Wildlife researchers are proposing the creation of a unique, miniature conservation zone encompassing a key feeding area for a critically endangered population of killer whales near Vancouver Island.
The international team of scientists, includingUniversity of British Columbia biologist Rob Williams and colleagues from Britain and the United States, spent four months in the summer of 2006 painstakingly monitoring the movements of a three-pod population of killer whales in waters off B.C. and Washington state that numbers just 87 individuals -- so few that every animal has been identified from distinctive markings.
The researchers found the whales were about three times more likely to feast on Chinook salmon -- their preferred meal -- in a narrow coastal strip south of Washington's San Juan Island than anywhere else in their summer range.
In an article published in the latest issue of the journal Animal Conservation, the scientists propose strict protections for this whale-dining "hot spot," arguing that the no-go zone is small enough to establish a practical system for diverting boat traffic but
large enough to guarantee the whales unfettered feeding.
"Protecting even small patches of water can provide conservation benefits, as long as we choose the spots wisely," said lead researcher Erin Ashe, a biologist at Scotland's University of St Andrews, in a summary of the study.
Ms. Ashe and Mr. Williams said a sanctuary created in 1982 at the north end of Vancouver Island-- the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve -- has successfully protected an area where killer whales in a different population gather to rub their bodies on pebbled beaches.
The proposed Marine Protected Area (MPA) near San Juan Island -- a rectangular zone measuring about two kilometres by 12 kilometres -- would be the first reserve designed specifically to prevent human disturbance of a killer whale feeding ground.
The research team noted that creating a quiet environment is particularly important because the animals' behaviour is more affected by boat traffic while hunting prey than when moving along travel corridors or engaging in other activities.
"MPAs are valuable tools for conservation, but they are not our only tool," Ms. Ashe and Mr. Williams said, emphasizing the proposed exclusion zone for boats would be set within a broader area in the U.S.-Canada boundary waters that is already designated as a conservation area for killer whales.
"A smaller conservation area that is well-placed, effectively managed and has good compliance from boaters might offer additional protection within the broader critical habitat," they said.
The researchers acknowledged that tighter restrictions on human activity in an area popular for whale-watching and recreational boating could be contentious.
"The candidate no-go zone identified in our study is currently used for ecotourism, commercial and recreational fishing, marine transportation and research, and is adjacent to international shipping lanes," they said.
"For an MPA to be successful, there has to be broad, local support, and we hope that that can be achieved here ... There will be controversy, of course, but ... there is overwhelming support for killer whale conservation in the region."
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=2376600#ixzz0amcKvAZk
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donderdag 24 december 2009
donderdag 17 december 2009
Killer whales 'body-slam' dolphins in Australia attack
Australian surfers told of their horror as they watched a pod of killer whales attack a large group of dolphins, throwing them into the air and leaping to catch them.
Jamie Kidney said he was surfing off southern Australia's Eyre Peninsula with his friend Anton Storey when the ocean erupted into a seething mass of white water and "all hell broke loose".
"(It was) just chaos, you saw monstrous amounts of white water and then dolphins go flying up in the air, a killer whale would jump out of the water, grab it and body-slam it," Kidney told state radio.
"We look up out the back and these killer whales are just ramming dolphins out of the water and grabbing them, and this just kept going on and on and on, it was unreal," added Storey.
The pair estimated there were up to 100 dolphins under attack, and Kidney said the whales appeared to be toying with the mammals for fun before killing and eating them.
South Australian biologist Cath Kemper said it was "on the unusual side" to see killer whales attack dolphins so close to shore.
"They might have come in initially to look for snapper and maybe there were some dolphins around," Kemper told AFP.
"We've certainly had other reports of killer whales attacking seals and things but not necessarily dolphins.
Sometimes called "wolves of the sea", killer whales are top-order predators that eat anything from squid to larger marine mammals, she added.
Jamie Kidney said he was surfing off southern Australia's Eyre Peninsula with his friend Anton Storey when the ocean erupted into a seething mass of white water and "all hell broke loose".
"(It was) just chaos, you saw monstrous amounts of white water and then dolphins go flying up in the air, a killer whale would jump out of the water, grab it and body-slam it," Kidney told state radio.
"We look up out the back and these killer whales are just ramming dolphins out of the water and grabbing them, and this just kept going on and on and on, it was unreal," added Storey.
The pair estimated there were up to 100 dolphins under attack, and Kidney said the whales appeared to be toying with the mammals for fun before killing and eating them.
South Australian biologist Cath Kemper said it was "on the unusual side" to see killer whales attack dolphins so close to shore.
"They might have come in initially to look for snapper and maybe there were some dolphins around," Kemper told AFP.
"We've certainly had other reports of killer whales attacking seals and things but not necessarily dolphins.
Sometimes called "wolves of the sea", killer whales are top-order predators that eat anything from squid to larger marine mammals, she added.
donderdag 10 december 2009
Gray-colored transient killer whale spotted
On December 10, 2009 Capt Jim Maya, a whale watch operator from San Juan Island, photographed this white/gray colored transient killer whale. While nobody knows for sure why this whale is colored this way, grey and albino killer whales have been reported before.
In the 1970's, an albino orca in a Canadian aquarium was diagnosed with Chediak-Higashi syndrome and this syndrome could be the reason for the lack of coloration seen in the transient photographed by Capt. Jim on December 10th. Chediak-Higashi syndrome damages the immune system, increasing an animal's susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections. More specifically, it is an inherited genetic mutation that reduces the ability of white blood cells to destroy infectious agents such as bacteria. This mutation also reduces skin pigmentation, resulting in full or partial albinism. Chediak-Higashi syndrome has also been reported in humans, mice and cattle.
Genetic, infectious, parasitic and toxic diseases can impact the recovery of endangered species like the southern resident killer whales and SeaDoc has been working with other experts around the region to study and monitor diseases in killer whales. We thank Capt. Jim of Maya Westside Charters on San Juan Island for these photographs.
In the 1970's, an albino orca in a Canadian aquarium was diagnosed with Chediak-Higashi syndrome and this syndrome could be the reason for the lack of coloration seen in the transient photographed by Capt. Jim on December 10th. Chediak-Higashi syndrome damages the immune system, increasing an animal's susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections. More specifically, it is an inherited genetic mutation that reduces the ability of white blood cells to destroy infectious agents such as bacteria. This mutation also reduces skin pigmentation, resulting in full or partial albinism. Chediak-Higashi syndrome has also been reported in humans, mice and cattle.
Genetic, infectious, parasitic and toxic diseases can impact the recovery of endangered species like the southern resident killer whales and SeaDoc has been working with other experts around the region to study and monitor diseases in killer whales. We thank Capt. Jim of Maya Westside Charters on San Juan Island for these photographs.
zaterdag 28 november 2009
Killer whales attack and eat sharks
Several populations of skilled orcas around the world have learned how to overcome sharks using a combination of superior brain power and brute force.
The Great White and Mako are just two of at least nine species of shark known to be eaten by some orca families.
Populations of orcas in territories across the globe - including New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Farallon Islands off America's west coast - have devised a number of strategies for tackling sharks.
But to make sure they don't end up seriously injured when attacking such dangerous prey, the orcas spend years perfecting the various techniques and watching more experienced adults demonstrate how to do it properly.
"The most impressive strategy is the 'karate chop'," said expert Dr Ingrid Visser, 43, who has studied orca behaviour for 17 years.
"The orca will use its tail to drive the shark to the surface. They don't even touch it. Using an up-thrust of its tail it creates a vortex which pushes the shark up on they current they create with their movements.
"Once the shark is at the surface, the killer whale pivots and lifts its tail out of the water and comes down on top of it like a karate chop."
The orca then grasps the shark and turns it upside down - suggesting that they may somehow understand shark biology.
When sharks are quickly flipped upside down, they enter a paralysed state known as 'tonic immobility'.
"It's not that the orca understands the physiology of the shark," said Dr Visser, from Tutukaka, North Island, New Zealand.. "But it does demonstrate that they understand the behavioural consequences of what will happen if they take a certain action.
"You don't need to understand how a car works in order to drive it. All you need to know is the individual behaviours that make the car go.
"In the same way, it seems the orcas that can do this have learned that if they turn the shark upside down, they don't fight back. They simply manipulate that to their advantage."
Other methods observed by scientists and witnesses include 'corralling', where groups of orcas circle a lone shark and ram it or stealthily approach the shark from directly below and catch it off guard by attacking its underbelly.
"They always eventually turn the shark upside down," added Dr Visser. "At that point the shark cannot fight back, it has been a successful hunt and they can feed.
"We don't think that the orcas are specifically making a decision to go out and hunt shark. The marine world can be a difficult place to find food. When there is an opportunity, an orca will take it."
Dr Visser is a leading orca researcher and has pioneered several discoveries in orca behaviour. She was the first to record orcas hunting hammerhead and thresher sharks.
See and read more about this incredible behaviour in the December issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine.
The Great White and Mako are just two of at least nine species of shark known to be eaten by some orca families.
Populations of orcas in territories across the globe - including New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Farallon Islands off America's west coast - have devised a number of strategies for tackling sharks.
But to make sure they don't end up seriously injured when attacking such dangerous prey, the orcas spend years perfecting the various techniques and watching more experienced adults demonstrate how to do it properly.
"The most impressive strategy is the 'karate chop'," said expert Dr Ingrid Visser, 43, who has studied orca behaviour for 17 years.
"The orca will use its tail to drive the shark to the surface. They don't even touch it. Using an up-thrust of its tail it creates a vortex which pushes the shark up on they current they create with their movements.
"Once the shark is at the surface, the killer whale pivots and lifts its tail out of the water and comes down on top of it like a karate chop."
The orca then grasps the shark and turns it upside down - suggesting that they may somehow understand shark biology.
When sharks are quickly flipped upside down, they enter a paralysed state known as 'tonic immobility'.
"It's not that the orca understands the physiology of the shark," said Dr Visser, from Tutukaka, North Island, New Zealand.. "But it does demonstrate that they understand the behavioural consequences of what will happen if they take a certain action.
"You don't need to understand how a car works in order to drive it. All you need to know is the individual behaviours that make the car go.
"In the same way, it seems the orcas that can do this have learned that if they turn the shark upside down, they don't fight back. They simply manipulate that to their advantage."
Other methods observed by scientists and witnesses include 'corralling', where groups of orcas circle a lone shark and ram it or stealthily approach the shark from directly below and catch it off guard by attacking its underbelly.
"They always eventually turn the shark upside down," added Dr Visser. "At that point the shark cannot fight back, it has been a successful hunt and they can feed.
"We don't think that the orcas are specifically making a decision to go out and hunt shark. The marine world can be a difficult place to find food. When there is an opportunity, an orca will take it."
Dr Visser is a leading orca researcher and has pioneered several discoveries in orca behaviour. She was the first to record orcas hunting hammerhead and thresher sharks.
See and read more about this incredible behaviour in the December issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine.
woensdag 25 november 2009
Whales save seal from orcas
There are plenty of stories of cetaceans saving humans. Indeed, Jonah was rescued by a whale when he was thrown overboard, and there have been tales of dolphins assisting swimmers in distress or shielding them from circling sharks.
Killer whales, however — themselves a species of dolphin — didn't get their name for nothing. Early Basque whalers called them whale killers when they saw them attacking other whales. Hunting like a pack of wolves, orca know no fear. They'll tear the throats from grey whale calves, and have even been known to take chunks out of sperm whales — the largest predators that ever lived.
But here's a sight to gladden the eye. Earlier this year, Californian scientists Robert L Pitman and John W Durban sailed to the Antarctic in search of killer whales. They were looking for a possible new species, known to hunt Weddell seals — one of the plumpest of the pinnipeds (the suborder that includes seals and sea lions) — by washing them off ice floes with their wake.
That's what was happening here — until a group of humpback whales arrived on the scene. Unlike orca, which are odontocetes or toothed whales, humpbacks are mysticetes, harmless leviathans with only baleen plates in their mouths.
Doubtless open-mouthed themselves, Pitman and Durban — along with a film crew from the BBC Natural History unit — watched as one seal, swept into the water by the orca, swam towards the humpbacks.
As the killer whales moved in, the plucky pinniped leapt on to the vast ribbed belly of a humpback, and nestled in the animal's armpit. Not only that, but when a wave threatened to return the seal to danger, the humpback used its massive flipper (at five metres, the longest in the animal kingdom) to nudge it back on.
"Moments later the seal scrambled off and swam to the safety of a nearby ice floe," wrote the scientists. They believe the seal triggered a maternal defence mechanism in the humpbacks. Whatever the truth, it's a heartening tale. But spare a thought for the orca. They've got kids to feed, too.
Killer whales, however — themselves a species of dolphin — didn't get their name for nothing. Early Basque whalers called them whale killers when they saw them attacking other whales. Hunting like a pack of wolves, orca know no fear. They'll tear the throats from grey whale calves, and have even been known to take chunks out of sperm whales — the largest predators that ever lived.
But here's a sight to gladden the eye. Earlier this year, Californian scientists Robert L Pitman and John W Durban sailed to the Antarctic in search of killer whales. They were looking for a possible new species, known to hunt Weddell seals — one of the plumpest of the pinnipeds (the suborder that includes seals and sea lions) — by washing them off ice floes with their wake.
That's what was happening here — until a group of humpback whales arrived on the scene. Unlike orca, which are odontocetes or toothed whales, humpbacks are mysticetes, harmless leviathans with only baleen plates in their mouths.
Doubtless open-mouthed themselves, Pitman and Durban — along with a film crew from the BBC Natural History unit — watched as one seal, swept into the water by the orca, swam towards the humpbacks.
As the killer whales moved in, the plucky pinniped leapt on to the vast ribbed belly of a humpback, and nestled in the animal's armpit. Not only that, but when a wave threatened to return the seal to danger, the humpback used its massive flipper (at five metres, the longest in the animal kingdom) to nudge it back on.
"Moments later the seal scrambled off and swam to the safety of a nearby ice floe," wrote the scientists. They believe the seal triggered a maternal defence mechanism in the humpbacks. Whatever the truth, it's a heartening tale. But spare a thought for the orca. They've got kids to feed, too.
vrijdag 20 november 2009
J46 named Star
A Star is born! On November 11, 2009 a brand new baby whale was seen in J pod swimming next to its mother at mid-day near the west side of San Juan Island. A few hours later at sunset the new baby and its extended family swam past the Victoria, BC waterfront before turning back toward Admiralty Inlet and Puget Sound for the night. On the 12th and 13th of November the new baby and family traveled extensively near Seattle, WA where they were received with great media excitement; and, on the 14th of November they were back near Victoria, BC. This family tour of the endangered whales’ core habitat with a new baby seemed to be like “showing off” for a well-wishing crowd of humans that swarm the shores and waters watching them, but really they were looking for food – salmon. Puget Sound Chum salmon are in season for the whales’ diet in early winter, but Chinook salmon are their mainstay diet year-round throughout their range, and they too are endangered.
The new baby is designated J46, and we are going to call it “Star”, for the role that it will play in showing the human inhabitants in this region that it is important to clean up Puget Sound and restore healthy abundant salmon populations to the Pacific Northwest. That mission brings a message to all of the relevant human nations – USA, Canada, First Nations, Treaty, and non-Treaty – that the first intelligent mammal residents of the region are also investing in these efforts. We could not ask for a more charismatic indicator, a baby whale, to measure the success of our renewed efforts for restoration. J pod is the most watched family of whales in the Pacific Northwest, or perhaps in the world; and, this is the first year in recent decades that they have produced three babies within one year. We will all be watching, here and worldwide, carefully and respectfully, to see if they beat the odds and all survive. This is the reality show that really means something.
The new baby is designated J46, and we are going to call it “Star”, for the role that it will play in showing the human inhabitants in this region that it is important to clean up Puget Sound and restore healthy abundant salmon populations to the Pacific Northwest. That mission brings a message to all of the relevant human nations – USA, Canada, First Nations, Treaty, and non-Treaty – that the first intelligent mammal residents of the region are also investing in these efforts. We could not ask for a more charismatic indicator, a baby whale, to measure the success of our renewed efforts for restoration. J pod is the most watched family of whales in the Pacific Northwest, or perhaps in the world; and, this is the first year in recent decades that they have produced three babies within one year. We will all be watching, here and worldwide, carefully and respectfully, to see if they beat the odds and all survive. This is the reality show that really means something.
maandag 16 november 2009
Orca calf receives Samish name. Se-Y´-Chn
An orca calf has been given a traditional name by the Samish Indian Nation.
On Oct. 17, Samish hosted a naming ceremony and potlatch at its Fidalgo Bay Resort for the killer whale, which received the name Se-Y´-Chn. Witnesses included Jeanne Hyde, coordinator of the Orca Adoption Program at the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor.
The name, pronounced “sea-ee-chin,” means “younger one.” The killer whale is a member of the Southern Resident pods that spend much of the year in the ancestral waters of the Samish people. The Center for Whale Research, which maintains a census of the killer whales, has designated the orca as J45.
Other members of Se-Y´-Chn’s family include Samish (J14), Hy’Shqa (J37), and Suttles (J40); J40 was named by the Samish in honor of the late Dr. Wayne Suttles, the noted anthropologist who devoted his career to the study of the Coast Salish culture and language, in 2005.
