Whales

Beluga Whale Spotted in Miramichi River

Photo Source.
By: Sarah Sharkey

Earlier this summer, residents in New Brunswick were treated to a special sight. A beluga whale
had found his way into the Miramichi River and onlookers crowded the shorelines to get a
glimpse.

The first people to spot it were on a tour boat with Miramichi River Boat Tours. The captain,
Azade Hache, had been cleaning his ship after a long day on the water. It was not a pleasant
evening because of thunderstorms and high winds, but as he was finishing up he spotted the
beluga whale.

Hache has over 22 years of experience on these waters. He had this to say about the encounter,
“I don’t know how content whales are supposed to look but it looked quite content.”

The whale was several hundred yards away from Hache, but the white whale was
an unmistakable animal. After he spotted it the first day, crowds of people tried to
get a glimpse on Tuesday. It was a great experience for the people who were able
to see it.

Hache hopes that the animal has made it out of the river because the river traffic
could cause a problem for the whale. Hopefully the beluga enjoys his little journey
upstream before heading back to deeper waters.

Read more from the source.

Whales

How Sensitive Are Marine Mammal Ears?

Featured Image Credit: Source.
By: Sarah Sharkey

As worldwide shipping traffic increases, scientists are looking into the hearing abilities of whales. Just
like our land traffic, shipping traffic is loud. Many whales rely on their hearing for countless of their
underwater activities. Hunting, socializing, and navigating are just a few of the things that whales need
their hearing for.

Scientists in Bristol Bay, Alaska were able to conduct the first hearing test on wild and healthy marine
mammals. The study results showed that these animals have very sensitive hearing. However, the study
also showed that the number of animals that had extensive hearing loss after the trials was much less
than expected.

The expectations were that these animals would lose more of their hearing based on previous studies
done on bottlenose dolphins in aquariums. Those dolphins exhibited a large hearing loss through time as
they aged. It is unclear why the results differed for the wild population of beluga whales.

Researchers will continue to look into hearing of marine mammals in the wild. It is important to
understand the hearing capabilities of these animals before human sounds in the ocean start to affect
them too much. By learning more about their hearing sensitivities, we can craft better laws and
protective regulations to mitigate harm from future human activities.

Read more from the source.

Whales

Blue whale found dead in California

Featured Image Credit Source.
By: Sarah Sharkey

A blue whale carcass washed ashore near Limantour Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore
earlier this summer. The Marine Mammal Center confirmed that the dead whale was a blue
whale. The Marine Mammal Center will be working with the California Academy of Sciences to
determine a cause of death for the whale.

A naturalist from the San Francisco Whale Tours boat said that the carcass was first spotted
several miles southeast of the Farallon Islands. The tour group was the first to spot the rotting
whale. They got a close view of the disturbing scene. The animal’s stomach was bloated and
covered in scavenging seagulls so, it was not the best day on the water for these tourists.

The blue whale carcass was extremely large. These whales are the largest animal on the entire
planet and its death was tragic. Approximately 2,800 blue whales live off the coast of California,
but it is still considered an endangered species.

Over the summer at least four washes have washed up in the area. Many of these deaths were
caused by human related activities, including boat strikes and entanglements. Hopefully the
deaths of these whale will not continue but human related activities seem to be causing
marine mammal deaths ocean wide.

Read more from the source.

Saving Scarlet The Killer Whale-NOAA & SeaWorld Team Up

Photo Credit: Brian Gisborne/Fisheries and Oceans Canada

An Orca whale knows no boundaries when it comes to U.S. and Canadian waters. However, it is this very little difference in location that could be a factor of life or death to a malnourished killer whale.

Scarlet also known as J-50, of the critically endangered Southern Residents population, has been monitored by the NOAA since the beginning of this month. After observation, scientists agree that she is in very poor condition and may not survive. But the NOAA, SeaWorld San Diego, and other organizations are exploring their options to provide medical attention and treatment to Scarlet.

As of Tuesday, Scarlet was swimming near Port Renfrew, B.C., on Vancouver Island, with her mother by her side. As of right now, no one on the Canadian side has applied to give Scarlet the medication that could help save her life. Luckily, the teams in the US have some experience with killer whales, and plan to provide antibiotics to her once she passes over the line.

The NOAA began speaking publicly about their plans earlier this week. Lynne Barre of NOAA’s Seattle office said, “it’s been an evolving process, of what the best approach is.” After assessing the whale, the NOAA’s first step would be to deliver antibiotics by dart-gun or pole, Barre explains. And as last in line of their possible actions, they have a new, experimental technique of feeding live, medicated fish to Scarlet.

A rotating team of veterinarians, including staff from SeaWorld San Diego and Dr. Martin Haulena of the Vancouver Aquarium, are on standby at the research station, awaiting the signal to act on the NOAA’s plan.

The personnel of SeaWorld San Diego have years of experience caring for killer whales at their facilities. With the knowledge from their team and the previous research they have conducted, they are prepared to do they can to help Scarlet.

Learn more from the sources here and here.

