My head is filled with unforgettable images of killer whales. Nearby is an offshore rock that is a favourite haul-out for seals - prey for killer whales. That day the rock was abandoned and the seals were in the shallows, hoping these would afford some protection. Upright in the water, heads held as high as possible, they appeared like marine meerkats in their hyper-vigilance.
I think all of us watching gasped aloud when, from the centre of a flurry of water, the small, dark body of a seal was flung spinning through the air. Where it landed there was a commotion of water; the surface seemed to muddy briefly and then bloomed red. Its kill swiftly and efficiently made, the whale resumed circling, while gulls swooped, quarrelling over surface scraps.
The menace of that dorsal fin slicing through the water as the whale maintained its relentless patrolling! The readily available speed as it occasionally heeled into an accelerated turn! The aura of power did not diminish on its rare forays along the coast - the fin was easily visible half a mile away.
Two days later a pod including a calf turned up in exactly the same place. Down on the rocky foreshore we stood in warm sunshine watching them hunt as a group. The blows of their breathing clearly audible, bodies gleaming in the sun, they constantly passed within yards of the spellbound observers, patient, effortless cruising and circling suddenly culminating in an explosion of power and swift motion as a kill was made. Later from the cliff top we watched with awe as they sped, tight-grouped, across the bay, sunlight casting colours through the fine mist of their blows. Intriguingly, it seems the group's arrival may not have been coincidence. The Scottish Killer Whale Project identifies and records orcas, naming them for the place they are first seen. Recognised by his notched dorsal fin, our first visitor was Bigga, who habitually travels alone. He is known to associate with a family group known as the Eynhallow 5 - the group who turned up just two days after he did.
vrijdag 11 juli 2008
dinsdag 8 juli 2008
Rare killer whales sighting off Twofold Bay
A pleasure cruise on the New South Wales far south coast has turned into a worldwide scientific find for an Eden couple.
Three months ago, Nick and Helen Haenic took photos of a pod of killer whales off Twofold Bay, but they were not the normal orcas often seen in far south coast waters.
Instead, researchers have identified them as 'type c' antarctic killer whales and this is only the second time they have ever been seen outside cold southern waters.
Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre spokeswoman, Jennie Robb, says it proves the need to make Eden a centre of excellence for marine research.
"This is exactly what we have wanted to see from the very beginning. The idea was we have a lot of local knowledge here," she said.
"We have a lot of people who work on the ocean and recreate on the ocean and they have always said there is something special in this particular body of water."
Three months ago, Nick and Helen Haenic took photos of a pod of killer whales off Twofold Bay, but they were not the normal orcas often seen in far south coast waters.
Instead, researchers have identified them as 'type c' antarctic killer whales and this is only the second time they have ever been seen outside cold southern waters.
Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre spokeswoman, Jennie Robb, says it proves the need to make Eden a centre of excellence for marine research.
"This is exactly what we have wanted to see from the very beginning. The idea was we have a lot of local knowledge here," she said.
"We have a lot of people who work on the ocean and recreate on the ocean and they have always said there is something special in this particular body of water."
zaterdag 5 juli 2008
Killer whale rescued
An orca whale stranded west of Auckland was transported by road today and released off a city beach.
The 3.4-metre juvenile female, estimated to be three years old, was reported at 3pm yesterday to have been beached at Huia.
It was looked after overnight by Project Jonah and Department of Conservation staff.
Department spokesman Bill Trusewich said the whale was small enough to be handled and a decision was made this morning to move it by trailer to Takapuna, on Auckland's North Shore.
The reason for the 43km journey, which took about 90 minutes, was that the water was calmer at Takapuna than at Huia.
Mr Trusewich said the whale didn't take long to get refloated.
"Within 10 minutes it was able to regain its stability again and move off by itself," he said.
As it made its way out to Rangitoto Channel it was being monitored to ensure it did not try to come back ashore or lose its bearings.
The monitoring on the water was done by New Zealand orca researcher Ingrid Visser and Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the late ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau.
Jean-Michel Cousteau and his son, Fabien, have been in New Zealand shooting footage for a television programme.
donderdag 3 juli 2008
Pollution charges laid after oil spill in whale habitat
CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. -- Pollution charges have been laid in connection with a barge that overturned in a sensitive killer whale reserve off Vancouver Island.
The barge carrying a fuel truck loaded with 10,000 litres of diesel, logging equipment and buckets of hydraulic oil tipped into Robson Bight off Vancouver Island's east coast last August.
A total of 10 charges have been laid against Gowlland Towing, the owner of the barge, Ted LeRoy, the company that hired the barge and Carl Strom, the skipper of the tug towing the vessel.
The charges, including unlawfully discharging oil in an area frequented by fish, have been laid under the Shipping Act, the Migratory Birds Convention Act and the Fisheries Act.