The Southern Resident killer whales are listed as an endangered species in the U.S. and Canada. The population is 86, according to the Center for Whale Research. The biggest threats to the whales’ survival are diminished runs of salmon, their primary prey; as well as pollution and interference from vessels.
On Oct. 17, Samish hosted a naming ceremony and potlatch at its Fidalgo Bay Resort for the killer whale, which received the name Se-Y´-Chn. Witnesses included Jeanne Hyde, coordinator of the Orca Adoption Program at the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor.
The name, pronounced “sea-ee-chin,” means “younger one.” The killer whale is a member of the Southern Resident pods that spend much of the year in the ancestral waters of the Samish people. The Center for Whale Research, which maintains a census of the killer whales, has designated the orca as J45.
Other members of Se-Y´-Chn’s family include Samish (J14), Hy’Shqa (J37), and Suttles (J40); J40 was named by the Samish in honor of the late Dr. Wayne Suttles, the noted anthropologist who devoted his career to the study of the Coast Salish culture and language, in 2005.
The Southern Resident killer whales are listed as an endangered species in the U.S. and Canada. The population is 86, according to the Center for Whale Research. The biggest threats to the whales’ survival are diminished runs of salmon, their primary prey; as well as pollution and interference from vessels.
donderdag 12 november 2009
New baby orca reported in J Pod; 87 in Salish Sea
The Orca Network says a newborn killer whale has been spotted in J Pod, which was seen Wednesday in waters off the San Juan Islands and near Victoria.
The Network's Susan Berta says the calf has been given the designation J-46. Its presumed mother is a 16-year-old orca known as J-28 or Polaris.
Another baby killer whale was reported last month in L pod.
The Kitsap Sun reports the births bring the total population of three orca pods to 87 in the Salish Sea waters of Washington and British Columbia.
The Network's Susan Berta says the calf has been given the designation J-46. Its presumed mother is a 16-year-old orca known as J-28 or Polaris.
Another baby killer whale was reported last month in L pod.
The Kitsap Sun reports the births bring the total population of three orca pods to 87 in the Salish Sea waters of Washington and British Columbia.
maandag 26 oktober 2009
Keep fingers crossed for infant orca
A baby orca whale has been born in the L pod of Puget Sound orcas, whale researchers confirmed this week, but its chances of survival might not be too good.
The mother of the infant whale is believed to be a 14-year-old by the name of Calypso (L-94). If so, it would be her first calf.
The first offspring of an orca whale faces an uphill battle, compared with later births. That’s because females transfer high levels of toxic chemicals to the firstborn, both in the womb and in the mother’s milk, whale researchers say.
The Puget Sound killer whales, consisting of the J, K and L family groupings, were listed as endangered in 2005. Their population, including the newborn, was recently pegged at 86.
A year ago, seven from the families of killer whales were reported missing and presumed dead, the likely victims of a dwindling food supply and pollution. The fate of the newborn hangs in the balance.
The mother of the infant whale is believed to be a 14-year-old by the name of Calypso (L-94). If so, it would be her first calf.
The first offspring of an orca whale faces an uphill battle, compared with later births. That’s because females transfer high levels of toxic chemicals to the firstborn, both in the womb and in the mother’s milk, whale researchers say.
The Puget Sound killer whales, consisting of the J, K and L family groupings, were listed as endangered in 2005. Their population, including the newborn, was recently pegged at 86.
A year ago, seven from the families of killer whales were reported missing and presumed dead, the likely victims of a dwindling food supply and pollution. The fate of the newborn hangs in the balance.
vrijdag 16 oktober 2009
New SR calf born: L113
A calf has been born to L pod, bumping the Southern Resident killer whale population to 86.
Center for Whale Research director Ken Balcomb said today that the calf was born sometime between Sept. 20, when the pod was last seen without a new calf, and Oct. 10, when the calf was sighted off Port Townsend.
Photographer Jami Nagel, a naturalist with Island Adventures Cruises, photographed the calf while it was traveling with L94, a 14-year-old female; and L41, a 32-year-old male.
"Until further documentation, the identity of the mother is unsure," the whale advocacy group Orca Network reported on its Web site.
The center, which maintains a census of the Southern Resident pods, has designated the calf L113.
"We are hoping the whales come back in again soon, and that this new calf survives," Orca Network reported. "If it is a first-born calf, its chances of survival are less (due to the high amount of toxins off-loaded from a new mom into her first born), and the first year of life for any orca calf can be tenuous."
The Southern Resident killer whales are on the U.S. and Canadian endangered species lists. Their population, believed to have been historically in the high 100s, was decimated by captures for marine parks, which ended in the 1970s, followed by pollution and declining salmon populations. The National Marine Fisheries Service is writing a recovery plan for the pods.
Within the last 10 years, the population dropped from 99 and has seesawed in the low- to mid-80s. Balcomb said L113 is the first Southern Resident orca calf born since J45 in February.
Center for Whale Research director Ken Balcomb said today that the calf was born sometime between Sept. 20, when the pod was last seen without a new calf, and Oct. 10, when the calf was sighted off Port Townsend.
Photographer Jami Nagel, a naturalist with Island Adventures Cruises, photographed the calf while it was traveling with L94, a 14-year-old female; and L41, a 32-year-old male.
"Until further documentation, the identity of the mother is unsure," the whale advocacy group Orca Network reported on its Web site.
The center, which maintains a census of the Southern Resident pods, has designated the calf L113.
"We are hoping the whales come back in again soon, and that this new calf survives," Orca Network reported. "If it is a first-born calf, its chances of survival are less (due to the high amount of toxins off-loaded from a new mom into her first born), and the first year of life for any orca calf can be tenuous."
The Southern Resident killer whales are on the U.S. and Canadian endangered species lists. Their population, believed to have been historically in the high 100s, was decimated by captures for marine parks, which ended in the 1970s, followed by pollution and declining salmon populations. The National Marine Fisheries Service is writing a recovery plan for the pods.
Within the last 10 years, the population dropped from 99 and has seesawed in the low- to mid-80s. Balcomb said L113 is the first Southern Resident orca calf born since J45 in February.
donderdag 15 oktober 2009
Are killer whales the culprit that's causing sea lion trouble in western Alaska?
Alaska's fisheries are once again under the gun as the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) looks at the effects of fishing on the endangered Steller sea lion (SSL). At stake are the multi-billion dollar groundfish fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. These fisheries are the economic engine that provides most of the jobs and revenue for coastal communities like Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, and the northern Bering Sea villages that participate in the Community Development Quota program. But new research may shed light on what is happening to Steller sea lions, and this could be good news for Alaska's fishery dependent communities.
According to recently published research out of the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward, the endangered Steller sea lion may serve as a main course meal to some killer whales. This study seems to support the findings of the National Research Council (NRC) that killer whale predation may play a critical role in SSL recovery. Let's hope the National Marine Fisheries Service, charged with protecting sea lions and managing federal fisheries, takes this important new information into account as it completes it's assessment of current fisheries restrictions in Alaska. Called a Biological Opinion, this assessment is scheduled for release to the public in March and will impact communities throughout Alaska.
As part of a study to look at sea lion mortality, scientists at the Alaska Sea Life Center (ASLC) and Oregon State University (OSU) implanted sensors in 21 SSL in the Prince William Sound region. The transmitters were designed to release body cooling data upon death of the animal. Data recovered from four of five animals indicated rapid temperature drops likely caused by acute death at sea. The researchers concluded this was probably caused by killer whale predation. The study is scheduled for publication in the Endangered Species Journal. Co-author Markus Horning was recently quoted saying. "It could be coincidence or it could mean that predation is a much more important factor than has previously been acknowledged." In other words, killer whales may have been caught in the cookie jar.
The reason this issue is important to Alaskans is that the Endangered Species Act requires that protective action be taken even when the cause of a population decline is unknown. It's important that those protective actions are not misdirected. The endangered western stock of SSL, at more than 45,000 animals, is among the highest of all endangered species. The population has increased overall by about 14% since 2000 but recovery is uneven. Speculation remains about why this is the case, and why the population in the distant western Aleutian Islands may continue to decline. While the NRC and some marine mammal scientists believe that killer whale predation may be a factor affecting SSL trends, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has favored a hypothesis that nutritional stress, potentially caused by competition for prey with fishermen, may be impacting sea lion reproductive rates. The Steller Sea Lion Recovery Team rated both hypotheses as potentially high threats to the recovery of Steller sea lions.
Congress allocated over $80 million in research money to help unravel the mystery of the SSL decline and impediments to its recovery. Since that time much work has been produced and, though the question has not yet been answered, this recent study suggests that factors like killer whale predation may be at work. The Endangered Species Act requires that all the scientific evidence be considered. Let's hope the National Marine Fisheries Services takes a hard look at all these factors, not just the potential impact that fishermen might have on sea lions, as they conduct their review. The economic health of our fishery dependent communities depends on it.
Frank Kelty is a 38 year resident and former mayor of the Aleutian Island community of Unalaska. He is currently the President of the Marine Conservation Alliance.
According to recently published research out of the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward, the endangered Steller sea lion may serve as a main course meal to some killer whales. This study seems to support the findings of the National Research Council (NRC) that killer whale predation may play a critical role in SSL recovery. Let's hope the National Marine Fisheries Service, charged with protecting sea lions and managing federal fisheries, takes this important new information into account as it completes it's assessment of current fisheries restrictions in Alaska. Called a Biological Opinion, this assessment is scheduled for release to the public in March and will impact communities throughout Alaska.
As part of a study to look at sea lion mortality, scientists at the Alaska Sea Life Center (ASLC) and Oregon State University (OSU) implanted sensors in 21 SSL in the Prince William Sound region. The transmitters were designed to release body cooling data upon death of the animal. Data recovered from four of five animals indicated rapid temperature drops likely caused by acute death at sea. The researchers concluded this was probably caused by killer whale predation. The study is scheduled for publication in the Endangered Species Journal. Co-author Markus Horning was recently quoted saying. "It could be coincidence or it could mean that predation is a much more important factor than has previously been acknowledged." In other words, killer whales may have been caught in the cookie jar.
The reason this issue is important to Alaskans is that the Endangered Species Act requires that protective action be taken even when the cause of a population decline is unknown. It's important that those protective actions are not misdirected. The endangered western stock of SSL, at more than 45,000 animals, is among the highest of all endangered species. The population has increased overall by about 14% since 2000 but recovery is uneven. Speculation remains about why this is the case, and why the population in the distant western Aleutian Islands may continue to decline. While the NRC and some marine mammal scientists believe that killer whale predation may be a factor affecting SSL trends, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has favored a hypothesis that nutritional stress, potentially caused by competition for prey with fishermen, may be impacting sea lion reproductive rates. The Steller Sea Lion Recovery Team rated both hypotheses as potentially high threats to the recovery of Steller sea lions.
Congress allocated over $80 million in research money to help unravel the mystery of the SSL decline and impediments to its recovery. Since that time much work has been produced and, though the question has not yet been answered, this recent study suggests that factors like killer whale predation may be at work. The Endangered Species Act requires that all the scientific evidence be considered. Let's hope the National Marine Fisheries Services takes a hard look at all these factors, not just the potential impact that fishermen might have on sea lions, as they conduct their review. The economic health of our fishery dependent communities depends on it.
Frank Kelty is a 38 year resident and former mayor of the Aleutian Island community of Unalaska. He is currently the President of the Marine Conservation Alliance.
Massive killer whale pod sighted
A massive pod of up to 50 killer whales has been filmed for the first time off the coast of Scotland by a BBC crew.
Gordon Buchanan, presenter of BBC Autumnwatch, filmed the group from a fishing boat in the North Sea.
The killer whales are filmed approaching the fishing boat and feeding on mackerel that escape the fishing nets.
The tenacious behaviour reveals an unlikely alliance between fishermen and predators of fish.
Killer whales (Orcinus orca), otherwise called orcas, live in family groups called pods and occur in British waters.
As the largest member of the dolphin family, killer whales are known for their intelligence and range of hunting behaviours.
The pod of killer whales caught on camera belong to a family group that has developed a particular hunting strategy; following mackerel fishermen and feeding on fish that escape their nets.
As the nets are brought to the surface and into the boat, the killer whales approach and come alongside, giving fishermen and the BBC Autumnwatch team a grandstand view of the pod in action.
The killer whales pick of any escaping mackerel and also feed off scraps as the nets are later lowered back into the water to be washed clean.
Fisherman's friend
Scientists first documented this behaviour in the 1980s and fishermen in Scotland have seen the behaviour develop since.
"They are pretty quick to cotton on, and it's something they are doing all around the world where there is a big fishery," says Mr Andy Foote of the University of Aberdeen, a marine scientist advising the BBC Autumnwatch team.
"But what's great about this one, is they aren't viewed as a pest, they are just going after mackerel that are stuck in the nets or escaping and they don't take any of the fishermen's catch," he says.
"They don't damage the nets or get stuck in the nets, there is a benefit for both parties and the fishermen are really fond of the killer whales."
Whale family
Pods of killer whales can include up to 200 individuals, due to the abundance of food provided by the fishing boats.
The mackerel-loving killer whales are thought to be a distinct family, unrelated to killer whales found in Shetland or others that hunt herring off Iceland.
The group follows the migration of mackerel from the Norwegian sea, past Shetland and down the west coast of Ireland and Britain possibly as far as the Portuguese coast.
The killer whales that feed on mackerel have been found to have very worn down teeth as a result of their feeding behaviour.
Scientists believe it is a result of how they suck up the fish one at a time. The suction, along with the abrasive nature of salt water, wears their teeth down.
Similarly worn teeth are also seen in other suction feeders such as sperm whales.
Gordon Buchanan presenter and cameraman on the BBC series Autumnwatch has been living aboard the working fishing boat with one other BBC colleague in an effort to capture the killer whales on film.
In his blog he tells how he was lucky to encounter the massive pod.
Gordon Buchanan, presenter of BBC Autumnwatch, filmed the group from a fishing boat in the North Sea.
The killer whales are filmed approaching the fishing boat and feeding on mackerel that escape the fishing nets.
The tenacious behaviour reveals an unlikely alliance between fishermen and predators of fish.
Killer whales (Orcinus orca), otherwise called orcas, live in family groups called pods and occur in British waters.
As the largest member of the dolphin family, killer whales are known for their intelligence and range of hunting behaviours.
The pod of killer whales caught on camera belong to a family group that has developed a particular hunting strategy; following mackerel fishermen and feeding on fish that escape their nets.
As the nets are brought to the surface and into the boat, the killer whales approach and come alongside, giving fishermen and the BBC Autumnwatch team a grandstand view of the pod in action.
The killer whales pick of any escaping mackerel and also feed off scraps as the nets are later lowered back into the water to be washed clean.
Fisherman's friend
Scientists first documented this behaviour in the 1980s and fishermen in Scotland have seen the behaviour develop since.
"They are pretty quick to cotton on, and it's something they are doing all around the world where there is a big fishery," says Mr Andy Foote of the University of Aberdeen, a marine scientist advising the BBC Autumnwatch team.
"But what's great about this one, is they aren't viewed as a pest, they are just going after mackerel that are stuck in the nets or escaping and they don't take any of the fishermen's catch," he says.
"They don't damage the nets or get stuck in the nets, there is a benefit for both parties and the fishermen are really fond of the killer whales."
Whale family
Pods of killer whales can include up to 200 individuals, due to the abundance of food provided by the fishing boats.
The mackerel-loving killer whales are thought to be a distinct family, unrelated to killer whales found in Shetland or others that hunt herring off Iceland.
The group follows the migration of mackerel from the Norwegian sea, past Shetland and down the west coast of Ireland and Britain possibly as far as the Portuguese coast.
The killer whales that feed on mackerel have been found to have very worn down teeth as a result of their feeding behaviour.
Scientists believe it is a result of how they suck up the fish one at a time. The suction, along with the abrasive nature of salt water, wears their teeth down.
Similarly worn teeth are also seen in other suction feeders such as sperm whales.
Gordon Buchanan presenter and cameraman on the BBC series Autumnwatch has been living aboard the working fishing boat with one other BBC colleague in an effort to capture the killer whales on film.
In his blog he tells how he was lucky to encounter the massive pod.
dinsdag 6 oktober 2009
Killer whales heading southLatest sighting: Pod that was in South Sound spotted off California coast
A pod of five transient killer whales that spent most of September in South Sound feeding on harbor seals was spotted Monday morning traveling south off the coast of northern California, according to marine mammal research biologists tracking their whereabouts.
The two adult females and three offspring left South Sound on Sept. 28 after first being seen here Aug. 31, based on reports to the nonprofit Orca Network.
In the past week, they traveled through the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Washington coast, then made a beeline south, showing up near the Oregon-California border Sunday, said Brad Hanson, an ecologist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle.
The science center is a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The transient killer whales can typically travel 75 miles per day at an average speed slightly above three miles per hour, Hanson said.
“They didn’t stall out in any one particular place on the way south,” he said.
Hanson has fairly precise data on the five orcas’ location based on a satellite tag he and fellow marine mammal researcher Robin Baird of Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia placed on one of the adult orcas during a Sept. 20 encounter near Ketron Island.
