic that the hunting of whales actually reached its peak in the 20th Century. More whales died in 1951 - a century after the publication of Moby-Dick - than perished in 150 years of Yankee whaling. Yet with the institution of the worldwide ban on whaling, whales appear to have recovered. Blue whales now swim through the... (BBC News -- Americas)
Oceans too noisy for whales Sep 17, 2008
Its report - Ocean Noise: Turn it down - cites research showing that the effective range of blue whales' calls is only about one-tenth of what it was before the era of engine-driven commercial shipping. It also notes that high-energy military sonar systems have driven the mass stranding and deaths of beaked whales. (India Times, India)
County Lines for September 7, 2008 Sep 7, 2008
Another lecture will focus on blue whales, an endangered species found in the Santa Barbara Channel during the summer months. Guadalupe. (Santa Maria Times)
Visitors have whale of a time at Discovery Museum Sep 4, 2008
Funded through a 75,000 grant from the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, the replica will give visitors a real insiders view of the form and bodily functions of blue whales ... It gives kids a kind of perspective on how really, really, really big (blue whales) can be. (Santa Maria Times)
Protected Humpbacks Recovering, But Whales Worldwide Face Growing Threats Aug 12, 2008
Antarctic blue whales, the largest animal ever to have lived, have shown some small signs of recovery, but are still so extremely rare that they remain listed as Critically Endangered, the highest category of threat. Fin and sei whales, once the mainstay of the world's whaling industry, are still listed as Endangered and have shown no substantial recovery worldwide since their depletion by commercial whaling. (PR Newswire)
Welcome to the jungle Aug 8, 2008
Similar to giant pandas, Asian elephants and blue whales, rhinos are characterized as "charismatic megafauna." Their widespread popular appeal assists environmentalists in achieving conservation goals beyond the animal and as a result, saving rhinos helps to preserve the flora and fauna with which they live. "Rhinos are a 'flagship species' that people can identify with," said zoo bird keeper and Philadelphia AAZK president Catherine Vine. (The Delaware County Times, PA)
The RIGHT Places: Where California’s Critters are Hiding Aug 8, 2008
Travelers can also spot sea lions, seals, dolphins and Pacific gray whales during the winter season (December to March) and blue whales (June to September) on trips to Anacapa Island that depart from Oxnard s Channel Islands Harbor. A favorite gathering spot for elephant seals is Piedras Blancas along Highway 1, approximately 4. (Human Events Online)
Leaked Footage Fury Aug 1, 2008
Undulating white columns apparently simulated a waterfall, and giant blue whales were projected onto the strips of roof bordering the opening of the top of the stadium. The video showed a giant blue-and-green illuminated globe on the floor of the stadium at one point. (Fox News)
Some secrets out about Olympics opening ceremony Aug 1, 2008
The leaked rehearsal footage showed undulating white columns apparently simulating a waterfall and giant blue whales projected onto the roof. An enormous blue-and-green illuminated globe appears on the floor of the stadium. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Sports)
V. Jones & Obama tie-in Jul 13, 2008
I knew Jones' jump-the-shark moment was coming, but I didn't know he'd leap over an entire pod of blue whales. . (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
OSU researcher says Japanese whale killings hidden Jun 28, 2008
The victims are endangered fin whales, the second-largest living animals in the world after blue whales. Baker and colleagues started their detective work when they bought whale meat from shops in Japan in 2006 and 2007. (OregonLive, OR -- News)
Counting whales: A fluky business Jun 27, 2008
Page last updated at 11:49 GMT, Thursday, 26 June 2008 12:49 UK. By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News website, Santiago. (BBC News -- Science)
Painful recovery for giants of the deep Jun 27, 2008
After four decades of official protection, Antarctic blue whales are slowly growing in number, writes Andrew Darby ... A South African researcher has found that, 45 years after the hunt for Antarctic blue whales officially ended, as few as 395 remain from an estimated 256,000 before industrial whaling began. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Japan threatens to resume commercial whaling Jun 24, 2008
In my opinion is that the only thing we humans can do to help save the Blue whales (between 1,150-4500) in the Southern Ocean from going extinct is to cull the very overpopulated Minke whales (more than 500,000). B S Goh, Sydney, Australia. (Yahoo News -- Environment & Nature)