Jennifer Lash, of the environmental group Living Oceans Society, says the charges send a message that companies can't get away with putting B.C. wildlife in danger.
Robson Bight is one of the few spots in the world where killer whales rub their bodies on the pebbles along the beach.
The barge carrying a fuel truck loaded with 10,000 litres of diesel, logging equipment and buckets of hydraulic oil tipped into Robson Bight off Vancouver Island's east coast last August.
A total of 10 charges have been laid against Gowlland Towing, the owner of the barge, Ted LeRoy, the company that hired the barge and Carl Strom, the skipper of the tug towing the vessel.
The charges, including unlawfully discharging oil in an area frequented by fish, have been laid under the Shipping Act, the Migratory Birds Convention Act and the Fisheries Act.
Jennifer Lash, of the environmental group Living Oceans Society, says the charges send a message that companies can't get away with putting B.C. wildlife in danger.
Robson Bight is one of the few spots in the world where killer whales rub their bodies on the pebbles along the beach.
woensdag 2 juli 2008
Whale treats TV crew to surprise feast
BBC Springwatch presenter Simon King was given an unexpected treat as he started filming his new series about Shetland wildlife yesterday (Wednesday).
Mr King and his crew, who only arrived in the isles on Sunday, were called to South Nesting Bay where a crowd was gathering to watch a lone killer whale harassing a herd of seals yesterday morning.
Producer Martin Hughes-Games said the team arrived just too late to witness the whale feast on a seal, but watched it for several hours as it cruised in front of about six terrified seals.
“We did manage to film when a couple of seals crept out into the water and suddenly there was all this movement as the whale went powering in, but he missed them. It was very, very exciting,” Mr Hughes-Games said.
To add to their delight, while they were still at Nesting after the whale had left an otter reared its head right in front of the crew.
“Simon is most passionate about otters and blow me down he’s filming one now that just popped up in front of us,” the producer said last night.
Mr King is staying in Shetland on and off with his wife and two year old daughter for the next year at least as he films his six part series Shetland Diary with Simon King, due to be screened in 2010.
“Most of the filming will be done next summer but if it carries on like this perhaps we can bring it forward,” Mr Hughes-Games said.
Mr King appears in public on Saturday (5 July) at Lerwick’s Garrison Theatre to answer questions about his life and work and to launch the first Shetland Nature festival.
As part of the week long event, people are being invited to choose a name for a three year old killer whale calf which has been swimming around Shetland with its family pod for the past few years.
Andy Foote, of the Scottish Killer Whale Project Team, said the young whale was known as calf 067 and its father was called Busta, after Busta Voe where it was spotted, but was unsure of the youngster’s gender. “It is hard to tell if calves are male or female so a name should be suitable for either,” he said.
“We can often work out who the mother of the calf is as young whales often associate most closely with their mother, however 067 has mostly been seen swimming next to 032, who we believe is probably his uncle or big brother, as killer whale groups are usually made up of family members.”
Mr King and his crew, who only arrived in the isles on Sunday, were called to South Nesting Bay where a crowd was gathering to watch a lone killer whale harassing a herd of seals yesterday morning.
Producer Martin Hughes-Games said the team arrived just too late to witness the whale feast on a seal, but watched it for several hours as it cruised in front of about six terrified seals.
“We did manage to film when a couple of seals crept out into the water and suddenly there was all this movement as the whale went powering in, but he missed them. It was very, very exciting,” Mr Hughes-Games said.
To add to their delight, while they were still at Nesting after the whale had left an otter reared its head right in front of the crew.
“Simon is most passionate about otters and blow me down he’s filming one now that just popped up in front of us,” the producer said last night.
Mr King is staying in Shetland on and off with his wife and two year old daughter for the next year at least as he films his six part series Shetland Diary with Simon King, due to be screened in 2010.
“Most of the filming will be done next summer but if it carries on like this perhaps we can bring it forward,” Mr Hughes-Games said.
Mr King appears in public on Saturday (5 July) at Lerwick’s Garrison Theatre to answer questions about his life and work and to launch the first Shetland Nature festival.
As part of the week long event, people are being invited to choose a name for a three year old killer whale calf which has been swimming around Shetland with its family pod for the past few years.
Andy Foote, of the Scottish Killer Whale Project Team, said the young whale was known as calf 067 and its father was called Busta, after Busta Voe where it was spotted, but was unsure of the youngster’s gender. “It is hard to tell if calves are male or female so a name should be suitable for either,” he said.
“We can often work out who the mother of the calf is as young whales often associate most closely with their mother, however 067 has mostly been seen swimming next to 032, who we believe is probably his uncle or big brother, as killer whale groups are usually made up of family members.”
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