The tag transmits signals 16 hours a day, giving researchers 10 to 16 locations every 24 hours beamed back to earth from orbiting satellites.
Orca researchers have been using the tags for a little more than a year to track several groups of transient killer whales in the marine waters from Alaska to California.
The nine days of data gathered in South Sound showed the five orcas repeatedly cruising most of the South Sound inlets and bays, much to the delight of waterfront residents and boaters.
“It’s hard to say how long the tag will transmit for,” Baird said. “The longest we’ve had one on a killer whale is 94 days.”
The South Sound visit was the longest by a group of transient orcas since 2005 when six orcas stayed in Hood Canal 18 weeks.
Adult orcas can weigh up to six tons and are the relative size of a bus. Sitting at the top of the marine food chain, they have no predators.
The transient orca population is distinct from the three pods of Puget Sound killer whales, which feed on salmon and other fish and are listed as a federally endangered species. The resident population was 85 in April 2009, according to the Center for Whale Research, a Friday Harbor-based whale research group.
Dwindling food supplies, chemical contamination, human disturbances and other factors have led to their decline, scientists have said.
The two adult females and three offspring left South Sound on Sept. 28 after first being seen here Aug. 31, based on reports to the nonprofit Orca Network.
In the past week, they traveled through the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Washington coast, then made a beeline south, showing up near the Oregon-California border Sunday, said Brad Hanson, an ecologist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle.
The science center is a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The transient killer whales can typically travel 75 miles per day at an average speed slightly above three miles per hour, Hanson said.
“They didn’t stall out in any one particular place on the way south,” he said.
Hanson has fairly precise data on the five orcas’ location based on a satellite tag he and fellow marine mammal researcher Robin Baird of Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia placed on one of the adult orcas during a Sept. 20 encounter near Ketron Island.
The tag transmits signals 16 hours a day, giving researchers 10 to 16 locations every 24 hours beamed back to earth from orbiting satellites.
Orca researchers have been using the tags for a little more than a year to track several groups of transient killer whales in the marine waters from Alaska to California.
The nine days of data gathered in South Sound showed the five orcas repeatedly cruising most of the South Sound inlets and bays, much to the delight of waterfront residents and boaters.
“It’s hard to say how long the tag will transmit for,” Baird said. “The longest we’ve had one on a killer whale is 94 days.”
The South Sound visit was the longest by a group of transient orcas since 2005 when six orcas stayed in Hood Canal 18 weeks.
Adult orcas can weigh up to six tons and are the relative size of a bus. Sitting at the top of the marine food chain, they have no predators.
The transient orca population is distinct from the three pods of Puget Sound killer whales, which feed on salmon and other fish and are listed as a federally endangered species. The resident population was 85 in April 2009, according to the Center for Whale Research, a Friday Harbor-based whale research group.
Dwindling food supplies, chemical contamination, human disturbances and other factors have led to their decline, scientists have said.
maandag 5 oktober 2009
Are whales killing porpoises on purpose?
Natural-born killers or misunderstood mamas?
Scientists are grasping for answers to explain why southern resident killer whales--a group of fish eaters that prefers chinook salmon--have also been observed toying with harbour porpoises before leaving them dead, including two cases in the past month in Washington state and B. C.'s Strait of Georgia.
Joe Gaydos, staff scientist with the SeaDoc Society, speculated that killer whales might see the porpoises as an opportunity for a playful "cat and mouse" game--with deadly consequences.
"The thing we forget about wildlife is that they don't really have a consciousness like we have, that this is OK and this is not OK," he said from his office in Washington's San Juan Islands.
"Cats don't think, 'Oh, it's not OK to play with it (a mouse).' They just do it. That's what an animal does."
But John Ford, a whale expert with the federal Fisheries Department, said from Nanaimo, B. C., that because female killer whales tend to engage in the behaviour, it is possible they are trying to prop up the porpoises as they might their own young. The porpoises can ultimately succumb to shock, exhaustion, injury or drowning.
"It could be a maternal-driven behaviour that is misdirected towards another species," said Ford, noting southern residents seem more likely to exhibit the behaviour than northern resident killer whales.
"These animals (porpoises) are often sort of carried about on their backs or heads, pushed around. It's almost like a behaviour you'd see with a distressed or dead calf of a killer whale. We've seen a stillborn calf pushed along or carried along by the mother."
Lance Barrett-Lennard, a whale biologist with the Vancouver Aquarium, said he's observed two northern resident females trap a harbour porpoise between them in the water, and ultimately let it swim away.
Scientists are grasping for answers to explain why southern resident killer whales--a group of fish eaters that prefers chinook salmon--have also been observed toying with harbour porpoises before leaving them dead, including two cases in the past month in Washington state and B. C.'s Strait of Georgia.
Joe Gaydos, staff scientist with the SeaDoc Society, speculated that killer whales might see the porpoises as an opportunity for a playful "cat and mouse" game--with deadly consequences.
"The thing we forget about wildlife is that they don't really have a consciousness like we have, that this is OK and this is not OK," he said from his office in Washington's San Juan Islands.
"Cats don't think, 'Oh, it's not OK to play with it (a mouse).' They just do it. That's what an animal does."
But John Ford, a whale expert with the federal Fisheries Department, said from Nanaimo, B. C., that because female killer whales tend to engage in the behaviour, it is possible they are trying to prop up the porpoises as they might their own young. The porpoises can ultimately succumb to shock, exhaustion, injury or drowning.
"It could be a maternal-driven behaviour that is misdirected towards another species," said Ford, noting southern residents seem more likely to exhibit the behaviour than northern resident killer whales.
"These animals (porpoises) are often sort of carried about on their backs or heads, pushed around. It's almost like a behaviour you'd see with a distressed or dead calf of a killer whale. We've seen a stillborn calf pushed along or carried along by the mother."
Lance Barrett-Lennard, a whale biologist with the Vancouver Aquarium, said he's observed two northern resident females trap a harbour porpoise between them in the water, and ultimately let it swim away.
dinsdag 22 september 2009
Orcas show off in South Sound
An extended stay for five transient killer whales in South Sound entered its fourth week Monday amid reports that some boaters are violating guidelines for viewing the mighty marine mammals.
“I saw a couple of boats following them last night,” Eld Inlet resident Kim Merriman said Monday. “It looked like they were herding them.”
Merriman, who has seen the five orcas several times in Eld Inlet since early September, said she also has seen boaters position themselves closer than the 100-yard distance that federal officials and conservation groups recommend boaters keep between their boats and whales.
Harassing or harming marine mammals violates the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. Violators could be subjected to a $10,000 civil violation, a criminal penalty of $100,000 or one year in prison, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
NMFS has proposed turning the guidelines into rules and to expand the “no-go” distance to 200 yards, said Lynne Barre, an NMFS marine mammal specialist.
The new regulation would apply to Puget Sound resident orcas, which are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act and also protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as well as the transient killer whales, which are protected by the federal marine mammal law.
Human disturbance can interfere with a killer whale’s ability to hunt, feed, communicate, socialize, rest, breed or care for its young, marine mammal scientists say.
For the marine mammal-eating transients, human disturbance could hinder their ability to echolocate and hunt their prey, said Robin Baird, a research biologist with Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia.
On Sunday, Baird and fellow researcher Brad Hanson of the federal Northwest Fisheries Science Center used a dart to place a satellite tag on the dorsal fin of one of the five South Sound transient orcas they encountered off the east side of Anderson Island.
The pack of whales includes two mothers and three offspring. The whales have been spotted feeding on harbor seals during their South Sound journey. By comparison, the Puget Sound resident population feeds on fish.
The tag transmits signals 16 hours a day and requires an orbiting satellite to be overhead and the whale to be on the surface of the water to register a reading.
Tagging of several other transient killer whales in the past year has confirmed they can travel long distances in a short time – from Oregon to southeast Alaska in a matter of weeks.
Occasionally, a family or a small group of transients will hone in on one marine area for an extended stay, including nearly a six-month visit to Hood Canal by six transient killer whales in 2005.
Merriman said the current South Sound visitors have put on quite a show in front of her Eld Inlet home, frolicking on the surface, jumping out of the water and slapping their tails.
“We’re blessed to have them here,” Merriman said.
“I saw a couple of boats following them last night,” Eld Inlet resident Kim Merriman said Monday. “It looked like they were herding them.”
Merriman, who has seen the five orcas several times in Eld Inlet since early September, said she also has seen boaters position themselves closer than the 100-yard distance that federal officials and conservation groups recommend boaters keep between their boats and whales.
Harassing or harming marine mammals violates the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. Violators could be subjected to a $10,000 civil violation, a criminal penalty of $100,000 or one year in prison, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
NMFS has proposed turning the guidelines into rules and to expand the “no-go” distance to 200 yards, said Lynne Barre, an NMFS marine mammal specialist.
The new regulation would apply to Puget Sound resident orcas, which are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act and also protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as well as the transient killer whales, which are protected by the federal marine mammal law.
Human disturbance can interfere with a killer whale’s ability to hunt, feed, communicate, socialize, rest, breed or care for its young, marine mammal scientists say.
For the marine mammal-eating transients, human disturbance could hinder their ability to echolocate and hunt their prey, said Robin Baird, a research biologist with Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia.
On Sunday, Baird and fellow researcher Brad Hanson of the federal Northwest Fisheries Science Center used a dart to place a satellite tag on the dorsal fin of one of the five South Sound transient orcas they encountered off the east side of Anderson Island.
The pack of whales includes two mothers and three offspring. The whales have been spotted feeding on harbor seals during their South Sound journey. By comparison, the Puget Sound resident population feeds on fish.
The tag transmits signals 16 hours a day and requires an orbiting satellite to be overhead and the whale to be on the surface of the water to register a reading.
Tagging of several other transient killer whales in the past year has confirmed they can travel long distances in a short time – from Oregon to southeast Alaska in a matter of weeks.
Occasionally, a family or a small group of transients will hone in on one marine area for an extended stay, including nearly a six-month visit to Hood Canal by six transient killer whales in 2005.
Merriman said the current South Sound visitors have put on quite a show in front of her Eld Inlet home, frolicking on the surface, jumping out of the water and slapping their tails.
“We’re blessed to have them here,” Merriman said.
woensdag 16 september 2009
Killer Whales Die Without King Salmon
Some killer whale populations favor king salmon so much that the whales will actually die when numbers of this largest member of the salmon family drop, according to new research.
The study, published in the latest Royal Society Biology Letters, suggests that although killer whales may consume a variety of fish species and mammals, many are highly specialized hunters dependent on this single salmon species.
Lead author John Ford explained to Discovery News that "nutritional stress" probably leads to killer whale deaths because it can make the whales "susceptible to other factors leading to mortality, such as disease and parasitism," and possibly also more vulnerable to the "immuno-suppressive effects of PCBs" and other ocean pollutants.
Ford, a research scientist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and his colleagues used 25 years of demographic data from two populations of fish-eating killer whales in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, along with data on numbers of chum and Chinook salmon, commonly known as king salmon.
The data consisted of annual photo ID censuses for the whales and Pacific Salmon Commission population estimates for the fish.
The scientists determined that from 1974 to the mid 1990's, resident killer whale populations steadily grew in number at an increase of nearly 2.6 percent per year. That pattern abruptly ended in the mid 1990's, when both analyzed populations of killer whales entered a period of prolonged decline, dropping by up to 17 percent as of 2001. By 2004, the populations began to recover and show growth again.
The study, published in the latest Royal Society Biology Letters, suggests that although killer whales may consume a variety of fish species and mammals, many are highly specialized hunters dependent on this single salmon species.
Lead author John Ford explained to Discovery News that "nutritional stress" probably leads to killer whale deaths because it can make the whales "susceptible to other factors leading to mortality, such as disease and parasitism," and possibly also more vulnerable to the "immuno-suppressive effects of PCBs" and other ocean pollutants.
Ford, a research scientist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and his colleagues used 25 years of demographic data from two populations of fish-eating killer whales in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, along with data on numbers of chum and Chinook salmon, commonly known as king salmon.
The data consisted of annual photo ID censuses for the whales and Pacific Salmon Commission population estimates for the fish.
The scientists determined that from 1974 to the mid 1990's, resident killer whale populations steadily grew in number at an increase of nearly 2.6 percent per year. That pattern abruptly ended in the mid 1990's, when both analyzed populations of killer whales entered a period of prolonged decline, dropping by up to 17 percent as of 2001. By 2004, the populations began to recover and show growth again.
zondag 13 september 2009
Humpback attacked by killer whales
A BADLY scarred juvenile humpback whale has washed up on to one of Perth's most popular beaches.
It is believed that it had been attacked by a pod of killer whales.
The seven-metre male, weighing up to seven tonnes, struggled and spouted spray and washed up three times on City Beach in Perth's west today.
Its struggle was compounded by the fact that the waves were breaking directly on to the shore, described as a shorebreak
The West Australian environment department's senior marine wildlife officer, Doug Coughran, said the one-year-old male had twice managed to get back out to sea after being washed up on the beach at about 7am.
But it was "wasting a lot of energy and for the first time in its life, is feeling its weight", Mr Coughran said.
He said it would probably have to be put down.
It had probably been migrating north when it was attacked by a pod of killer whales in an encounter that left it badly scarred from head to tail, he said
It was unlikely the whale would again manage to get back out to sea but any attempt to help it or euthanase it was too dangerous while the whale was struggling in a heavy shore break, Mr Coughran said.
He said while he and other onlookers were disturbed by the whale's obvious suffering, its beaching was probably a good sign since it indicated increasing humpback whale numbers off the West Australian coast.
"There have been a few beachings like this lately in and around Perth," Mr Coughran said.
"It could well mean there are greater numbers of whales out there."
It is believed that it had been attacked by a pod of killer whales.
The seven-metre male, weighing up to seven tonnes, struggled and spouted spray and washed up three times on City Beach in Perth's west today.
Its struggle was compounded by the fact that the waves were breaking directly on to the shore, described as a shorebreak
The West Australian environment department's senior marine wildlife officer, Doug Coughran, said the one-year-old male had twice managed to get back out to sea after being washed up on the beach at about 7am.
But it was "wasting a lot of energy and for the first time in its life, is feeling its weight", Mr Coughran said.
He said it would probably have to be put down.
It had probably been migrating north when it was attacked by a pod of killer whales in an encounter that left it badly scarred from head to tail, he said
It was unlikely the whale would again manage to get back out to sea but any attempt to help it or euthanase it was too dangerous while the whale was struggling in a heavy shore break, Mr Coughran said.
He said while he and other onlookers were disturbed by the whale's obvious suffering, its beaching was probably a good sign since it indicated increasing humpback whale numbers off the West Australian coast.
"There have been a few beachings like this lately in and around Perth," Mr Coughran said.
"It could well mean there are greater numbers of whales out there."
vrijdag 11 september 2009
Orcas may be continuing tour of South Sound
Five Transients: Animals likely those seen by residents last week
Five transient orcas were spotted patrolling the waters of South Sound on Thursday, according to reports compiled by Cascadia Research of Olympia.
“It’s highly likely they’re the same whales seen in Oakland Bay a week ago,” Cascadia marine mammal researcher John Calambokidis said.
He said the whale sightings came from several locations, including Eld Inlet, Dana Passage and Harstine Island. The whales also were seen in Budd Inlet as far south as Gull Harbor, Ralph Munro said.
Unlike the resident Puget Sound orcas, which feed on fish and are listed as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act, the transient orcas, which roam the waters from Alaska to Mexico in small groups, eat marine mammals and aren’t listed as endangered.
Three transient orcas last were seen in South Sound near Fox Island in May, Calambokidis said.
“I’d characterize their appearance here in South Sound as periodic – every one to two years, on average,” he said.
Six transients paid an extended visit to Hood Canal from late January to late spring 2005, a world-record stay in one place, according to marine mammal biologists. That came on the heels of a two-month extended visit to Hood Canal by 11 transient killer whales in 2003.
The 2003 Hood Canal visitors included T-14, a whale present in Budd Inlet in 1976 during the controversial, and last, capture of killer whales in Puget Sound for use in aquariums.
It’s not yet known whether any of the killer whales seen in South Sound this year were among the Hood Canal visitors in 2003 or 2005, Calambokidis said.
Male orcas have a life expectancy of 50 to 60 years; females have a life expectancy of 90 years.
Five transient orcas were spotted patrolling the waters of South Sound on Thursday, according to reports compiled by Cascadia Research of Olympia.
“It’s highly likely they’re the same whales seen in Oakland Bay a week ago,” Cascadia marine mammal researcher John Calambokidis said.
He said the whale sightings came from several locations, including Eld Inlet, Dana Passage and Harstine Island. The whales also were seen in Budd Inlet as far south as Gull Harbor, Ralph Munro said.
Unlike the resident Puget Sound orcas, which feed on fish and are listed as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act, the transient orcas, which roam the waters from Alaska to Mexico in small groups, eat marine mammals and aren’t listed as endangered.
Three transient orcas last were seen in South Sound near Fox Island in May, Calambokidis said.
“I’d characterize their appearance here in South Sound as periodic – every one to two years, on average,” he said.