Whales may die from heartbreak too Jun 23, 2008
For Yves Paccalet, a French naturalist who helped push through the 1986 moratorium, the intelligent and highly-social Blue whales may be so exhausted from their centuries-long combat with humankind that they have simply have given up the fight. "The psychological consequences of our aggression have compromised their will to live," said Paccalet. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Group Files Whale Endangerment Suit Against Coast Guard Jun 20, 2008
Center Says 3 Blue Whales Died Last Year Off SoCal Coast ... According to the , which filed the claim in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, three endangered blue whales died in 2007 after being hit by ships off the coast of Southern California ... According to the Center for Biological Diversity, blue whales, the largest creatures on earth, once numbered more than 300,000 worldwide but have been reduced to less than 10,000 due to commercial whaling. (NBC 11, CA)
Conservation group sues U.S. Coast Guard Jun 19, 2008
Three blue whales were killed in boat strikes of the coast of Southern California last year, according to the group. The Coast Guard declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. (Longview Daily News, WA)
Off Chile, signs of hope for whales May 4, 2008
Farther to the north, they've tracked several hundred blue whales, believed to be Earth's largest-ever animal, at 100 feet long and more than 100 tons - bigger than any dinosaur. "The likelihood is that they were not completely hunted out, and these are remnant populations," says Bruce Mate, who heads the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University and who worked to tag Chilean blue whales and track them via satellite. (Boston Globe)
Starring: Abigail Breslin, Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler Apr 8, 2008
The movie begins with Nim (Breslin) narrating her own life story, which includes her oceanographer mother's death at the hands of a hungry blue whale (the average seven-year-old could tell you blue whales are baleen mammals who couldn't ingest anything much bigger than a shrimp). Advertisement. (The North Bay Nugget)
Sitka herring seiners make millions in minutes Mar 29, 2008
That's like hauling up several blue whales or fully-loaded 747s. Ordinary seine boats can't carry that much weight. (Anchorage Daily News)
Whale Watching in Remote Wilderness Mar 18, 2008
Unknown Population of Blue Whales Discovered in Waters of Southern Chile ... She is part of a team researching a previously unknown population of blue whales, the biggest mammal on the planet, bigger than the biggest dinosaur ... The job is tedious at times, until the radio call comes in that two blue whales have been spotted. (ABC News)
Out on a limb Mar 9, 2008
Several species, including humpbacks, pilots, blue whales and orcas, can be seen off Kaikoura at different times of the year, but young male sperm whales (some up to 20 metres long) are permanent residents, enjoying the rich diet of the Kaikoura waters while building up their strength to move to the mating grounds of the north. Dolphins and fur seals are also regular visitors, a seal colony being at the end of the peninsula. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
Contentious cuisineWhy the Japanese persist in hunting and eating whales Mar 7, 2008
Blue whales, for example, should not be hunted. Despite the pressure from overseas, Japan's government should not back down. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Endangered whale beaches in Flagler County Mar 1, 2008
That's the second largest whale, next to blue whales, Mazza said. In the Northern Hemisphere, adult females reach 74 feet and adult males grow to 82 feet, according to the NOAA Web site. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Disappointment at Pinkenba Feb 27, 2008
The "Queen Victoria" weighs in at at 90,000 tonnes and is equivalent in tonnage to 160 fully laden A-380 super jumbos, or 825 blue whales and can accommodate 2000 passengers and 1018 crew. While here the "Queen Victoria" docked at the Fisherman Island Wharf. (ABC Regional Online)
White House Went Too Far in Sonar Case, Judge Rules Feb 19, 2008
The ocean off Southern California, where the exercises were scheduled, is especially rich in sea life and is on the migration paths of five endangered species of whales, an important population of blue whales, and as many as seven individual species of beaked whales -- small, deep-diving whales which have been shown to be particularly sensitive to sonar blasts. The council and several other environmental groups have been fighting the Navy over sonar issues for more than a decade. (Yahoo News -- Environment & Nature)
