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Dolphins

Protecting Wild Whales And Dolphins

Let’s All Focus our Love of Whales and Dolphins on Protecting Them in the Wild…Together

The heart-tugging Sea of Shadows documentary details the compassionate effort to save the world’s most endangered marine mammal: vaquita porpoises. Found only in Mexican waters, the population of this tiny animal is dwindling sharply as they die in illegal gillnets. People volunteered their time and donated funds to the project because they care.

Historically considered voracious and merciless predators, the shooting of killer whales was once accepted and even encouraged by governments. No one cared then. But they care now.

The public’s love and will to protect marine mammals would not be what it is today if not for the contributions and shared goals of marine parks. Yet, some groups are attempting to take advantage of that love to compel parks and aquariums to give up the whales and dolphins in their facilities, most of which were born there and would not survive in the wild.

They argue that animals in parks and aquariums don’t live as long as those in the wild.  Wrong.  Check the research. They argue that habitats are too noisy. Wrong. Check the research. They allege that dolphins in interactive programs are forced to participate. Wrong. They argue that the animals in these programs are stressed. Wrong. Check the research. After these programs end, the dolphins’ play behaviors increase and they voluntarily continue to interact with visitors. Check the research.

For many species, the “wild” has become an increasingly life-threatening place. Scientists frequently underscore how devastating changes to our oceans are happening faster and with greater severity. Whales and dolphins are suffering from deadly pollution, fishing gear entanglement, underwater noise, boat strikes, oil spills, rising ocean temperatures, ingesting plastic debris, and lack of food. These animals need our help, evidenced by the growing number of species and populations that are now endangered or threatened.

The more people learn about these animals, the more they care about them and the need to conserve them in the wild. The more they care about the environment. Without these animals in parks and aquariums, gone will be numbers of educators who present programs daily that illustrate how human activities impact the health of whales, dolphins, and their ocean habitats and inspire life-changing attitudes and values in those they teach.

Gone will be the veterinarians and caregivers with exhaustive knowledge of the animals’ physiology, cognition, behavior, and reproduction; knowledge important to understanding and overcoming the challenges facing whales and dolphins in the wild.

Conservation research critical to ensuring the health of wild marine mammal populations and informing government policies will be greatly impeded.  Gone will be partnerships with universities and research organizations whose studies rely on whales and dolphins in parks and aquariums. These studies include testing and calibrating techniques and equipment aimed at saving wild populations. Scientists use indispensable, baseline parameters and knowledge gained from these animals when evaluating the health of marine mammal populations in the wild.  Decades of marine mammal research, which has led to scientific advances and the adoption of life-saving human medical technologies, will come to an end.

Gone will be facilities that respond to marine mammals stranded on our beaches, nurse them back to health and return them to our oceans, or provide a welcoming home to those unable to survive in the wild.  Gone will be the veterinarians and caregivers who save those animals’ lives. A survey by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums indicates that, over a five-year period, its member facilities responded to almost 6,000 marine mammal strandings, 5,000 sea turtle strandings, and over 6,000 bird strandings. Alliance members contributed over $16.6 million to these humane efforts, which involved more than 260,000 volunteer hours.

Don’t be misled by your love for these animals.  Don’t let your love wrongly jeopardize the whales and dolphins in human care that helped motivate that love.

Yes, we all love whales and dolphins.  None more than the caregivers in parks and aquariums who strive daily to ensure and improve their health and welfare.  Nothing can replace the impact of seeing these magnificent animals up close. We learn to love them by watching, hearing, and learning about them, and that love promotes a greater appreciation for wildlife conservation efforts so essential to protecting them in our oceans.

Never before have the threats to marine life in our oceans been so staggering.  Now is the time to work together to ensure that whales, dolphins, and their habitats survive. Together, we can make a significant difference.

 

Marilee Menard

Executive Director, Retired

Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums

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News

Thomas Cook Collapse SeaWorld

SeaWorld Orlando Offering Free Admission To Anyone Affected By Thomas Cook Collapse

Last year, Thomas Cook, one of the U.K’s largest tour operators, announced that they would no longer be selling tickets to SeaWorld. Chief executive, Peter Fankhauser, chalked the decision up to the consumer’s desire to spend their travel dollars at places that “take animal welfare seriously”.