Guest Columns

Beluga Whales Amazing Survival Technique

Cover Photo Source.
By: Kira Krall

The Arctic is a tough place for any animal during the winter. Birds, bears, and most marine life flee the temperatures that drop well below -50 °F. One of the most famous residents includes the beluga whale. Some populations are known to brave the winter long after most other arctic animals have gone. However, their life histories vary depending on their family. Belugas, just like orca whales and bottlenose dolphins, live mostly in family groups called pods. There are populations all across their range, some of which rarely leave the waters they call home. The Hudson Bay population spends summers near the land and the winters in the deep water of the Bay. Arctic populations usually migrate south to escape the winter.

Unfortunately, sometimes they don’t time the trip correctly and become trapped by miles of sea ice. They can survive for months on their fat stores but must find a place to breathe. They have a spectacular behavioral adaptation that saves them from drowning: they keep the sea ice from
forming with their bodies!

A pod of belugas surrounded by sea ice prevent ice from forming in their breathing pool by continually surfacing. Ice can’t form in quickly moving water, but it is quick when the current stops. The belugas take turns surfacing and wait for the spring thaw so they can move freely again. Photo Source.

Even though most of the Arctic belugas migrate, water temperatures can still be as low as 14 °F. The secret to keeping warm lies mostly in the marine mammal’s anatomy. By having small pectoral fins and tail fluke, belugas have a reduced surface area and lose minimal heat through these thin body parts. The rest of their body is large and in charge with a thick blubber layer. Their body style also helps insulate them against cold deep water temperatures. Belugas have been recorded diving over 1,100 feet below the surface on hunting drips.

The beluga’s small tail and fin size help conserve body heat. By comparison, the smaller bottlenose dolphin can have a fluke length of two feet.

Photo Source.

This low surface area, high volume, and thick fat layer are what keep other large arctic animals like polar bears and walruses warm. The reverse is true for desert-dwelling animals. High surface area and low volume (i.e., small body size) allow heat to release from the animal’s body. Just ask the fennec fox about this effective combination!

Guest Columns

Newborn Orca Calf Dead Within Hours

Photo Credit: Michael Weiss/Center for Whale Research, via Associated Press
By: Sarah Sharkey
A heartbreaking loss was witnessed near Victoria, British Columbia in late July. An orca, J35, of
the critically endangered southern resident population gave birth to a female whale.
Everyone was so excited! This was the first calf to be born alive in the last three years.
Researchers were thrilled that both the mother and baby seemed to be doing well. The pod
also seemed very pleased with their new addition. However, within an hour, the young calf
stopped moving. J35 was forced to watch the baby that she had carried for 17 months die.
The death of this calf was a devastating blow to orcas and researchers alike, but J35 took it the
hardest. She refused to let go of the young calf’s body. She carried the body around on her
head for days. She continued to push the calf to the surface, perhaps in hopes of reviving it.
J35 has kept up with her pod as they travel between 60 to 70 miles a day, with the 400-pound
calf on her head. It is not an easy feat, but the mother is unable to let go of this precious body
yet.
She is clearly grieving in a horribly raw way that tears at our hearts. It is likely that she has not
eaten for days and it is not clear how long she will continue to carry around her dead calf.
In addition to the personal pain of J35, the loss of a calf in a critically endangered population is
heartbreaking. Researchers have speculated that the young calf probably died due to
malnutrition of the mother, likely caused by the lack of Chinook salmon in the area.

Read more from the source.

Whales

It’s Official: The Ocean’s Top Predators Play With Their Food

Featured Image Credit: www.DeviantArt.com
By: Kira Krall

Jorge Cervera Hauser was on a mission to swim with (and record!) the ocean’s top predator. He got more than he bargained for when diving in the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California. Curious orca whales appeared and investigated Hauser and the other swimmers. All six of them showed only mild interest until a stingray emerged from deeper water. According to the orcas, that meant play time. Unfortunately for the ray, losing the game was fatal. Watch the video below, taken from over an hour of footage of the interaction.

This orca hunt in Antarctica shows how cooperative hunting makes the largest member of the dolphin family the apex ocean predator. Orcas all over the world eat different things depending on which pod they’re in. This pod learned how to time themselves in order to create a seal-flipping wave. Watch the whole scene unfold on the BBC’s Frozen Planet Credit: Allison Bone

Orca whales are infamous for their tendency to play with their food. Seals, fish, penguins, even sharks have been the target of this behavior. However, orcas don’t always finish what they start. The six orcas in the Sea of Cortez knocked the ray out in minutes but continued to toss it around in the water column. Over an hour later, the orcas let it sink to the ocean floor uneaten.

David Bain of the Orca Conservancy has a few theories to explain this top-predator behavior. While we may like to think it was a show for the divers, the orcas may have had a miscommunication within the pod. Some individuals could have killed it thinking another member would eat it. It could also be younger members playing stingray ball the way human children play soccer. The ray may have served as target practice for the pod, keeping everyone’s skills sharp.

Whatever the explanation, the highly successful predators did what predators do best: hunt. Read more from our source at National Geographic.

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