Six transients paid an extended visit to Hood Canal from late January to late spring 2005, a world-record stay in one place, according to marine mammal biologists. That came on the heels of a two-month extended visit to Hood Canal by 11 transient killer whales in 2003.
The 2003 Hood Canal visitors included T-14, a whale present in Budd Inlet in 1976 during the controversial, and last, capture of killer whales in Puget Sound for use in aquariums.
It’s not yet known whether any of the killer whales seen in South Sound this year were among the Hood Canal visitors in 2003 or 2005, Calambokidis said.
Male orcas have a life expectancy of 50 to 60 years; females have a life expectancy of 90 years.
donderdag 10 september 2009
Killer Whales Strain to "Talk" Over Ship Noise?
Killer whales raise their voices to be heard over boat noise, and the effort may be wearing the whales out as they try to find food amid dwindling numbers of salmon, new research says.
The killer whales of Puget Sound make more calls and clicks while foraging than while traveling, suggesting that such mealtime conservations are key to coordinating hunts, the work reveals
Several types of vessels, from small whale-watching boats to large cruise ships, also traverse the coastal waters off Washington State and neighboring British Columbia, Canada.
"[The killer whales'] call exchange is incredibly important … and vessel noises have the potential to mask these calls," said research leader Marla Holt of Seattle's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, which is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Holt and colleagues' previous research had shown that some killer whales make louder calls to be heard over vessel rumblings—just as people raise their voices to talk over the din of a cocktail party.
Now the researchers think the cacophony could be causing the region's killer whales to use up more energy during hunts, even as their preferred prey, chinook salmon, are on the decline.
Killer Whales' Mysterious Drop
In Puget Sound a small group of killer whales known as the Southern Residents has been found to be particularly well-suited to eating salmon—even down to the whales' tooth size.
These animals don't eat seals or other mammals, as do the transient killer whales that migrate through the sound.
In the mid- to late 1990s the Southern Resident population mysteriously shrank by nearly 20 percent, from 97 to 88 animals. Today there are 85 individuals.
In 2005 the federal government listed the population as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
No one knows for sure, but the cause was likely a combination of fewer salmon, exposure to toxic contaminants, and vessel noise, according to Lynne Barre of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Regional Office.
Barre's agency released a recovery plan for the dwindling mammals in early 2008, with the goal of boosting the population by about 2 percent a year over 28 years
Part of that plan involves monitoring the effects of vessel traffic on killer whales.
Social Calls
Killer whales are social animals that live in tight-knit pods of about 20 to 40 individuals, and they rely on calls that are "group badges" unique to each pod, she said.
Since 2007 Holt and colleagues have been recording vessel noise with underwater hydrophones off the San Juan Islands. The team records about 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) away from a group of whales then notes the animals' behaviors—foraging, traveling, resting, or socializing—every ten minutes.
Holt, who will present the team's preliminary findings in October at the Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammal in Quebec, said that their research indicates killer whale communication is particularly important during hunting.
What's more, previous studies in birds had suggested that the animals consume more oxygen to raise their voices above ambient noise, making their metabolic rates spike and burning up stored energy, Holt said.
It's possible the same phenomenon could be occurring with killer whales, although it's too early to know for sure, she added.
Keep Your Distance
Holt's work adds to existing data that have already prompted NOAA to propose a new killer whale protection law that would make all boats keep at least 600 feet (200 yards) away from the animals around Washington State.
The existing law allows boats to approach as close as 300 feet (100 yards), and some research has shown this influences the whales' behavior.
"A lot of people would argue, Why focus on these vessel regulations?" Holt said. "But it's one thing we can do immediately."
But Ken Balcomb, director of the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, called the proposed law a "feel-good thing."
Balcomb, who has also studied whales in the San Juan Islands, said that "my observations over 35 years [are] that [whales] don't really get disturbed by anything, much less vessels."
No Salmon, No Whales
The main concern, Balcomb said, is the decline in chinook salmon, particularly those of the Fraser River in Canada. That salmon run has declined precipitously in recent years.
Dams on rivers in the Pacific Northwest, as well as housing developments built in estuaries where young salmon take refuge, have devastated the once abundant fish.
Researchers have already seen that bad salmon years—when fewer fish make their way downriver into Puget Sound—usually become bad whale years.
"If you deny them the food, [there's] basically no point in worrying about other factors," Balcomb said.
NOAA's Barre noted that the federal whale-recovery plan also supports efforts to revive the salmon runs that reach Puget Sound.
For instance, conservationists in the region have been working to remove dams to boost salmon populations, a strategy that has been successful with Atlantic salmon on the U.S. East Coast.
But if the fish don't come back, the Southern Residents may eventually abandon Puget Sound—a sad prospect to Balcomb.
"We like to see them here," he said. "It's the icon of our healthy ecosystem."
The killer whales of Puget Sound make more calls and clicks while foraging than while traveling, suggesting that such mealtime conservations are key to coordinating hunts, the work reveals
Several types of vessels, from small whale-watching boats to large cruise ships, also traverse the coastal waters off Washington State and neighboring British Columbia, Canada.
"[The killer whales'] call exchange is incredibly important … and vessel noises have the potential to mask these calls," said research leader Marla Holt of Seattle's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, which is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Holt and colleagues' previous research had shown that some killer whales make louder calls to be heard over vessel rumblings—just as people raise their voices to talk over the din of a cocktail party.
Now the researchers think the cacophony could be causing the region's killer whales to use up more energy during hunts, even as their preferred prey, chinook salmon, are on the decline.
Killer Whales' Mysterious Drop
In Puget Sound a small group of killer whales known as the Southern Residents has been found to be particularly well-suited to eating salmon—even down to the whales' tooth size.
These animals don't eat seals or other mammals, as do the transient killer whales that migrate through the sound.
In the mid- to late 1990s the Southern Resident population mysteriously shrank by nearly 20 percent, from 97 to 88 animals. Today there are 85 individuals.
In 2005 the federal government listed the population as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
No one knows for sure, but the cause was likely a combination of fewer salmon, exposure to toxic contaminants, and vessel noise, according to Lynne Barre of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Regional Office.
Barre's agency released a recovery plan for the dwindling mammals in early 2008, with the goal of boosting the population by about 2 percent a year over 28 years
Part of that plan involves monitoring the effects of vessel traffic on killer whales.
Social Calls
Killer whales are social animals that live in tight-knit pods of about 20 to 40 individuals, and they rely on calls that are "group badges" unique to each pod, she said.
Since 2007 Holt and colleagues have been recording vessel noise with underwater hydrophones off the San Juan Islands. The team records about 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) away from a group of whales then notes the animals' behaviors—foraging, traveling, resting, or socializing—every ten minutes.
Holt, who will present the team's preliminary findings in October at the Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammal in Quebec, said that their research indicates killer whale communication is particularly important during hunting.
What's more, previous studies in birds had suggested that the animals consume more oxygen to raise their voices above ambient noise, making their metabolic rates spike and burning up stored energy, Holt said.
It's possible the same phenomenon could be occurring with killer whales, although it's too early to know for sure, she added.
Keep Your Distance
Holt's work adds to existing data that have already prompted NOAA to propose a new killer whale protection law that would make all boats keep at least 600 feet (200 yards) away from the animals around Washington State.
The existing law allows boats to approach as close as 300 feet (100 yards), and some research has shown this influences the whales' behavior.
"A lot of people would argue, Why focus on these vessel regulations?" Holt said. "But it's one thing we can do immediately."
But Ken Balcomb, director of the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, called the proposed law a "feel-good thing."
Balcomb, who has also studied whales in the San Juan Islands, said that "my observations over 35 years [are] that [whales] don't really get disturbed by anything, much less vessels."
No Salmon, No Whales
The main concern, Balcomb said, is the decline in chinook salmon, particularly those of the Fraser River in Canada. That salmon run has declined precipitously in recent years.
Dams on rivers in the Pacific Northwest, as well as housing developments built in estuaries where young salmon take refuge, have devastated the once abundant fish.
Researchers have already seen that bad salmon years—when fewer fish make their way downriver into Puget Sound—usually become bad whale years.
"If you deny them the food, [there's] basically no point in worrying about other factors," Balcomb said.
NOAA's Barre noted that the federal whale-recovery plan also supports efforts to revive the salmon runs that reach Puget Sound.
For instance, conservationists in the region have been working to remove dams to boost salmon populations, a strategy that has been successful with Atlantic salmon on the U.S. East Coast.
But if the fish don't come back, the Southern Residents may eventually abandon Puget Sound—a sad prospect to Balcomb.
"We like to see them here," he said. "It's the icon of our healthy ecosystem."
dinsdag 1 september 2009
Dead or perhaps stranded killer whale calf sought
On Sunday, August 30th a private boater broadcast a report over the marine radio, Channel 16, that they had discovered what appeared to be a killer whale calf floating off of Lawrence Point near Orcas Island. The observer stated that the placenta was still attached to the carcass.
The Friday Harbor sheriff's office heard the broadcast and passed the information on to the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network. A fishing tender also picked up the information and notified the Network's Coordinator, Amy Traxler.
"The captain of the vessel called Traxler of The Whale Museum at home on Sunday morning, saying they had received the coordinates of the (supposed) carcass and were almost at that location," says Traxler. "He offered to look for the carcass and proceeded to do so for over an hour in pea soup fog with no luck." Traxler also searched the area for several hours Sunday afternoon but found nothing.
Even though the Network does receive periodic calls of dead whales, they usually turn out to be porpoise. Last year, however, a killer whale calf did wash up in Open Bay on Henry Island. Unfortunately, it wasn't reported until several days later and the carcass was too decomposed to get much information out of it. DNA tests did determine that it was an aborted fetus from a member of the Southern Resident Community.
"Retrieving carcasses of killer whales is rare and invaluable," said Joe Gaydos, Chief Scientist at the SeaDoc Society and the Network's veterinarian. "Only approximately 10% of the carcasses from Southern Resident killer whales are ever found which makes it difficult for us to determine the role that disease could be playing in slowing the recovery of this population."
If anyone finds this carcass, please call the Stranding Network immediately at 1-800-562-8832 and leave a message. Traxler also recommends if the carcass is found floating to tie a fender or some object to the carcass to make it easier to find.
The Friday Harbor sheriff's office heard the broadcast and passed the information on to the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network. A fishing tender also picked up the information and notified the Network's Coordinator, Amy Traxler.
"The captain of the vessel called Traxler of The Whale Museum at home on Sunday morning, saying they had received the coordinates of the (supposed) carcass and were almost at that location," says Traxler. "He offered to look for the carcass and proceeded to do so for over an hour in pea soup fog with no luck." Traxler also searched the area for several hours Sunday afternoon but found nothing.
Even though the Network does receive periodic calls of dead whales, they usually turn out to be porpoise. Last year, however, a killer whale calf did wash up in Open Bay on Henry Island. Unfortunately, it wasn't reported until several days later and the carcass was too decomposed to get much information out of it. DNA tests did determine that it was an aborted fetus from a member of the Southern Resident Community.
"Retrieving carcasses of killer whales is rare and invaluable," said Joe Gaydos, Chief Scientist at the SeaDoc Society and the Network's veterinarian. "Only approximately 10% of the carcasses from Southern Resident killer whales are ever found which makes it difficult for us to determine the role that disease could be playing in slowing the recovery of this population."
If anyone finds this carcass, please call the Stranding Network immediately at 1-800-562-8832 and leave a message. Traxler also recommends if the carcass is found floating to tie a fender or some object to the carcass to make it easier to find.
zaterdag 29 augustus 2009
EarthTalk: Killer whale population not known
Dear EarthTalk: How are populations of the world's orca whales faring these days? Are we still in danger of losing them all in the wild? - J. Witham, Bangor, Maine
The largest member of the dolphin family and a major draw at marine parks, orcas (also known as "killer whales") are highly intelligent and social marine mammals that, because of these traits, have come to be known as ambassadors for nature and marine ecosystems around the world.
But the fact that people love orcas-most of us only ever see them in captivity-has no bearing on how well they are thriving in the wild. Many of their habits are still a mystery to science, as the great black and white creatures, which can grow to 26 feet and weigh six tons, are fast-moving and difficult to track (they are the most widely distributed mammals on Earth, besides humans).
Given this uncertainty, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, a nonprofit group that maintains a frequently updated global list (the so-called "Red List") of endangered and threatened wildlife, merely lists the status of orcas as "data deficient." IUCN is currently involved in an assessment of orca populations around the world to determine what their status should be.
Orcas may not have a clear-cut conservation status internationally, but the U.S. government is concerned enough about the animals that ply the waters of Washington's Puget Sound and San Juan Islands (known as the "southern residents") to put them on the federal endangered species list. Chief among threats to orcas there is loss of food supply, mostly West Coast salmon populations destroyed by hydroelectric dams and other human encroachment. Habitat loss, chemical pollution, captures for marine mammal parks and conflicts with fisheries have also each played roles in the decline of the Northwest's orcas.
The largest member of the dolphin family and a major draw at marine parks, orcas (also known as "killer whales") are highly intelligent and social marine mammals that, because of these traits, have come to be known as ambassadors for nature and marine ecosystems around the world.
But the fact that people love orcas-most of us only ever see them in captivity-has no bearing on how well they are thriving in the wild. Many of their habits are still a mystery to science, as the great black and white creatures, which can grow to 26 feet and weigh six tons, are fast-moving and difficult to track (they are the most widely distributed mammals on Earth, besides humans).
Given this uncertainty, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, a nonprofit group that maintains a frequently updated global list (the so-called "Red List") of endangered and threatened wildlife, merely lists the status of orcas as "data deficient." IUCN is currently involved in an assessment of orca populations around the world to determine what their status should be.
Orcas may not have a clear-cut conservation status internationally, but the U.S. government is concerned enough about the animals that ply the waters of Washington's Puget Sound and San Juan Islands (known as the "southern residents") to put them on the federal endangered species list. Chief among threats to orcas there is loss of food supply, mostly West Coast salmon populations destroyed by hydroelectric dams and other human encroachment. Habitat loss, chemical pollution, captures for marine mammal parks and conflicts with fisheries have also each played roles in the decline of the Northwest's orcas.
vrijdag 14 augustus 2009
Killer whales visit 'social clubs'
Killer whales create and visit social clubs just like people do, scientists have discovered.
Up to 100 fish-eating killer whales come together in the Avacha Gulf, off the coast of Russia.
But no-one knew why these orcas form these huge superpods, when they normally live in smaller groups.
Now scientists report in the Journal of Ethology that these groups act as clubs in which the killer whales form and maintain social ties.
Fish-eating killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the Avacha Gulf live in stable groups called pods that contain an average of ten individuals and up to 20 in the largest pods.
But researchers have seen up to eight of these pods coming together to form large groups of up to 100 animals.
These large aggregations of pods are seen in numerous places around the world where large numbers of killer whales occur such as British Columbia, Alaska, Iceland and Antarctica.
It is unlikely that the whales gather for protection as they have no natural predators.
In the past researchers have suggested that the killer whales meet to increase their foraging success or to breed.
But the behaviour has not been quantified before.
To investigate, Olga Filatova of the Moscow State University and colleagues from the Far East Russia Orca project observed and photographed whales in the Avacha Gulf from a 4m long boat.
"At first we might see just a few spouts on the horizon. Then quickly we move among them, keeping a distance of a hundred metres so as not to bother them," explained project co-director Erich Hoyt of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), which provided the majority of funding for the project.
"As far as the eye can see, in every direction you see groupings of two to six killer whales surfacing, spouting then dipping below the surface."
"Each grouping has a focal mother figure surrounded by her offspring, some of whom may be full grown males with up to 2m dorsal fins that tower over the females," he says.
Up to 100 fish-eating killer whales come together in the Avacha Gulf, off the coast of Russia.
But no-one knew why these orcas form these huge superpods, when they normally live in smaller groups.
Now scientists report in the Journal of Ethology that these groups act as clubs in which the killer whales form and maintain social ties.
Fish-eating killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the Avacha Gulf live in stable groups called pods that contain an average of ten individuals and up to 20 in the largest pods.
But researchers have seen up to eight of these pods coming together to form large groups of up to 100 animals.
These large aggregations of pods are seen in numerous places around the world where large numbers of killer whales occur such as British Columbia, Alaska, Iceland and Antarctica.
It is unlikely that the whales gather for protection as they have no natural predators.
In the past researchers have suggested that the killer whales meet to increase their foraging success or to breed.
But the behaviour has not been quantified before.
To investigate, Olga Filatova of the Moscow State University and colleagues from the Far East Russia Orca project observed and photographed whales in the Avacha Gulf from a 4m long boat.
"At first we might see just a few spouts on the horizon. Then quickly we move among them, keeping a distance of a hundred metres so as not to bother them," explained project co-director Erich Hoyt of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), which provided the majority of funding for the project.
"As far as the eye can see, in every direction you see groupings of two to six killer whales surfacing, spouting then dipping below the surface."
"Each grouping has a focal mother figure surrounded by her offspring, some of whom may be full grown males with up to 2m dorsal fins that tower over the females," he says.
zondag 9 augustus 2009
Puget Sound orcas: Pollution, noise and loss of salmon leave their future uncertain
It seems orcas are everywhere in Western Washington.