The decision shocked SeaWorld and marine biologists alike, as SeaWorld is not only accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums but is also one of the largest animal rescue and rehabilitation organizations in the world. To many, Thomas Cook’s decision appeared to be nothing more than pandering to animal rights activists.

In an unexpected turn, Thomas Cook, one of the U.K.’s largest tour operators, unexpectedly announced that they would be halting all operations effective immediately on Monday, September 23. The announcement left thousands of vacationers stranded and confused.

All travel arrangements, including flights, had been canceled without a plan for those who were already in their vacation destination and needed a way home and those who were getting ready to leave for vacation.

Regardless of their rocky past, SeaWorld Orlando stepping in and offered free admission to their park to any affected travelers through 9/30/2019. The only requirement? Those wishing to take advantage of the deal must show their canceled Thomas Cook voucher/ticket or proof of booking along with a matching, current Photo ID.

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Dolphins

Stranded Dolphins Rescued By Beachgoers Now At SeaWorld Orlando For Rehabilitation

Featured Image: Miami Herald

When vacationers and local residents in the Florida Keys caught sight of two dolphins stranded in shallow water, they rushed to help. The dolphins, discovered near the Fiesta Key RV Resort, were struggling for breath when rescuers got to them. A collective effort was made to right the animals and get them to deeper water, however, people quickly noticed that even in deeper water the dolphins could not stay upright without assistance.

After two unsuccessful release attempts, The National Marine Fisheries Service called in the SeaWorld Rescue Team to transport the dolphins to the SeaWorld Orlando facilities to be rehabilitated.

According to the rescue organization, Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder, SeaWorld is the only place in Florida capable of handling dolphin rehabilitation. The nonprofit’s president, Nancy Cooper, stated, “If it wasn’t for SeaWorld, these animals would have been euthanized”.

Thanks to the quick action of bystanders, the story has a happy ending. The dolphins arrived at SeaWorld Orlando and are already able to swim without assistance. The SeaWorld Rescue Team will continue to monitor and treat the animals until they are ready to be released back into the wild.

Read more here.

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Shark

10 Tips For Avoiding a Shark Attack- Awesome Ocean

Anyone who’s seen Jaws has probably experienced the moment: You’re out in the ocean, enjoying the ebb and flow of the waves when you look down and notice that you can’t see your feet in the murky water. That’s when your brain unhelpfully starts playing the telltale notes, dun dun…dun dun. Surely there is a massive shark lurking beneath you just waiting for the moment to strike. Turns out, a shark attack is actually extremely unlikely, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take steps to protect yourself. Here are a few tips to avoid becoming a hungry shark’s midday snack.  

  • Swim in a group
  • Don’t stay too far from shore
  • Don’t go into the water if you’re bleeding
  • Don’t wear shiny jewelry 
  • Look for diving seabirds-They are an indication of a lot of baitfish present which will also attract sharks 
  • Avoid bright clothing
  •  Don’t splash a lot, the erratic movements can attract sharks 
  • Avoid the water at night, dawn and dusk
  • If sharks have been reported, don’t go in the water
  • If you see a shark, don’t touch it!

Sharks are amazing animals that usually have no interest in eating you but they will attack when provoked. Follow these guidelines, keep your hands to yourself and you can enjoy the beach without fear of losing life and limb to a hungry shark.

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Shark

weirdest shark species

4 Of The World’s Weirdest Shark Species

When people hear the word “shark” they likely picture a great white thanks to the species’ starring role in “Jaws”. And while many sharks do have the standard characteristics we have come to expect, many species of sharks are, quite frankly, weird.  Here are some of the weirdest shark species hanging out in the world’s oceans.

Goblin Shark

Image Source: Flickr.com

Great whites may have made the public afraid to go to the beach, but take one look at a goblin shark and it’s likely to haunt your nightmares for years to come. With a nose like pinocchio after a week’s worth of lies and a jaw that looks like it is actively trying to escape the skeleton it’s attached to, this species of shark is just plain ugly. Considered a “living fossil” these sharks have only been seen about 50 times since their discovery in 1897 and thank goodness for that because this is a face that would turn any underwater excursion into a lesson in terror.