Of whales and war Feb 14, 2008
The acoustician William Schevill made the first recordings of cetaceans in the wild in the 1950s, going on to describe the calls of more than 30 marine mammal species, including sperm whales, blue whales, dolphins and seals. Schevill's knowledge of these underwater sounds was so extensive that he helped defuse a tense moment between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Opinion)
South or into space?| Feb 4, 2008
Whale sighting is best in February and March, with several species, including Southern Rights, Humpbacks and Blue Whales all gathering for the seasonal krill feast. You'll have access to a helicopter, so you'll be able to see, up close, colonies of Emperor Penguins. (iAfrica.com)
Oil survey blasts more risk to sick whales Feb 1, 2008
Surveys with exploding airguns are planned for 5900 square kilometres of waters that blue whales use at the same time, off Victoria and South Australia. Whales avoid seismic noise and concern is growing that these blue whales will miss out on prime feeding opportunities. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
The passing parade Feb 1, 2008
Though blue whales have the distinction of being the largest animals on Earth, weighing up to 150 tons and measuring 100 feet long, gray whales otherwise known as Eschrichtius robustus aren't exactly minnows. They can grow 45 feet long, with females generally a bit larger than males. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Combine Quebec's culture with the great outdoors Jan 25, 2008
This area of the St. Lawrence River is known for whales, and if you're lucky, you might catch a close-up glimpse of beluga, minke, fin, humpback, or blue whales. You can also join an optional Zodiac whale-watching cruise (U.S. $63/Can. (MSNBC -- Travel)
Blue whales face seismic upset when feeding Jan 8, 2008
It means a stretch of ocean off Port Campbell in western Victoria where blue whales are known to feed offshore in high summer, will be subjected to weeks of airgun explosions ... But the noise can harm marine wildlife if it is too close, and there is evidence blue whales in this area shy away - potentially missing out on their food, swarms of shrimp-like krill ... Blue whales, which were devastated in 20th-century commercial whaling, are drawn to waters off the western Victorian coast at this... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
OSU gets $1 million for whale research Jan 4, 2008
Researchers will identify the migratory routes, range and critical habitat of humpback whales and blue whales, which will be the primary species studied. The grant is the fruit of months of contact with Terri Irwin, who was raised in Eugene and whose family operated a cougar rescue. (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)
California: Climate change expected to transform state Dec 30, 2007
As a result, sea lions, blue whales and other marine mammals that follow these systems up and down the coast are expected to decline. The changing sea will present trouble for much of the state's land-dwelling population, too. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Firm that lost drivers details scored errors in exam Dec 21, 2007
Polar bears, blue whales, global warming. One gapper's pics of his expedition to the North Pole. (Times Online)
Animal activists' anger after aquarium puts Santa hats on whales... Dec 19, 2007
The hunting expedition also plans to kill 50 fin whales, the world's second largest animal after blue whales, as 850 smaller minke whales. Wildlife officials say the display of the white belugas wearing Santa hats is both sad and ironic against the background of the Antarctic hunts, due to start in the region after Christmas. (The Drudge Report)
Scientists find why big whales gulp their food Dec 18, 2007
" To test this hypothesis, Goldbogen and Pyenson want to compare the size and shape of living and fossil whales. "When we look at all the sizes and shapes, we're going to be able to figure out exactly how lunge feeding evolved and whether it's responsible for these really big whales we see today," Goldbogen said. The scientists have been visiting museum warehouses in recent months to make measurements of whale skeletons. It can take hours - and forklifts in some cases - to gather the data on... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Fin whale at feeding time: Dive deep, stop short, open wide Dec 12, 2007
Blue whales, the biggest animals to have ever lived, reach 160 tons the same mass as about 2,000 grown men or 5 million grown mice. It takes a lot of food to build such giant bodies, but how exactly the biggest whales get so much has long been a mystery. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Global warming already threatening world's plants and animals Dec 7, 2007