They’re in art. Businesses are named after them. A new ticket that can be used to board any bus or commuter train in the Puget Sound area is called One Regional Card for All: ORCA.
One of the finalists for the state quarter issued in 2007 featured an American Indian art version of an orca. It lost out to one showing the orcas’ favorite food — the salmon.
There aren’t nearly as many real orcas in local waters as there are figurative ones on land. About four years after orcas living in Puget Sound waters were declared endangered, the prospects for their recovery are still unclear.
Their fate is inextricably linked with that of the also-troubled Puget Sound chinook salmon.
By most accounts, as the big salmon go, so go the killer whales that eat them. There aren’t enough fish, and those the orcas eat are often contaminated.
Other factors have been cited as possible culprits in the decline of the southern resident orcas, as they are called, such as noise from boats. According to most experts, however, fish are foremost.
“It’s the single most important thing,” said Ken Balcomb, founder and director of the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor. “If we feed them, they’ll be OK. If we don’t, they won’t.”
In December 2005, the three pods of orcas living between the southern end of Puget Sound and the middle of Vancouver Island were listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. The three pods currently number 85 orcas.
The listing came following a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity, a national environmental group. Orcas also are listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, said Lynne Barre, a marine mammal specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Seattle.
The orcas landed on the Endangered Species Act two years after Puget Sound chinook salmon were listed as threatened under the same federal law.
The listing of the salmon was a factor in the listing of the orcas, Barre said. Orcas prefer chinook, the largest salmon, over other types of salmon because of their size and fat content, experts say. Roughly 80 percent of their diet is chinook salmon, according to Balcomb.
The pods were given endangered status also because the southern resident orca population, made up of family pods known as J, K and L, is so small, officials said at the time. The numbers dipped from 88 in 2004 to 83 last year. Two calves born earlier this year brought the number up to 85.
By contrast, the 16 northern resident pods that range from mid-Vancouver Island to southeast Alaska number about 220.
The southern orcas’ limited numbers make the population highly vulnerable to a large oil spill or disease outbreak, experts say. It’s believed that southern orcas mate only with those from other pods in the southern area — not from their own pod or with the northern whales.
Still declining
The standards for orcas’ recovery are high. For them to be upgraded from endangered to threatened would require a growth rate in the pods of 2.3 percent per year for 14 years, Barre said. To have them taken off the list entirely would require that same growth rate over 28 years, she said.
So far, the drop from 88 to 85 since the 2005 listing means the numbers have gone in the wrong direction. Seven died last year, some from old age, but a female of reproductive age died from unknown causes, Barre said.
Males of reproductive age seem to be limited in number, and some of the females that should be calving are not, according to the Center for Whale Research. Researchers also estimate that 40 percent of calves die in the first six months of their lives.
The listing for the orcas required the federal government to create a plan for their recovery, and it requires that any development along the affected shoreline address orca habitat.
The nine-point plan, given final approval in early 2008, includes supporting salmon recovery efforts, addressing pollution, evaluating and improving guidelines for boating near the whales, and preventing oil spills.
Much of the work on the plan, and on a similar plan for salmon, is in the early stages of being implemented under Puget Sound Partnership 2020, a state agency established to coordinate efforts to reduce the effects of pollution in state marine waters.
NOAA is expected soon to approve a stricter set of guidelines for vessels that navigate waters near orcas, Barre said. Government agencies and other groups also have made progress on a response plan for keeping orcas away from an oil spill, including development of noisemaking devices to scare them away, she said.
Numerous agencies are working on fish recovery efforts. The increasing coordination on all fronts is an encouraging sign, said Larrie LaVoy, a salmon policy analyst for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
What’s working in favor of salmon and orcas is “the large amount of effort and study and research going to make improvements where we can make improvements and getting people together and developing partnerships,” LaVoy said.
Unique problems
Orcas are found all over the world, in every ocean. The whales in local waters, however, have faced a unique set of problems.
From 1965 to 1975, 45 whales were captured for marine theme parks around the world, according to the Center for Whale Research. Thirteen other whales were killed during those captures.
Estimates vary on the number of whales before 1960. The population stood at 70 in 1976, according to NOAA figures. By 1995, it had built back up to 98. After that, though, it dropped to 81 by 2001.
The whales’ decline mirrored a drop in the Puget Sound chinook salmon population from the mid-1990s into the early 2000s.
That dip in the numbers of salmon contributed to the fish being declared threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2003.
“The whale population tracks the salmon population by about a year,” said Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research.
Another threat to orcas — development — reaches them primarily through their food source.
Pollution from a variety of sources is absorbed by salmon and in turn consumed by whales.
High levels of PCBs have been found in dead whales, which likely affects their immune systems, reproductive systems and ability to develop, according to research by research scientists Peter Ross and John Ford of the Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Poison accumulates in their systems because they eat up to 200 pounds of fish a day and they’re at the top of the food chain.
It also could be hurting their ability to feed, said Kit Rawson, senior fisheries biologist for the Tulalip Tribes.
“It’s clear they’re not feeding; the question is why,” he said.
Degradation of streams where salmon spawn is another factor. Along with development, these issues are bigger in urbanized Puget Sound and southwestern British Columbia than farther north.
Also, two of the three pods often venture down the coast to northern and central California, where they eat salmon that still bear traces of DD T, the pesticide banned in 1972, said Brad Hanson, a wildlife biologist for NOAA.
The toxic substance still hasn’t left the environment, he said.
“It doesn’t break down,” he said.
Other factors affect salmon, Hanson said.
“Ocean conditions play a huge role in fish survivorship,” he said, which makes it difficult to predict the long-term prospects for chinook recovery beyond their normal life cycle of four to five years.
Noise affects sonar
Noise from boats at short distances has been found to affect the whales’ sonar capabilities, according to Barre. The whales communicate and find fish by sending out sounds and sensing their bounce-back, a process called echolocation. As with pollution, the noise could be a factor in the whales’ ability to feed, said Rawson of the Tulalip Tribes.
Last year, the state passed a law prohibiting boats from being within 100 yards of the whales. The new rules proposed by NOAA, as part of the recovery plan, include keeping at least 200 yards away from whales, not steering or stopping in their path and slowing down within 400 yards.
Responsible whale-watching groups have followed orca-friendly guidelines for years, said Monte Hughes, owner of Mystic Sea Charters in Anacortes, which runs whale-watching trips.
Hughes said police boats from many jurisdictions are in the water every day enforcing the current rules.
“There’s many days out there we have more enforcement boats than we’ve had whale-watch boats,” Hughes said.
Still, many boaters and whale-watching vessels violate the guidelines by getting close to the whales and stopping in their path, Barre said.
Significant to tribes
The orca has special significance to local tribes.
American Indians have called the whales the blackfish. The tribes have followed orcas to find salmon, said Ray Fryberg, director of fish and wildlife for the Tulalip Tribes. Often, the tribes place the orca and the eagle on top of totem poles to be lookouts for salmon.
According to one story, five brothers were able to find their way home to their village in the fog by jumping into the water and transforming into orcas, Fryberg said.
Fryberg met an orca face-to-face in British Columbia in 2004. Ambrose Maquinna, chief of the Mowachaht tribe, had said he wanted to return as an orca after he died. Shortly after the chief passed on, a previously unaccounted-for orca showed up, Fryberg said.
Fryberg was invited to a ceremony where tribal members called to the orca by venturing out in canoes and singing the chief’s paddle song.
“He came at us just like a torpedo” and calmly stopped between the two canoes, Fryberg said. Fryberg and other tribal members placed their hands on the orca.
“I was eye-to-eye with that killer whale, he was making his vocal sound with me,” Fryberg said.
“I think that we particularly see the need for them to be protected, and our spiritual connection to them.”
They’re in art. Businesses are named after them. A new ticket that can be used to board any bus or commuter train in the Puget Sound area is called One Regional Card for All: ORCA.
One of the finalists for the state quarter issued in 2007 featured an American Indian art version of an orca. It lost out to one showing the orcas’ favorite food — the salmon.
There aren’t nearly as many real orcas in local waters as there are figurative ones on land. About four years after orcas living in Puget Sound waters were declared endangered, the prospects for their recovery are still unclear.
Their fate is inextricably linked with that of the also-troubled Puget Sound chinook salmon.
By most accounts, as the big salmon go, so go the killer whales that eat them. There aren’t enough fish, and those the orcas eat are often contaminated.
Other factors have been cited as possible culprits in the decline of the southern resident orcas, as they are called, such as noise from boats. According to most experts, however, fish are foremost.
“It’s the single most important thing,” said Ken Balcomb, founder and director of the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor. “If we feed them, they’ll be OK. If we don’t, they won’t.”
In December 2005, the three pods of orcas living between the southern end of Puget Sound and the middle of Vancouver Island were listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. The three pods currently number 85 orcas.
The listing came following a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity, a national environmental group. Orcas also are listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, said Lynne Barre, a marine mammal specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Seattle.
The orcas landed on the Endangered Species Act two years after Puget Sound chinook salmon were listed as threatened under the same federal law.
The listing of the salmon was a factor in the listing of the orcas, Barre said. Orcas prefer chinook, the largest salmon, over other types of salmon because of their size and fat content, experts say. Roughly 80 percent of their diet is chinook salmon, according to Balcomb.
The pods were given endangered status also because the southern resident orca population, made up of family pods known as J, K and L, is so small, officials said at the time. The numbers dipped from 88 in 2004 to 83 last year. Two calves born earlier this year brought the number up to 85.
By contrast, the 16 northern resident pods that range from mid-Vancouver Island to southeast Alaska number about 220.
The southern orcas’ limited numbers make the population highly vulnerable to a large oil spill or disease outbreak, experts say. It’s believed that southern orcas mate only with those from other pods in the southern area — not from their own pod or with the northern whales.
Still declining
The standards for orcas’ recovery are high. For them to be upgraded from endangered to threatened would require a growth rate in the pods of 2.3 percent per year for 14 years, Barre said. To have them taken off the list entirely would require that same growth rate over 28 years, she said.
So far, the drop from 88 to 85 since the 2005 listing means the numbers have gone in the wrong direction. Seven died last year, some from old age, but a female of reproductive age died from unknown causes, Barre said.
Males of reproductive age seem to be limited in number, and some of the females that should be calving are not, according to the Center for Whale Research. Researchers also estimate that 40 percent of calves die in the first six months of their lives.
The listing for the orcas required the federal government to create a plan for their recovery, and it requires that any development along the affected shoreline address orca habitat.
The nine-point plan, given final approval in early 2008, includes supporting salmon recovery efforts, addressing pollution, evaluating and improving guidelines for boating near the whales, and preventing oil spills.
Much of the work on the plan, and on a similar plan for salmon, is in the early stages of being implemented under Puget Sound Partnership 2020, a state agency established to coordinate efforts to reduce the effects of pollution in state marine waters.
NOAA is expected soon to approve a stricter set of guidelines for vessels that navigate waters near orcas, Barre said. Government agencies and other groups also have made progress on a response plan for keeping orcas away from an oil spill, including development of noisemaking devices to scare them away, she said.
Numerous agencies are working on fish recovery efforts. The increasing coordination on all fronts is an encouraging sign, said Larrie LaVoy, a salmon policy analyst for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
What’s working in favor of salmon and orcas is “the large amount of effort and study and research going to make improvements where we can make improvements and getting people together and developing partnerships,” LaVoy said.
Unique problems
Orcas are found all over the world, in every ocean. The whales in local waters, however, have faced a unique set of problems.
From 1965 to 1975, 45 whales were captured for marine theme parks around the world, according to the Center for Whale Research. Thirteen other whales were killed during those captures.
Estimates vary on the number of whales before 1960. The population stood at 70 in 1976, according to NOAA figures. By 1995, it had built back up to 98. After that, though, it dropped to 81 by 2001.
The whales’ decline mirrored a drop in the Puget Sound chinook salmon population from the mid-1990s into the early 2000s.
That dip in the numbers of salmon contributed to the fish being declared threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2003.
“The whale population tracks the salmon population by about a year,” said Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research.
Another threat to orcas — development — reaches them primarily through their food source.
Pollution from a variety of sources is absorbed by salmon and in turn consumed by whales.
High levels of PCBs have been found in dead whales, which likely affects their immune systems, reproductive systems and ability to develop, according to research by research scientists Peter Ross and John Ford of the Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Poison accumulates in their systems because they eat up to 200 pounds of fish a day and they’re at the top of the food chain.
It also could be hurting their ability to feed, said Kit Rawson, senior fisheries biologist for the Tulalip Tribes.
“It’s clear they’re not feeding; the question is why,” he said.
Degradation of streams where salmon spawn is another factor. Along with development, these issues are bigger in urbanized Puget Sound and southwestern British Columbia than farther north.
Also, two of the three pods often venture down the coast to northern and central California, where they eat salmon that still bear traces of DD T, the pesticide banned in 1972, said Brad Hanson, a wildlife biologist for NOAA.
The toxic substance still hasn’t left the environment, he said.
“It doesn’t break down,” he said.
Other factors affect salmon, Hanson said.
“Ocean conditions play a huge role in fish survivorship,” he said, which makes it difficult to predict the long-term prospects for chinook recovery beyond their normal life cycle of four to five years.
Noise affects sonar
Noise from boats at short distances has been found to affect the whales’ sonar capabilities, according to Barre. The whales communicate and find fish by sending out sounds and sensing their bounce-back, a process called echolocation. As with pollution, the noise could be a factor in the whales’ ability to feed, said Rawson of the Tulalip Tribes.
Last year, the state passed a law prohibiting boats from being within 100 yards of the whales. The new rules proposed by NOAA, as part of the recovery plan, include keeping at least 200 yards away from whales, not steering or stopping in their path and slowing down within 400 yards.
Responsible whale-watching groups have followed orca-friendly guidelines for years, said Monte Hughes, owner of Mystic Sea Charters in Anacortes, which runs whale-watching trips.
Hughes said police boats from many jurisdictions are in the water every day enforcing the current rules.
“There’s many days out there we have more enforcement boats than we’ve had whale-watch boats,” Hughes said.
Still, many boaters and whale-watching vessels violate the guidelines by getting close to the whales and stopping in their path, Barre said.
Significant to tribes
The orca has special significance to local tribes.
American Indians have called the whales the blackfish. The tribes have followed orcas to find salmon, said Ray Fryberg, director of fish and wildlife for the Tulalip Tribes. Often, the tribes place the orca and the eagle on top of totem poles to be lookouts for salmon.
According to one story, five brothers were able to find their way home to their village in the fog by jumping into the water and transforming into orcas, Fryberg said.
Fryberg met an orca face-to-face in British Columbia in 2004. Ambrose Maquinna, chief of the Mowachaht tribe, had said he wanted to return as an orca after he died. Shortly after the chief passed on, a previously unaccounted-for orca showed up, Fryberg said.
Fryberg was invited to a ceremony where tribal members called to the orca by venturing out in canoes and singing the chief’s paddle song.
“He came at us just like a torpedo” and calmly stopped between the two canoes, Fryberg said. Fryberg and other tribal members placed their hands on the orca.
“I was eye-to-eye with that killer whale, he was making his vocal sound with me,” Fryberg said.
“I think that we particularly see the need for them to be protected, and our spiritual connection to them.”
vrijdag 31 juli 2009
Proposed U.S. rules worry B.C. whale-watching industry
The U.S. is considering adopting new regulations that would double the distance boats must keep from killer whales in the Puget Sound – and those in B.C.'s whale-watching industry worry it could hurt business.
The proposed mandatory rules would prohibit all vessels from coming within 183 metres of killer whales, double the distance of the voluntary buffer zone many tour operators already follow.
"For that distance to double, it would mean that tourists or anyone who wanted to view the marine mammals might have to use telephoto lenses or binoculars," said Larry Paike of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
The DFO says whales, particularly southern resident killer whales, suffer from noise pollution and struggle to naturally migrate and feed.
"Any of these types of disturbances places additional stress on the animals and it may prevent their long-term productivity. That's what we're trying to minimize. We're essentially speaking for the animals," Paike said.
Tour operators fear impact on business
But Dan Kukat of Springtide Whale Tours in Victoria said the move is going to hurt business.
"The further away you get ... the more difficult it is for that personal interaction to be touched. It's that emotion you need to draw on to get people to do something," he said.
Kukat said greater public awareness and action to protect marine life comes from the millions of people who have taken whale-watching tours and seen the mammals up close.
Visitor David MacAulay said he's not sure he'd spend the money to be so far away.
"As a tourist looking for photographs, it's not a good thing."
Tourist Ken Scott agreed.
"You'd probably think twice about it."
With the U.S. moving forward with the proposed regulations, those in the industry expect Canada will likely be close behind.
The proposed mandatory rules would prohibit all vessels from coming within 183 metres of killer whales, double the distance of the voluntary buffer zone many tour operators already follow.
"For that distance to double, it would mean that tourists or anyone who wanted to view the marine mammals might have to use telephoto lenses or binoculars," said Larry Paike of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
The DFO says whales, particularly southern resident killer whales, suffer from noise pollution and struggle to naturally migrate and feed.