Megamouth Shark 

Image Source: Medium.com

This shark species cruises around the ocean looking like an octogenarian with their dentures removed. Megamouth sharks swim with their enormous mouths open, filtering water for plankton and jellyfish.  Discovered in 1976, these sharks are very rare; only around 100 have ever been caught or observed. Not much is known about this rare species but its Wikipedia page gives it a rather pathetic characterization: “A relatively poor swimmer, the megamouth has a soft, flabby body and lacks caudal keels”. Poor Swimmer, flabby body and no caudal keels? Sounds like I’ve found my new spirit animal.

Basking Shark

Image Source: Flickr.com

A relative of the Megamouth shark, the basking shark is similarly endowed with a mind-blowingly large mouth. Growing to an average of 26 feet, these sharks swim with their 3 ½ foot mouth wide-open in order to filter zooplankton and invertebrates. To say that this looks bizarre would be a massive understatement. It looks like a normal, albeit stupid, shark tried to swallow a laundry basket that subsequently got stuck in its mouth. Being the second-largest living shark species only makes the bizarre mouth more disconcerting. On a smaller fish, it would be an interesting feature, on the 5.2-ton basking shark, it’s nothing short of terrifying.

Wobbegong

Image Source: Flickr.com

Besides being incredibly fun to say, wobbegong is also a name given to 12 species of sharks. Due to the ornate patterns on their backs, these are also referred to as carpet sharks, but that is way less fun to say so we’re going to stick with wobbegong. Unlike most sharks, wobbegongs use their back patterns to camouflage into the ocean floor, snatching up any prey that wanders too close. A series of lobes resembling weeds are attached to their mouths, helping them lure fish and adding to the overall weirdness of this wonderfully named species.

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News

Orca Conservancy Sea Pens

Orca Conservancy Speaks Out Against The Whale Sanctuary Project’s Plan For A Permanent Sanctuary

After attending a meeting with the Whale Sanctuary Project, Orca Conservancy has spoken out against the Whale Sanctuary Project’s plan for creating a permanent seaside sanctuary.

Orca Conservancy has been a supporter of facilities that recuse, rehabilitate and return whales to their home but are concerned about the value of permanent facilities. Noting that the sanctuary would trade-off increased space for more limited social lives, Orca Conservancy stated that conservation efforts would be better focused on making a difference for wild whales instead of moving a few captive whales into an environment with significant problems.

The WSP’s planned facility would have the capacity for 6-8 whales and would separate males from females. This separation would severely limit non-kin social interaction as well as the family life that is central to the species.

Orca Conservancy notes several other significant issues with the current plan. The facility cannot protect the whales from sewage and oil spills, and the proposed site is likely to have consistent noise levels that will prove stressful to the whales. In terms of disease transmission and escape, Orca Conservancy characterizes WSP’s plan as “naive”. Because of these issues, Orca Conservancy made it clear that they would not support the current WSP plan.

Activists have been vocal about wanting to “save” captive whales but have yet to find a realistic means of doing so. Activists’ plans, like the one proposed by the WSP, center on the use of sea pens, which are essentially cages in the ocean.

Experts agree that the additional space the proposed sea pens claim to offer is negligible in the context of the stress the whales will experience as a result of relocation. Factoring in the issues observed by the Orca Conservancy it’s clear that this solution is not in the best interest of the whales.

Read the Orca Conservancy’s full response here.

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Top Stories

Marine Science Community Speaks Out Against Virgin Holidays’ Latest Stunt

Featured Image Credit: SeaWorld

Another day, another publicity stunt by a for-profit company to curry favor with (or avoid attacks from) extreme animal rights organizations. Just a couple of years removed from working with the zoological community, the vacation booking service, Virgin Holidays, released a media statement today patting themselves on the back for deciding to halt sales and promotions of certain whale and dolphin attractions like SeaWorld and Discovery Cove. 

Virgin Holidays stated, among other things, “…we have now decided the time is right to discontinue offering attractions featuring close encounters with captive whales and dolphins and “we look to focus on offering customers more natural, at-distance encounters with these animals”.

The backlash on this decision from the science community was swift and unequivocal. First, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums released a statement saying, “the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is very disappointed Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Holidays singled out AZA-accredited members in their announcement. AZA’s accreditation standards are regarded as the “gold standard” among zoological facilities, and include specific standards related to dolphins and whales.” 