The carbon dioxide emissions that are a leading cause of global warming also turn oceans more acidic, killing coral reefs and the microscopic plankton that blue whales and other marine mammals depend on for food. "In the long run, every species will be affected," Foden said. (North County Times)
* Japanese whaling fleet sails for Antarctic Ocean Nov 19, 2007
The expedition also plans to kill 50 fin whales -- the world's second largest animal after blue whales -- as well as 850 smaller minke whales. It will be the first time that Japan has hunted humpback whales since an international moratorium on the species took effect in 1966 because of overhunting. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Why shouldnt we eat whales? Nov 17, 2007
Hunting humpbacks and blue whales though is a different matter. While some may object to any hunting of whales, we need to admit that different cultures have different values; dog lovers may find some Korean cuisine distasteful, Hindus probably dont approve of eating cows. (Nature News Service)
Alaska offshore oil search turns up whales Nov 8, 2007
The long, slender whales grow to nearly 88 feet, the second longest of the whales behind blue whales. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Groups to monitor whales in Beaufort Sea Nov 7, 2007
Fin whales are longer and more slender, growing to nearly 88 feet - second only to blue whales. All rights reserved. (Herald Online, SC -- Health)
Ships Kill Endangered Blue Whales Oct 18, 2007
Ocean noise and harmful algal blooms eliminated as cause of death for 3 sub-adult blue whales ... The loss of three endangered blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) in one month in the waters off of southern California prompted an unusual mortality event investigation ... And the krill has been staying close to the surface, bringing the blue whales into the paths of the huge ships that travel through the area. (Suite101.com)
More of this story Oct 11, 2007
The mammal was one of three blue whales that have died recently off the California coast ... "Blue whales tend to follow their food source and if it's in a shipping lane, there are going to be encounters. If they come up against a container ship, they are going to lose that battle.". (Malibu Times, CA)
Whale disposal is a hulking task Oct 8, 2007
An undisputed environmental tragedy, the recent deaths of three blue whales off Southern California also posed a problem for communities faced with disposing of 60 or 70 tons of decomposing cetacean that had rolled into their beaches and harbors. The difficulties, all too well known to whale researchers, are wryly summed up by the authors of the 2005 edition of "Marine Mammals Ashore: A Field Guide for Strandings.". (Los Angeles Times)
Whale carcass returns to shore for the third time Oct 5, 2007
Blue whales are listed as a federally endangered species. Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www. (Santa Maria Times)
Humpback Washes Up In Pacifica Oct 2, 2007
Mammal experts said three blue whales washed ashore on Southern California beaches last month, but they don't think this whale has anything to do with those discoveries because this whale is a humpback. Copyright 2007 by. (NBC 11, CA)
California's Channel Islands Marine Protected Area Expands Sep 28, 2007
Lying off the coast of Santa Barbara, Channel Islands waters are frequented by blue whales, sea lions, and dolphins. The federal action adds nine new zones to the network - eight no-take marine reserves and one limited take marine conservation area. (NBCSandiego.com, CA)
Necropsy: Second Southern California blue whale died of ship strike Sep 24, 2007
A necropsy done on one of the other blue whales determined that it too died from a collision with a ship ... There are about 100 blue whales in the Santa Barbara Channel and their primary food source, krill, is prevalent in shipping lanes. (North County Times)
Bush, U.N. See Global Warming Differently Sep 22, 2007
(3:43)Only On The Web: Sandra Hughes speaks to whale expert David Bader about why many Blue whales are defying migrating patterns and setting up permanent residency off Southern California's coast. (2:23). (CBS News)
Scientists plan to tow in carcass of 3rd blue whale Sep 22, 2007
An endangered species, blue whales are the largest animals on Earth ... Even with blue whales weighing 60 tons or more, massive freighters and tankers can run into them without realizing it. (Los Angeles Times)
Whale found dead off SoCal coast Sep 21, 2007