"Any of these types of disturbances places additional stress on the animals and it may prevent their long-term productivity. That's what we're trying to minimize. We're essentially speaking for the animals," Paike said.
Tour operators fear impact on business
But Dan Kukat of Springtide Whale Tours in Victoria said the move is going to hurt business.
"The further away you get ... the more difficult it is for that personal interaction to be touched. It's that emotion you need to draw on to get people to do something," he said.
Kukat said greater public awareness and action to protect marine life comes from the millions of people who have taken whale-watching tours and seen the mammals up close.
Visitor David MacAulay said he's not sure he'd spend the money to be so far away.
"As a tourist looking for photographs, it's not a good thing."
Tourist Ken Scott agreed.
"You'd probably think twice about it."
With the U.S. moving forward with the proposed regulations, those in the industry expect Canada will likely be close behind.
dinsdag 28 juli 2009
Proposal by NOAA Fisheries on vessel traffic near Southern Resident Orcas
"As part of the recovery program for endangered Southern Resident killer whales, NOAA Fisheries Service is proposing new rules for vessel traffic aimed at further protecting the whales in navigable waters of Washington State. The proposed rules would prohibit vessels from approaching any killer whale closer than 200 yards and forbid vessels from intercepting or parking in the path of a whale. In addition, the proposed regulations would set up a half-mile-wide no-go zone along the west side of San Juan Island from May 1 through the end of September, where generally no vessels would be allowed.
There would be exemptions to the rules for some vessels, including those actively fishing commercially, cargo vessels traveling in established shipping lanes, and government and research vessels. The no-go zone would also have exemptions for treaty Indian fishing vessels, and limited exceptions for land owners accessing private property adjacent to it.
The news release, proposed rule, draft environmental assessment, and other supporting documents are available on our web site at NOAA,along with instructions for submitting comments. There is a 90 day public comment period and we will hold public hearings Sept. 30 in Seattle, and Oct. 5 in Friday Harbor to provide additional information on the proposed rule."
There would be exemptions to the rules for some vessels, including those actively fishing commercially, cargo vessels traveling in established shipping lanes, and government and research vessels. The no-go zone would also have exemptions for treaty Indian fishing vessels, and limited exceptions for land owners accessing private property adjacent to it.
The news release, proposed rule, draft environmental assessment, and other supporting documents are available on our web site at NOAA,along with instructions for submitting comments. There is a 90 day public comment period and we will hold public hearings Sept. 30 in Seattle, and Oct. 5 in Friday Harbor to provide additional information on the proposed rule."
zaterdag 18 juli 2009
Scientists leave Shetland Isles
For the last two summers a team of scientists led by Andy Foote has been studying killer whales around Shetland, part of a bigger study of the population of the north-east Atlantic.
During their time here the “whalers”, as they were referred to locally, spent most of their time in the North Isles and the Wind Dog Cafe in Gutcher was something of a home and headquarters to them.
Not only could they eat at the Wind Dog, but they could use the wireless connection for their computers and keep up with their emails. Now the work here is complete and they leave Shetland, the next project a study in the Western Isles.
Last year when the Shetland study started the team gave an illustrated presentation to an interested gathering and through that and all the friends they made they were able to built up a network of people who kept them informed of any whale sightings. They were highly mobile and responded at a moment’s notice.
Last Wednesday evening the Wind Dog was packed to the door with people listening to Dr Foote give an hour-long talk about the work in Shetland and at the end there was generous time given to questions and the opportunity to speak to him and his colleagues.
They have identified around 1,000 killer whales in the north-east Atlantic and they have been able to obtain a large number of samples to build a DNA database. They have discovered that, like some land animals, whales sometimes die because their teeth have worn away and they can no longer feed.
It seems that the killer whales that feed on seals have far less wear on their teeth than the animals that dine on herring and mackerel. They may live to be as old as 60 or even 80, whereas fish eaters may be finished at the age of 30 or 40. To satisfy hunger whales will eat at least one seal per day and the fish eaters will devour herring by the hundred.
The talk was part of the Shetland Nature Festival and it was attended by many of those involved. Organiser Helen Moncrieff was there as well as Brydon Thomason and Wendy Dickson. Television presenter Simon King was there with his family and he was seen busying himself helping the staff to clear tables and shift chairs.
At the end of the talk and the questions Dr Foote thanked the Wind Dog, especially Margaret Tulloch and Maggie Bowler for all their hospitality and friendship, and he presented a framed set of four photographs of killer whales to Andy Ross, co-owner of the cafe, to mark the landmark birthday that he has recently celebrated.
The whalers have clearly enjoyed their time here. Dr Foote said he would be back and added that “Shetland would not be a bad place to live”.
During their time here the “whalers”, as they were referred to locally, spent most of their time in the North Isles and the Wind Dog Cafe in Gutcher was something of a home and headquarters to them.
Not only could they eat at the Wind Dog, but they could use the wireless connection for their computers and keep up with their emails. Now the work here is complete and they leave Shetland, the next project a study in the Western Isles.
Last year when the Shetland study started the team gave an illustrated presentation to an interested gathering and through that and all the friends they made they were able to built up a network of people who kept them informed of any whale sightings. They were highly mobile and responded at a moment’s notice.
Last Wednesday evening the Wind Dog was packed to the door with people listening to Dr Foote give an hour-long talk about the work in Shetland and at the end there was generous time given to questions and the opportunity to speak to him and his colleagues.
They have identified around 1,000 killer whales in the north-east Atlantic and they have been able to obtain a large number of samples to build a DNA database. They have discovered that, like some land animals, whales sometimes die because their teeth have worn away and they can no longer feed.
It seems that the killer whales that feed on seals have far less wear on their teeth than the animals that dine on herring and mackerel. They may live to be as old as 60 or even 80, whereas fish eaters may be finished at the age of 30 or 40. To satisfy hunger whales will eat at least one seal per day and the fish eaters will devour herring by the hundred.
The talk was part of the Shetland Nature Festival and it was attended by many of those involved. Organiser Helen Moncrieff was there as well as Brydon Thomason and Wendy Dickson. Television presenter Simon King was there with his family and he was seen busying himself helping the staff to clear tables and shift chairs.
At the end of the talk and the questions Dr Foote thanked the Wind Dog, especially Margaret Tulloch and Maggie Bowler for all their hospitality and friendship, and he presented a framed set of four photographs of killer whales to Andy Ross, co-owner of the cafe, to mark the landmark birthday that he has recently celebrated.
The whalers have clearly enjoyed their time here. Dr Foote said he would be back and added that “Shetland would not be a bad place to live”.
vrijdag 17 juli 2009
Hebridean Orca pod spotted off Western Ireland
West coast killer whale on the move
JULY 2009. With the National Whale and Dolphin Watch underway, there has been exciting news for whale watchers with confirmation that the killer whale (orca) pod that is normally seen in the Hebrides of Scotland has been spotted some 400 kilometres away off western Ireland. The pod included four that are well-known to scientists who have called them John Coe, Floppy Fin, Nicola and Aquarius.
Seen off the Hebrides since 1990s
"John Coe" was originally named by Christopher Swann of Western Isles Sailing Company on a Sea Watch survey in the early 1990s, and is known to have ranged around the Hebrides since at least the late 1980s when he was regularly seen by different groups, including Sea Watch, Sea Life Surveys, and the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) until 2000. He then disappeared from view until being seen in a pod of 10 orcas between Tory Island and Malin Head, County Donegal, in September 2004, and again off the Pembrokeshire coast in June 2008.
The latest sighting of him, in a pod of four (thought to be all from the Hebridean group), was at the mouth of Galway Bay, between the Aran Islands and Black Head by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) and confirmed by Sea Watch
Second pod of Orcas
On the same day, another pod of orcas, two males and three females, was sighted off Erris Head, Co. Mayo, heading east towards the Stags of Broadhaven. Two of the males were also well known to Hebridean watchers, as "Floppy Fin" and "Aquarius" and one of the females was "Nicola".
The sightings, say Sea Watch Director Peter Evans, who has worked closely with both IWDG and HWDT over many years to collate sightings and identify individual whales, suggest that the whole of this Hebridean killer whale community might have been on the move to distant pastures.
The piecing together of the movements of this group of killer whales was achieved through collaboration between the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group, Aberdeen University, Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust and Sea Watch Foundation
Wide ranging animals
Sea Watch research director Dr Evans said: "What they were doing off County Mayo remains a mystery, but as elsewhere, these killer whales clearly regularly range over a very wide area. We have in the past followed this pod travelling more than 100 kms in a single day down the entire chain of the Hebrides, and we've observed these individuals shift from feeding upon herring to going after seals.
"We hope that during National Whale and Dolphin watch, when more people will be looking out, that we might receive further reports and photographs that might help us better understand their movement patterns.
"The collaboration of different research groups and the help of individuals in reporting and photographing sightings are vital throughout the year if we are to understand the behaviour of whales, dolphins and harbour porpoises around our coast and develop appropriate and effective conservation policies."
Killer whales can live to at least 80-90 years, and Floppy Fin has been seen in the Hebrides many times over the last 20 years along with Nicola and Aquarius and the others.
Sea Watch, a marine research charity, organises National Whale and Dolphin Watch which this year is being held from July 18-26. Anyone can take part and details are on www.seawatchfoudnation.org.uk
In total, 28 different species of whales, dolphins and porpoises have been recorded in UK and Irish waters, with 13 species known to live around or regularly visit our coasts.
The National Whale and Dolphin Watch, sponsored by BG, is now in its eighth year.
JULY 2009. With the National Whale and Dolphin Watch underway, there has been exciting news for whale watchers with confirmation that the killer whale (orca) pod that is normally seen in the Hebrides of Scotland has been spotted some 400 kilometres away off western Ireland. The pod included four that are well-known to scientists who have called them John Coe, Floppy Fin, Nicola and Aquarius.
Seen off the Hebrides since 1990s
"John Coe" was originally named by Christopher Swann of Western Isles Sailing Company on a Sea Watch survey in the early 1990s, and is known to have ranged around the Hebrides since at least the late 1980s when he was regularly seen by different groups, including Sea Watch, Sea Life Surveys, and the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) until 2000. He then disappeared from view until being seen in a pod of 10 orcas between Tory Island and Malin Head, County Donegal, in September 2004, and again off the Pembrokeshire coast in June 2008.
The latest sighting of him, in a pod of four (thought to be all from the Hebridean group), was at the mouth of Galway Bay, between the Aran Islands and Black Head by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) and confirmed by Sea Watch
Second pod of Orcas
On the same day, another pod of orcas, two males and three females, was sighted off Erris Head, Co. Mayo, heading east towards the Stags of Broadhaven. Two of the males were also well known to Hebridean watchers, as "Floppy Fin" and "Aquarius" and one of the females was "Nicola".
The sightings, say Sea Watch Director Peter Evans, who has worked closely with both IWDG and HWDT over many years to collate sightings and identify individual whales, suggest that the whole of this Hebridean killer whale community might have been on the move to distant pastures.
The piecing together of the movements of this group of killer whales was achieved through collaboration between the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group, Aberdeen University, Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust and Sea Watch Foundation
Wide ranging animals
Sea Watch research director Dr Evans said: "What they were doing off County Mayo remains a mystery, but as elsewhere, these killer whales clearly regularly range over a very wide area. We have in the past followed this pod travelling more than 100 kms in a single day down the entire chain of the Hebrides, and we've observed these individuals shift from feeding upon herring to going after seals.
"We hope that during National Whale and Dolphin watch, when more people will be looking out, that we might receive further reports and photographs that might help us better understand their movement patterns.
"The collaboration of different research groups and the help of individuals in reporting and photographing sightings are vital throughout the year if we are to understand the behaviour of whales, dolphins and harbour porpoises around our coast and develop appropriate and effective conservation policies."
Killer whales can live to at least 80-90 years, and Floppy Fin has been seen in the Hebrides many times over the last 20 years along with Nicola and Aquarius and the others.
Sea Watch, a marine research charity, organises National Whale and Dolphin Watch which this year is being held from July 18-26. Anyone can take part and details are on www.seawatchfoudnation.org.uk
In total, 28 different species of whales, dolphins and porpoises have been recorded in UK and Irish waters, with 13 species known to live around or regularly visit our coasts.
The National Whale and Dolphin Watch, sponsored by BG, is now in its eighth year.
Killer whales attack southern right calf
LIKE a scene from a David Attenborough documentary, killer whales hunted a baby southern right whale in Port Fairy bay.
Two giant ocean hunters chased the calf from its mother and launched a spectacular attack that lasted for almost an hour and was watched by three fishermen.
"The killer whales kept rolling over on top of the calf as the mother tried to protect it," Clark Smock told The Standard yesterday.
"It was very spectacular. They were sailing nine feet out of the water. In all my years at sea I've never seen anything like it before.
"At one point we could see the mother slapping around, probably very anxious."
Mr Smock, a former abalone diver, took friends Bruce Black and David Hounslow out on a snapper fishing trip last Thursday when they noticed the spectacle about 500 metres away in the bay.
Mr Hounslow described the killer whales' fins as "like the conning towers of a submarine".
"The killer whales looked like they were set to have lunch," he said.
"They seemed to be giving the whale and calf a hard time. We certainly saw quite a lot of activity from the killer whales."
Mr Black said at first it looked like all the whales were southern rights, but it became obvious killer whales were trying to separate the calf from its mother.
"There was a lot of activity then they dispersed."
It appeared the calf survived the ordeal as there were no reports of a carcass on local beaches and three sets of mothers and calves were reported off the south-west coast this week.
Two giant ocean hunters chased the calf from its mother and launched a spectacular attack that lasted for almost an hour and was watched by three fishermen.
"The killer whales kept rolling over on top of the calf as the mother tried to protect it," Clark Smock told The Standard yesterday.
"It was very spectacular. They were sailing nine feet out of the water. In all my years at sea I've never seen anything like it before.
"At one point we could see the mother slapping around, probably very anxious."
Mr Smock, a former abalone diver, took friends Bruce Black and David Hounslow out on a snapper fishing trip last Thursday when they noticed the spectacle about 500 metres away in the bay.
Mr Hounslow described the killer whales' fins as "like the conning towers of a submarine".
"The killer whales looked like they were set to have lunch," he said.
"They seemed to be giving the whale and calf a hard time. We certainly saw quite a lot of activity from the killer whales."
Mr Black said at first it looked like all the whales were southern rights, but it became obvious killer whales were trying to separate the calf from its mother.
"There was a lot of activity then they dispersed."
It appeared the calf survived the ordeal as there were no reports of a carcass on local beaches and three sets of mothers and calves were reported off the south-west coast this week.
donderdag 16 juli 2009
Transients operate in Clayoquot
For kawkawin, killer whale, orca, Black Fish -- whatever you care to call them -- Clayoquot seemed to be the place to be in June. We were treated to 16 days of visitation for the month.
Killer whales pillaged their way in and out of most every seal/sea lion haunt as they worked their way along the coast.
On June 4, Ted's gang isolated a bull California Sea Lion and were about to close in for the kill when the lion, choosing the lesser of two evils, dashed over to one of the whale watching vessels seeking sanctuary. Hey, that's a good strategy.
After unsuccessfully trying to scramble aboard, the lion hung suspended upside down beside the boat in order to see and avoid a possible attack from below. A real strategist.
Two young bulls who we'd never seen before toured right through Tofino Harbour and wandered their way 18 miles inland to the head of Tranquil Inlet gobbling up a harbour seal along the way.
After spending the night in Clayoquot, the pair took their leave at the crack of dawn. It will be interesting to see if this new partnership holds over the long term.
Aside from the two new bulls, we saw an additional two new animals on June 4. This is curious in that a few years after starting our monitoring (January, 1991) of Kawkawin, it was rare to see a new animal and here we are with four newbies in one month.
While the transient killer whales that we see are small gangs of three to six animals, this month we had up to six gangs travelling together with as many as 15 animals in the Sound on a given day.
Long time Scuttle Butt readers may recall that in May of 2006, we saw a badly injured young killer whale we named Trauma.
I'm sorry to report that while this tough youngster managed to hang in there for over a year, he has now passed away. This is yet another tragedy for the gang we call the Motley Crew.
Through the early to mid 1990s this five member gang was our most frequent visitors. The matriarch Janice (Joplin) survives several of her gang members. First the late middle-aged bull U2 disappeared in 2001 and is presumed dead. Then Cindi (Lauper), after loosing a calf disappeared and is presumed dead. To top it off, this June we were concerned in that young Axle (Rose) was missing.
Last month we were saddened to report the demise of the old bull T044 from Ted's gang.
An interesting note from colleague Jim Borrowman tells us -- "We managed to get T044 when he went to the great kelp bed in the sky. Interesting amount of seal claws in the stomach and a tag which we traced to a young elephant seal that was born in California in 2007."
On the sea otter front, we have seen rafts of up to 30 animals at Schooner Cove which is even further south than previously reported. Daily reports of small groups and individuals scattered from one end to the other of our exposed to semi-exposed coast line continue to come in.
We have been curious about seeing otters up to five nautical miles offshore. Are they fishing for something in the water column, simply lazing about letting the currents take them were they may or are they actually bottom feeding as is their norm?