But the criticism didn’t stop there. Research scientists and marine biologists who actively work to protect threatened cetacean

populations were particularly outraged. One example was a Facebook post from Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, a research scientist from the Dolphin Research Center. She states, “From a scientific perspective, this decision is truly baffling. It shows that Virgin has been getting their (mis)information exclusively from animal activists instead of paying attention to the actual, current scientific information surrounding this issue.”

On Twitter, the response to Sir Richard Bransen was equally strong. Dolphin scientist, Dr. Jason Bruck tweeted about how Virgin Holidays’ decision would actually hurt conservation and research work.

 

As a scientist focused on dolphins I couldn’t disagree with you more here. These facilities (especially in NA and Europe) work with us to conserve whales by supporting research efforts. They allow us to work with animals in controlled environments to test new tools. pic.twitter.com/fcDGp70CVp

— Dr. Jason Bruck (@JasonBruck) July 16, 2019

These statements were followed by condemnation from all corners of the science and zoological world with statements from the world renowned organizations, American Humane, and AMMPA. 

It’s pretty clear that the scientific world is telling Virgin Holiday that their actions will lead to more dolphin and whale deaths in the wild as funding and opportunities for research and conservation dry up. 

If Virgin Holidays is really out to save animals, and not fall prey to PETA’s oft-discredited smear campaign of SeaWorld they should take a moment to read up on the multiple biologists that have spoken out in defense of SeaWorld and other accredited facilities. The science community is taking a stand in an effort to protect the invaluable research and funding such facilities have provided for marine life conservation. 

It’s time the public sides with scientists who are fighting to save the oceans and the animals that live there and stop supporting the publicity stunts. It’s disappointing to see Sir Richard Branson veer away from his path of commitment to aiding conservation to the side with extremists. The scientific community should continue to let him hear their voices.

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Top Stories

6 Bizarre Sea Creatures You Have To See To Believe

Featured Image Source: The Irish Times

Like people, ocean animals come in all shapes and sizes. When we think about these ocean critters we often think of dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, crabs, and the run of the mill fish. But that’s not all that’s swimming around in the deep blue. Little do we know that there are tons of bizarre-looking creatures that also call the ocean their home.

Blobfish

This jiggly looking fish was deemed the world’s ugliest animal in 2013. The Blobfish resides at the bottom of the ocean where it’s skin has become as dense as the high-pressured water it swims in. Thanks to its lack of density, feeding time requires minimal energy. The Blobfish simply opens its mouth while floating along swallowing any critter that crosses its path.

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Deep Sea Hatchetfish

These scary-looking fish got their name from their silver-colored thorax, which resembles a hatchet’s blade. The Hatchetfish can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans 50 meters underwater. Their bioluminescent properties allow them to lurk in the dark depths of the ocean to hunt their prey.

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Flamingo Tongue Snail

The Bruce Willis of the ocean suffers no harm and is truly unbreakable. In fact, the snail becomes toxic by absorbs venom from sea fans, much to the demise for their predators. They also lack a hard exterior shell, unlike other mollusks. Instead, they have vibrant colored tissue, which scuba divers can easily identify.

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Fangtooth

Don’t let their chompers scare you away. The Fangtooth, who has the largest teeth among others their size in the ocean, is actually not as terrifying as it looks. Since the Fangtooth is nearly blind, in order to catch a predator it needs to basically bump into them to find them. Not to mention this deep ocean dweller lives 16,400 feet below the ocean’s surface.

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Sea Cucumber

The flexible echinoderm has the same mental capacity as the vegetable it received its name from. Sea Cucumbers live without any true brain or sensory organs. However, their high level of collagen allows them to wedge through tiny surfaces by liquefying themselves and moving to the area they desire. The sea cucumber also uses a peculiar defense mechanism, in which they push their organs out of their anus to scare off predators.

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Angler Fish

This fascinating fish is also quite terrifying to ocean creatures and humans alike. The Angler Fish has a spine that extends out of their bodies and over their heads that grows pieces of glowing flesh used to lure their prey into an attack. When a male angler finds a female to mate with the male bites onto the bottom of the female’s skin, fusing the two bodies together and stays there for the rest of its life.

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