Blue whales are listed as a federally endangered species. Share this story. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Rock the Dock--Harboring a rocking good time Sep 20, 2007
It's not unusual, in the overall scheme of things, to see humpback whales, blue whales, leatherback turtles or even great white sharks in the blue waters off the Coastside ... It's not unusual to spot humpback whales, though that often happens in May, and spectacular, huge blue whales are "not something you see every year," she added ... Pillar Point Harbor is a good departure point for Oceanic Society whale watching voyages that coincide with humpback whale migration season or approach the... (Half Moon Bay Review, CA)
Rain could fall this week Sep 19, 2007
Algore wrote on Sep 18, 2007 10:00 PM:" Just another sign of Global Warming! Winter Storms in Summer, and Big Blue Whales off the coast of San Diego. We need to act now!! Stop driving those big SUV'S. It's all our fault, we must change now! ". Add Your or. (North County Times)
A Whale Of A Mystery Sep 19, 2007
Blue Whales Are Feeding Off The Southern California Coast In Large Numbers ... An unusually high number of blue whales are calling the waters off L.A.'s coast home, which could be potentially dangerous ... These blue whales should not be here in the numbers that are here, feeding right off of southern California. (CBS News -- Evening News)
Eco barons spend to save the world Sep 19, 2007
Piera has promised to make conservation of offshore blue whales and inland virgin forests a top priority. From Patagonia to Montana, millions of hectares are being bought by business leaders and placed in private charities, conservation trusts, or handed over to governments as a gift. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Blue whale carcass washes up on beach near Ventura Sep 16, 2007
About 100 to 200 blue whales have been feeding in the Santa Barbara Channel during their annual summer migration from Mexico and Central America. This one was spotted from the air Tuesday, floating, and scientists tagging healthy blue whales were directed to it ... Although about 3,000 of the world's 12,000 blue whales are thought to swim off the West Coast of the Americas, they seldom wash ashore. (Los Angeles Times)
Fossil Whale Puts Limit On Origin Of Oily, Buoyant Bones In Whales Sep 15, 2007
Previous researchers had hypothesized that whale-fall communities evolved with the origin of large baleen whales, such as blue whales, and oil-rich bones. Pyenson and Haasl proposed instead that the oil content of the whale's bones was the more crucial factor. (Science Daily)
Blue whale carcass found on Calif. beach Sep 15, 2007
Blue whales, the largest animal on earth, have been migrating through the Santa Barbara Channel on the California coastline, but how the one that drifted into the rocks off Hobson Beach died will not be known until scientists have taken tissue samples and examined its body. The whale has drawn dozens of spectators who have been taking photos and giving their children a rare glimpse of a huge marine mammal. (Xinhuanet, China)
Ancient whale fall from California's Ao Nuevo Island one of youngest, most complete known Sep 14, 2007
" Over the past 18 years, more whale falls have been found around the world, and paleontologists have found examples in the fossil record as well. Most fossil examples, however, consist of isolated bones adjacent to deep-sea mollusks, Pyenson said. Little is known about the size or identity of the whale host. In contrast, the Ao Nuevo skeleton was unusually complete and hosted multiple mollusks. It also was small, which suggested to Pyenson that these specialized deep-sea communities didn't... (EurekAlert!)
Norway's Whale Catch Up Slightly, Quota Unfilled Sep 3, 2007
Though its whalers landed only half their quota for the second season in a row, Norway says minke whales are plentiful in the North Atlantic, unlike blue whales, which were hunted to the brink of extinction before the IWC's 1986 moratorium. "If we are to reach the target ... we have to make sure we do not catch more than the quota in areas where availability has been quite good ... to leave some for next year," said Halvard Peter Johnasen, department director at the ministry. (Planet Ark, United States)
Fun on a glacier 'tsunami' Aug 22, 2007
reports of a sighting of five blue whales, including one calf, near the Queen Charlotte Islands south of Ketchikan ... The extremely rare sighting of blue whales is grounds for optimism they are making a comeback in B.C. waters, said John Ford, Oceans Canada biologist. (Anchorage Daily News)
Blue whales make BC splash Aug 19, 2007
Blue whales make B.C. splash ... A group of whale-watchers has spotted the largest number of blue whales seen together ... Blue whales make B.C. splash. (Canada.com)