A note from our advisor, Marine Mammal Biologist Linda Nicholl at the Pacific Biological Station, advises us that a study in Alaska with transmitter laden otters shows them as attaining depths of up 100 meters! This seems astounding for an animal with such cumbersome-appearing locomotion tools.
Speaking of advisors, Simon Fraser Professor Brian Hartwick gave me a gentle poke reminding me that he had photographed a mom and pup otter at Cleland Island in August of 1972, that's 25 years previous to our first reported re-establishment of these animals in Clayoquot after 200 years of virtually annihilated absence.
I had not included this sighting in the report as it was felt that these were transient animals trying to work their way back to Alaska after having been reintroduced at Neah Bay likely that same year. None the less, a very interesting sighting.
The Strawberry Isle Research Society conducts primary research and monitoring of various marine ecosystems in Clayoquot Sound, promotes public interest and awareness of the marine environment, and supports other researchers in their related studies.
Killer whales pillaged their way in and out of most every seal/sea lion haunt as they worked their way along the coast.
On June 4, Ted's gang isolated a bull California Sea Lion and were about to close in for the kill when the lion, choosing the lesser of two evils, dashed over to one of the whale watching vessels seeking sanctuary. Hey, that's a good strategy.
After unsuccessfully trying to scramble aboard, the lion hung suspended upside down beside the boat in order to see and avoid a possible attack from below. A real strategist.
Two young bulls who we'd never seen before toured right through Tofino Harbour and wandered their way 18 miles inland to the head of Tranquil Inlet gobbling up a harbour seal along the way.
After spending the night in Clayoquot, the pair took their leave at the crack of dawn. It will be interesting to see if this new partnership holds over the long term.
Aside from the two new bulls, we saw an additional two new animals on June 4. This is curious in that a few years after starting our monitoring (January, 1991) of Kawkawin, it was rare to see a new animal and here we are with four newbies in one month.
While the transient killer whales that we see are small gangs of three to six animals, this month we had up to six gangs travelling together with as many as 15 animals in the Sound on a given day.
Long time Scuttle Butt readers may recall that in May of 2006, we saw a badly injured young killer whale we named Trauma.
I'm sorry to report that while this tough youngster managed to hang in there for over a year, he has now passed away. This is yet another tragedy for the gang we call the Motley Crew.
Through the early to mid 1990s this five member gang was our most frequent visitors. The matriarch Janice (Joplin) survives several of her gang members. First the late middle-aged bull U2 disappeared in 2001 and is presumed dead. Then Cindi (Lauper), after loosing a calf disappeared and is presumed dead. To top it off, this June we were concerned in that young Axle (Rose) was missing.
Last month we were saddened to report the demise of the old bull T044 from Ted's gang.
An interesting note from colleague Jim Borrowman tells us -- "We managed to get T044 when he went to the great kelp bed in the sky. Interesting amount of seal claws in the stomach and a tag which we traced to a young elephant seal that was born in California in 2007."
On the sea otter front, we have seen rafts of up to 30 animals at Schooner Cove which is even further south than previously reported. Daily reports of small groups and individuals scattered from one end to the other of our exposed to semi-exposed coast line continue to come in.
We have been curious about seeing otters up to five nautical miles offshore. Are they fishing for something in the water column, simply lazing about letting the currents take them were they may or are they actually bottom feeding as is their norm?
A note from our advisor, Marine Mammal Biologist Linda Nicholl at the Pacific Biological Station, advises us that a study in Alaska with transmitter laden otters shows them as attaining depths of up 100 meters! This seems astounding for an animal with such cumbersome-appearing locomotion tools.
Speaking of advisors, Simon Fraser Professor Brian Hartwick gave me a gentle poke reminding me that he had photographed a mom and pup otter at Cleland Island in August of 1972, that's 25 years previous to our first reported re-establishment of these animals in Clayoquot after 200 years of virtually annihilated absence.
I had not included this sighting in the report as it was felt that these were transient animals trying to work their way back to Alaska after having been reintroduced at Neah Bay likely that same year. None the less, a very interesting sighting.
The Strawberry Isle Research Society conducts primary research and monitoring of various marine ecosystems in Clayoquot Sound, promotes public interest and awareness of the marine environment, and supports other researchers in their related studies.
zondag 12 juli 2009
California water plan aims to save Puget Sound orcas
A plan to restore salmon runs on California's Sacramento River also could help revive killer whale populations 700 miles to the north in Puget Sound, as federal scientists struggle to protect endangered species in a complex ecosystem that stretches along the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska.
Without wild salmon from the Sacramento and American rivers as part of their diet, the killer whales might face extinction, scientists concluded in a biological opinion that could result in even more severe water restrictions for farmers in the drought-stricken, 400-mile-long Central Valley of California. The valley is the nation's most productive farm region.
The plan has faced heated criticism from agricultural interests and politicians in California, but environmentalists said it represented a welcome departure by the Obama administration from its predecessor in dealing with Endangered Species Act issues.
The Sacramento plan, they add, is in sharp contrast to the plan for restoring wild salmon populations on the Columbia and Snake rivers in Washington state and Idaho. That plan, written by the Bush administration, essentially concluded the long-term decline in those federally protected runs didn't jeopardize the killer whales' existence because hatchery fish could make up the difference.
The 85 orcas of the southern resident killer whale population travel in three separate pods, spending much of their time roaming the inland waters of Washington state from the San Juan Islands to south Puget Sound. During the winter they have been found offshore, ranging as far south as Monterey Bay in California and as far north as British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands. Each orca has distinctive markings, which allows them to be tracked.
In the mid-1990s, there were nearly 100 orcas in the three southern resident pods. The population fell to fewer than 80 in 2001. In 2005, they were granted federal protection as an endangered species. They have been studied closely for only 30 years or so, but historically there may have been up to 200 southern resident orcas.
Researches think the decline has resulted from pollution — which could cause immune- or reproductive-system dysfunction — and from oil spills, noise and other vessel disturbances, along with a reduced quantity and quality of prey.
The Sacramento and American river systems combined were once among the top salmon-spawning rivers on the West Coast, trailing only the Columbia and Snake rivers.
Prompted by lawsuits, the National Marine Fisheries Service last month published its latest plan for the Sacramento and American rivers' winter and fall chinook salmon runs. Without further curtailments of water for the federal Central Valley Project — a several-hundred-mile network of dams, canals and pumping plants — and the California State Water Project — the nation's largest state-built water and power development and conveyance system, which supplies water for 23 million Californians — the two runs are in jeopardy of extinction, the plan said.
Without changes, the southern resident killer whales, a run of steelhead and a population of North American green sturgeon almost certainly would disappear, according to the plan.
The latest plan for the Columbia-Snake wild salmon runs concluded continued operation of the federal hydroelectric dams on the two rivers was "not likely to adversely affect" the killer whales. Earlier, federal scientists found that "perhaps the single greatest change in food availability for resident killer whales since the late 1800s has been the decline of salmon from the Columbia River basin."
Despite the decline in wild runs, the scientists who worked on the Columbia plan concluded hatchery fish would be able to make up any deficit in the orcas' diet.
Though the Columbia-Snake salmon plan acknowledges the potential problems with hatchery fish, it dismisses, at least for now, their impact on killer whale food supplies.
Lynne Barre, a National Marine Fisheries Service scientist in Seattle who helped write both plans, downplays any differences.
"I think we say the same thing in both opinions," Barre said, adding both plans recognize hatchery fish could be a short-term substitute for wild fish, but there were concerns about whether hatchery fish could be a long-term food source for orcas. "The general principles are similar."
Environmentalists, however, say the differences couldn't be more obvious.
"The contrasts are striking," said Todd True, a lawyer for the Seattle office of Earthjustice, which has challenged the Columbia-Snake plan in a lawsuit in federal court in Portland, Ore.
True said the Sacramento salmon plan was a "candid piece of work that had a strong independent review and the absence of political interference." As for the Columbia-Snake plan, True said that it "pretends there isn't a problem."
The judge in the Portland case has given the Obama administration until Aug. 15 to indicate whether it will stick with the Columbia-Snake salmon plan written during the Bush administration or offer a new one. True said he'd raise the orca issue again.
Without wild salmon from the Sacramento and American rivers as part of their diet, the killer whales might face extinction, scientists concluded in a biological opinion that could result in even more severe water restrictions for farmers in the drought-stricken, 400-mile-long Central Valley of California. The valley is the nation's most productive farm region.
The plan has faced heated criticism from agricultural interests and politicians in California, but environmentalists said it represented a welcome departure by the Obama administration from its predecessor in dealing with Endangered Species Act issues.
The Sacramento plan, they add, is in sharp contrast to the plan for restoring wild salmon populations on the Columbia and Snake rivers in Washington state and Idaho. That plan, written by the Bush administration, essentially concluded the long-term decline in those federally protected runs didn't jeopardize the killer whales' existence because hatchery fish could make up the difference.
The 85 orcas of the southern resident killer whale population travel in three separate pods, spending much of their time roaming the inland waters of Washington state from the San Juan Islands to south Puget Sound. During the winter they have been found offshore, ranging as far south as Monterey Bay in California and as far north as British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands. Each orca has distinctive markings, which allows them to be tracked.
In the mid-1990s, there were nearly 100 orcas in the three southern resident pods. The population fell to fewer than 80 in 2001. In 2005, they were granted federal protection as an endangered species. They have been studied closely for only 30 years or so, but historically there may have been up to 200 southern resident orcas.
Researches think the decline has resulted from pollution — which could cause immune- or reproductive-system dysfunction — and from oil spills, noise and other vessel disturbances, along with a reduced quantity and quality of prey.
The Sacramento and American river systems combined were once among the top salmon-spawning rivers on the West Coast, trailing only the Columbia and Snake rivers.
Prompted by lawsuits, the National Marine Fisheries Service last month published its latest plan for the Sacramento and American rivers' winter and fall chinook salmon runs. Without further curtailments of water for the federal Central Valley Project — a several-hundred-mile network of dams, canals and pumping plants — and the California State Water Project — the nation's largest state-built water and power development and conveyance system, which supplies water for 23 million Californians — the two runs are in jeopardy of extinction, the plan said.
Without changes, the southern resident killer whales, a run of steelhead and a population of North American green sturgeon almost certainly would disappear, according to the plan.
The latest plan for the Columbia-Snake wild salmon runs concluded continued operation of the federal hydroelectric dams on the two rivers was "not likely to adversely affect" the killer whales. Earlier, federal scientists found that "perhaps the single greatest change in food availability for resident killer whales since the late 1800s has been the decline of salmon from the Columbia River basin."
Despite the decline in wild runs, the scientists who worked on the Columbia plan concluded hatchery fish would be able to make up any deficit in the orcas' diet.
Though the Columbia-Snake salmon plan acknowledges the potential problems with hatchery fish, it dismisses, at least for now, their impact on killer whale food supplies.
Lynne Barre, a National Marine Fisheries Service scientist in Seattle who helped write both plans, downplays any differences.
"I think we say the same thing in both opinions," Barre said, adding both plans recognize hatchery fish could be a short-term substitute for wild fish, but there were concerns about whether hatchery fish could be a long-term food source for orcas. "The general principles are similar."
Environmentalists, however, say the differences couldn't be more obvious.
"The contrasts are striking," said Todd True, a lawyer for the Seattle office of Earthjustice, which has challenged the Columbia-Snake plan in a lawsuit in federal court in Portland, Ore.
True said the Sacramento salmon plan was a "candid piece of work that had a strong independent review and the absence of political interference." As for the Columbia-Snake plan, True said that it "pretends there isn't a problem."
The judge in the Portland case has given the Obama administration until Aug. 15 to indicate whether it will stick with the Columbia-Snake salmon plan written during the Bush administration or offer a new one. True said he'd raise the orca issue again.
dinsdag 30 juni 2009
Seal's close call with killer whale in Patagonia
Rob Lott , a photographer and conservationist, travelled to Patagonia to study and photograph the foraging behaviour of a pod of 18 orcas. Photo: BARCROFT
An astonishing sequence of images showed the orca emerging from shallow icy waters towards the shore in an attempt to feed on the seal pup.
Rob Lott , a photographer and conservationist, travelled to Patagonia to study and photograph the foraging behaviour of a pod of 18 orcas.
"We spent a month watching this pod of 18 orcas near Ponte Note in Patagonia," he said. "Despite their numbers only seven of the Orcas have mastered the stranding behaviour where the orca enters the shallow surf to feed on seal pups.
"On one occasion we spotted Mel, a 50 year-old who had previously been studied by David Attenborough in his "Trials of Life" documentary. We identified him due to his large two metre dorsal fin ad it was great to see him in action."
Orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family.
Growing to a length of up to 27 feet, adults weigh as much as 10 tons. They are known to be opportunistic feeders, preying on virtually any large marine animal.
Aside from hunting in the waters, orcas are known to leave the water to grab seals and sea lions from the shore.
"Seal pups are often born in January of each year and as they grow older they become more brave and courageous and head down towards the shallow surf," said Mr Lott.
"Over the years the orcas have figured this out and it is not uncommon for the orcas to feed on the tiny seal pups. Mel is known to be an expert hunter and he will often take a seal from the shore before taking it back to the pod for feeding.
"On this occasion, however, the pup got away, but it made for some spectacular images."
donderdag 25 juni 2009
Pictured: Dramatic moment a stingray takes flight from hungry killer whale
With the predator lurking close behind, the intended prey takes flight - quite literally.
This flying stingray was trying to avoid the attentions of the aptly-named killer whale, which was ready to take a bite out of the fish when the stingray made its leap for safety.
While stingrays seem most content to spend their days lying at the bottom of the sea-bed, occasionally sticking their stingers into unassuming human feet, this one proved they can be moved to flights of fancy when needed.
The encounter was captured in calm waters just off St. Heliers beach in Auckland, New Zealand, yesterday.
Five or six orcas gathered in the morning sun to feast on the stingrays resting near the shore, while another 30 orcas hung around at the back of the harbour.
A huge crowd gathered to watch the spectacle.
Schoolchildren - who dashed out of class to watch the display - said the whales came right up to the shoreline and 'you would have been able to touch them if you'd tried to reach out'.
Some of the 'spectacles' - if an animal eating another animal can be called such a thing - included a whale flipping a stingray into the air before catching it in the mouth.
Another whale flipped onto its side and struck a sea-gull in midflight. The bird fell stunned into the water, providing another tasty morsel.
The whales receded with the tide at about 10.30am, their bellies full.
vrijdag 19 juni 2009
Scientist discovers whales may be singing their own names
A German scientist has found whales may be doing more than serenading love interests or telling their pods where the herring is by singing: through their songs, they may actually have names.
“From our research, one can say that whales have signature tones,” said Heike Vester from her lab in the northern Norwegian town of Hennigsvaer. “When many pods of whales come together, the sounds the whales make is very different than if they are just with their own family. This is very important for communicating between groups.”
Pods of whales use clicks for echolocation of food, but the songs they sing are a distinct language that can give instructions too once the food has been found. This means the whales can set a hunting strategy.
“The groups have their own modifications to the language that are learned dialects. It shows other whales the dynamics of that group,” the 39-year-old marine biologist from Baden-Württemberg explained. Killer whales have as many as 17 different tones in their whistles, hum and click that each pod can produce to communicate with the community around them.
When more than one pod of whales meet at a school of herring, these tones allow the whales to communicate specifically with their own pod when hunting, like a family calling each other by name.
Vester has been studying killer whales and pilot whales near the Norwegian coast for 10 years and hopes more understanding of the animals will further protect them. Norway is not bound by a worldwide 1985 moratorium against whaling.
“It’s difficult being a whale researcher in Norway,” Vester said, noting that whale hunters and researchers are in a constant battle for what happens at sea. There is little financial support for her research and her team relies on microphones placed in the area by the World Wildlife Fund.
“The whale population still has yet to recover from the whaling that was done. They continue to suffer from the garbage in the sea, the driving nets and chemical pollution such as pesticides out there. These animals are endangered and they need our protection,” she said.
“From our research, one can say that whales have signature tones,” said Heike Vester from her lab in the northern Norwegian town of Hennigsvaer. “When many pods of whales come together, the sounds the whales make is very different than if they are just with their own family. This is very important for communicating between groups.”
Pods of whales use clicks for echolocation of food, but the songs they sing are a distinct language that can give instructions too once the food has been found. This means the whales can set a hunting strategy.
“The groups have their own modifications to the language that are learned dialects. It shows other whales the dynamics of that group,” the 39-year-old marine biologist from Baden-Württemberg explained. Killer whales have as many as 17 different tones in their whistles, hum and click that each pod can produce to communicate with the community around them.
When more than one pod of whales meet at a school of herring, these tones allow the whales to communicate specifically with their own pod when hunting, like a family calling each other by name.
Vester has been studying killer whales and pilot whales near the Norwegian coast for 10 years and hopes more understanding of the animals will further protect them. Norway is not bound by a worldwide 1985 moratorium against whaling.
“It’s difficult being a whale researcher in Norway,” Vester said, noting that whale hunters and researchers are in a constant battle for what happens at sea. There is little financial support for her research and her team relies on microphones placed in the area by the World Wildlife Fund.
“The whale population still has yet to recover from the whaling that was done. They continue to suffer from the garbage in the sea, the driving nets and chemical pollution such as pesticides out there. These animals are endangered and they need our protection,” she said.
dinsdag 9 juni 2009
Whale calf terror off Gold Coast
HUMPBACKS heading north better watch their backs, after a pod of killer whales was spotted in Gold Coast waters yesterday in fast pursuit of their dinner.
Spirit of Gold Coast skipper Jason Roberts said four killer whales about 5m long were seen about 10 nautical miles off Tallebudgera at 9.45am.
And it's expected great white sharks wil not be too far behind.
Mr Roberts said the whales were travelling so fast that crew members almost missed a glimpse of them.
"For three years killer whales have been seen just off the Gold Coast," he said.
"There is the possibility that we will see more of them in coming years as the population of humpbacks increases.
"They were really thrashing around in the water and moving at around 16 knots."
Mr Roberts said killer whales hunted baby humpbacks, feasting on the calves' tongues and lips.
With more humpbacks migrating north each year, it was logical their biggest predators, the killer whale and the great white shark, would come hunting.
"It was a really special occasion for everyone on board," he said.
"It's a rare sight to see.
"Killer whales feeding on the baby humpbacks is just part of nature."
As humpback whales start to migrate up the Queensland Coast, recreational boat owners are being warned to keep their distance.
Queensland Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones said while the annual whale migration was an amazing sight, some weighed more than a fully loaded semi-trailer and should be given a wide berth.
"Last year, some boats crowded around whales on the Gold Coast and skippers put themselves, their passengers and the whales at risk," she said.
"A number of boaties were given warnings last whale season and our marine rangers intend on ramping up their monitoring efforts this year.
"Boats cannot go any closer than 300m to a whale if three or more boats are already closer than 300m to a whale.
"Boats cannot go any closer than 300m if moving in a similar direction to or behind a whale, moving at more than four knots."
The maximum penalty for intentionally moving closer to a whale than permitted under the conservation plan is $12,000.
On-the-spot fines ranging from $300 to $500 may also apply for contravention of the conservation plan.
Spirit of Gold Coast skipper Jason Roberts said four killer whales about 5m long were seen about 10 nautical miles off Tallebudgera at 9.45am.
And it's expected great white sharks wil not be too far behind.
Mr Roberts said the whales were travelling so fast that crew members almost missed a glimpse of them.
"For three years killer whales have been seen just off the Gold Coast," he said.
"There is the possibility that we will see more of them in coming years as the population of humpbacks increases.
"They were really thrashing around in the water and moving at around 16 knots."
Mr Roberts said killer whales hunted baby humpbacks, feasting on the calves' tongues and lips.
With more humpbacks migrating north each year, it was logical their biggest predators, the killer whale and the great white shark, would come hunting.
"It was a really special occasion for everyone on board," he said.
"It's a rare sight to see.
"Killer whales feeding on the baby humpbacks is just part of nature."
As humpback whales start to migrate up the Queensland Coast, recreational boat owners are being warned to keep their distance.
Queensland Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones said while the annual whale migration was an amazing sight, some weighed more than a fully loaded semi-trailer and should be given a wide berth.
"Last year, some boats crowded around whales on the Gold Coast and skippers put themselves, their passengers and the whales at risk," she said.
"A number of boaties were given warnings last whale season and our marine rangers intend on ramping up their monitoring efforts this year.
"Boats cannot go any closer than 300m to a whale if three or more boats are already closer than 300m to a whale.
"Boats cannot go any closer than 300m if moving in a similar direction to or behind a whale, moving at more than four knots."
The maximum penalty for intentionally moving closer to a whale than permitted under the conservation plan is $12,000.
On-the-spot fines ranging from $300 to $500 may also apply for contravention of the conservation plan.
vrijdag 22 mei 2009
One of these Killer Whales is Almost 100 years Old...
...and the other is in his fifties!
These two whales were the first of their pod to be identified by Ken Balcomb back in the late 70s when scientists realized that every Orca has a distinct pattern of markings. J1 is the impressive male with the characteristically tall dorsal fin, and J2 is tucked in behind him. Because of their relative ages and the fact that the pair is together so often, most likely they are mother and son.
J1 is 58 years old, and his mom is almost 100.
The concept that Orcas can live so long in the wild is just amazing -- we can only imagine the changes that J2 has witnessed over the course of her lifetime, and what remarkable adaptations she has had to make.
This photo of Pike Place Market was taken in 1911, about the time that J2 was born -- and shows more horses and buggies than cars!
Salmon were abundant then and the water less polluted. She was born before TV and not long after the first flight by the Wright brothers. Before scuba tanks or sonar, antibiotics or bandaids, and even before sliced bread!
It is remarkable that she has led her family and navigated so much change, and we can only hope that the Orcas have enough resilience to withstand the current dismal salmon situation. Our resident Orca pods were seen off California periodically this winter, which prompted me to ask Ken if he thought the whales would permanently move out of our area. He replied that they will probably stay here, but that they will have to go where they can find fish or starve.
So - you might want to take advantage of this great weather we're having and take a trip up to look for our venerable matriarch, she was spotted last Wednesday right off shore at San Juan Island. There is a shuttle you can catch when you disembark from the ferry in Friday Harbor that will take you to the whale watching park, so you can leave your car at the ferry terminal in Anacortes and walk on. It is a fun and easy day trip even if the whales don't show up (but be sure to check schedules and bring munchies and sunscreen, you may wind up staying longer than you planned!)
Although the Center for Whale Research is not involved with public tours you can check our links page for other recommendations. Lisa Moorby has redesigned our website, it is very user friendly and helpful, plus she has selected beautiful photos of the whales to enjoy.
A century old whale is something to see, and who knows, you may even see her with the new calf, her great-grandson J45!
zaterdag 9 mei 2009
Killer whales face cull after finding taste for rare otters
FOR conservationists it is the ultimate dilemma. Marine biologists are discussing a cull of killer whales because the predators are destroying other endangered sea mammals.
They are concerned by new research linking a huge population slump in species such as sea otters, Steller’s sea lions and harbour seals to the changed feeding habits of some killer whales, or orcas, as they are also known. The main prey of these orcas has traditionally been great whales such as grey whales and sperm whales, but hunting by humans has cut the numbers of those species to far below their natural level.
Professor James Estes, an expert in the population dynamics of sea mammals at the University of California, Santa Cruz, believes that, faced with a shortage of food, some groups of Pacific orcas have altered their diets. Each killer whale is capable of eating several otters or seals a day.
Estes, whose research will be published in the Philosophical Transactions journal of the Royal Society, said: “Killer whales are the world’s largest carnivores. They are fast and effective killers and they need a lot of food to keep going.
“They live in groups and I believe some of those groups are now preying on small marine mammals like sea otters and sea lions.”
His views are backed by many eyewitness reports of killer whales attacking smaller mammals, some of which can be swallowed whole. Other experts have been prompted to consider culling killer whales.
Callum Roberts, professor of marine biology at York University and author of The Unnatural History of the Sea, said: “Steller’s sea lions and sea otters are high on the conservation agenda, and seeing past success in rebuilding populations slipping away is agonising for those who have battled to bring them back from the edge of extinction. The possibility that killer whales are responsible creates the ultimate conservation dilemma: should we kill the killers?”
Estes is very cautious about such ideas, partly because he believes the science needs to be more certain and because pred-ator control programmes are seldom successful. A cull would also cause an outcry among conservationists.
“Culling killer whales might solve the problem but it would have a huge political dimension. A lot of people involved in conservation are nervous about this issue,” he said.
Estes, however, remains deeply concerned that the current population levels of sea otters, Steller’s sea lions and some seal species is so low that they are at risk of extinction. Although exact numbers are unknown, the population of these species has dwindled to about 10,000-20,000, a fraction of their natural levels.
Such animals were intensively hunted for their fur, oil, meat and blubber from the 18th century onwards but their numbers began to recover after they were all given protection in the early 20th century.
Last century, however, industrial whaling wiped out most of the great whale populations in the Pacific, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. “It seems likely that killer whales expanded their diets to include a higher percentage of sea otters and other sea mammals after the reduction in great whale numbers caused by postworld war two industrial whaling,” said Estes.
Killer whales are found in oceans around the world. Their global population is thought to be 100,000-200,000 but around 90% of these live mainly on fish. It is the remaining 10%, a separate subtype, that prey on whales and other sea mammals.
They are concerned by new research linking a huge population slump in species such as sea otters, Steller’s sea lions and harbour seals to the changed feeding habits of some killer whales, or orcas, as they are also known. The main prey of these orcas has traditionally been great whales such as grey whales and sperm whales, but hunting by humans has cut the numbers of those species to far below their natural level.
Professor James Estes, an expert in the population dynamics of sea mammals at the University of California, Santa Cruz, believes that, faced with a shortage of food, some groups of Pacific orcas have altered their diets. Each killer whale is capable of eating several otters or seals a day.
Estes, whose research will be published in the Philosophical Transactions journal of the Royal Society, said: “Killer whales are the world’s largest carnivores. They are fast and effective killers and they need a lot of food to keep going.
“They live in groups and I believe some of those groups are now preying on small marine mammals like sea otters and sea lions.”
His views are backed by many eyewitness reports of killer whales attacking smaller mammals, some of which can be swallowed whole. Other experts have been prompted to consider culling killer whales.
Callum Roberts, professor of marine biology at York University and author of The Unnatural History of the Sea, said: “Steller’s sea lions and sea otters are high on the conservation agenda, and seeing past success in rebuilding populations slipping away is agonising for those who have battled to bring them back from the edge of extinction. The possibility that killer whales are responsible creates the ultimate conservation dilemma: should we kill the killers?”
Estes is very cautious about such ideas, partly because he believes the science needs to be more certain and because pred-ator control programmes are seldom successful. A cull would also cause an outcry among conservationists.
“Culling killer whales might solve the problem but it would have a huge political dimension. A lot of people involved in conservation are nervous about this issue,” he said.
Estes, however, remains deeply concerned that the current population levels of sea otters, Steller’s sea lions and some seal species is so low that they are at risk of extinction. Although exact numbers are unknown, the population of these species has dwindled to about 10,000-20,000, a fraction of their natural levels.
Such animals were intensively hunted for their fur, oil, meat and blubber from the 18th century onwards but their numbers began to recover after they were all given protection in the early 20th century.
Last century, however, industrial whaling wiped out most of the great whale populations in the Pacific, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. “It seems likely that killer whales expanded their diets to include a higher percentage of sea otters and other sea mammals after the reduction in great whale numbers caused by postworld war two industrial whaling,” said Estes.
Killer whales are found in oceans around the world. Their global population is thought to be 100,000-200,000 but around 90% of these live mainly on fish. It is the remaining 10%, a separate subtype, that prey on whales and other sea mammals.
vrijdag 8 mei 2009
Scientists return to study seal-eating killer whales
A TEAM of scientists has returned to Shetland for a major study into the life of local killer whale populations, which feed on seals.
Dr Andy Foote from Aberdeen University said there were about 30 orcas regularly working the coastline around Shetland. And he said common seals did form the main diet of the Shetland killer whales.
A report by the Scottish Government's special committee on seals last month found numbers are continuing to fall in the Northern Isles, where the whales' predatory behaviour is increasing. The seal decline was between 40 and 50 per cent in Orkney, and more than 40 per cent in Shetland.
Now the scientists from Aberdeen University, who studied the behaviour and feeding habits of killer whales around Shetland over the past two summers, say the orcas mainly feed on seals.
Their current visit is part of a long-term study, which started in 2006, into the population structure of killer whales around Scotland's coast.
In 2007, the researchers witnessed groups with more than 50 killer whales feeding near a local trawler just ten miles off Shetland. The group is asking local people to help them by reporting sightings.
Dr Andy Foote from Aberdeen University said there were about 30 orcas regularly working the coastline around Shetland. And he said common seals did form the main diet of the Shetland killer whales.
A report by the Scottish Government's special committee on seals last month found numbers are continuing to fall in the Northern Isles, where the whales' predatory behaviour is increasing. The seal decline was between 40 and 50 per cent in Orkney, and more than 40 per cent in Shetland.
Now the scientists from Aberdeen University, who studied the behaviour and feeding habits of killer whales around Shetland over the past two summers, say the orcas mainly feed on seals.
Their current visit is part of a long-term study, which started in 2006, into the population structure of killer whales around Scotland's coast.
In 2007, the researchers witnessed groups with more than 50 killer whales feeding near a local trawler just ten miles off Shetland. The group is asking local people to help them by reporting sightings.
donderdag 7 mei 2009
Dead Orca Washed Ashore
Despite whales rarely being found off the Danish coast an orca whale was discovered dead on a Jutland beach
A 5.5 metre long dead orca whale washed ashore yesterday at Nørlev beach, northern Jutland.
Witnesses say that there was blood around the mammal, but the cause of death has not yet been determined. Biologist Bjarke Huus from the Forest and Nature Agency told news website nordjydske.dk that it appeared the animal was old and had been dead for a long time.
Curious passers-by reportedly came up to get a closer look at the animal, which Huus said rarely find its way onto Danish shores. However, in 1999 a minke whale was stranded very close to where Wednesday’s dead orca was found.
A 5.5 metre long dead orca whale washed ashore yesterday at Nørlev beach, northern Jutland.
Witnesses say that there was blood around the mammal, but the cause of death has not yet been determined. Biologist Bjarke Huus from the Forest and Nature Agency told news website nordjydske.dk that it appeared the animal was old and had been dead for a long time.
Curious passers-by reportedly came up to get a closer look at the animal, which Huus said rarely find its way onto Danish shores. However, in 1999 a minke whale was stranded very close to where Wednesday’s dead orca was found.
zondag 26 april 2009
Orca attacking coomon dolphins in False Bay
Transient Orcas
attack Dolphins
False Bay, Capetown,
South Africa
April 26, 2009
Photo by
David Hurwitz
April 26
It is very seldom that we encounter Orcas in False Bay (Cape Town, South Africa) & in the 11 years that I have been operating an ECO boat charter company in the bay, have only had a brief sighting of 2 animals about 10 years ago.
On Sunday 26 April 2009, I had the experience of my life as I spent 2 hours watching a pod of Orcas attacking a large school of Common Dolphins. My real bonus was capturing a photo of an Orca with a Dolphin in its mouth! (see above!) Best regards,
Dave Hurwitz, Simon's Town Boat Company, Cape Town, South Africa
REPORT - 26 April 2009-05-07
Weather Conditions:
Wind: 1 - 4 Kt SE, Sea Conditions: Calm
Weather: Light coastal fog
Observation period: 11:25 am to 12:45 pm
Account:
At 11:00 am, I received a call from Chris Fallows informing me that he had encountered a school of dolphins being hunted by a small pod of Orcas. His position at that time was indicated at 1.5 NM West of Seal Island.
I immediately grabbed my camera & proceeded out on vessel "Awesome" - an 8m semi rigid inflatable.
On arrival at 11:25 am (position: 4 Nm SW of Sea Island), I noted the following:
A school of Approx 800 Common Dolphins, approx 6 Orcas (one calf) & a small number a Cape Fur Seals.
The dolphins were moving in a SW direction at approx 6 Kts (feeding), with the pod of Orcas following on the surface about 150 metres behind them.
The Orcas were tracking them & progressively moving closer to the rear of the group. It appeared as if the Orcas were observing their feeding behaviour & waiting for just the right moment to close in. This was evident from the behaviour of the dolphins which appeared unaware of the potential danger & only reacted when the Orcas were right in amongst them.
At this stage the Orca pod split up and launched individual attacks - mostly approaching from just below the surface (dorsal fin visible most of the time) and in a few instances breached & descended on the dolphins. Throughout the predatory event, the Orcas remained at the rear of the school, perhaps seeking out a weaker animal. The dolphins remained as a group throughout the attacks & maintained a linear formation, rather than the semi circular to large oval feeding formation that I regularly see.
Even though I witnessed a number of successful predatory attacks, I did not notice any blood in the water or any Cape Gulls feeding on the surface as with GW Shark predations.
The duration of the event lasted no longer than 5 minutes & the Orcas moved off in a Westerly direction. The dolphins continued feeding as if nothing had happened (heading in the direction of Whittle Rock).
For the next 40 minutes the Orcas swam around in a relaxed manner in random directions, showing no interest in the dolphins whatsoever.
By 12:00 the distance between the 2 groups had extended to over 1 NM & the dolphins were approaching Whittle Rock.
. At about 12:10 there was a sudden change in the behaviour of the Orcas. They re- grouped & started moving in the direction of the dolphins - increasing their speed to about 8-10 Kts until they again reached a distance of 200 metres from the rear of the dolphins. Then exactly as per the first encounter, they maintained an approximately 150 metre tracking distance and moved in again for the second attack.
This took place at 12.28 and was virtually a carbon copy of the first - lasting about 5 minutes (off Whittle Rock).
It was during this event that just missed capturing a breach attack & took the picture of the surface predation (see above).
Interesting Observations:
~There were a total of 3 predatory events, all at 50 minute intervals.
~The Cape Fur Seals in the vicinity were happily swimming alongside & approaching the Orcas.
~The dolphins maintained a very narrow & linear formation when under attack.
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