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WDC2023-007 NMLC Release (16)

Seal Rescued in Marshfield Released Back Into The Wild

For Immediate Release, May 31, 2023 PLYMOUTH, MA - A young male grey seal that...

Norway ups whale kill numbers and removes whale welfare protections

The whaling season in Norway has begun on the back of disturbing announcements from the...
Image taken from an unmanned hexacopter at >100ft during a research collaboration between NOAA/SWFSC, SR3 and the Coastal Ocean Research Institute. Research authorized by NMFS permit #19091.

Southern Resident orca petition to list them under Oregon Endangered Species Act advanced

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to advance a petition seeking to protect...
Hysazu Photography

WDC and Conservation Partners Continue to Seek Oregon Endangered Species Protection for Southern Resident Orcas

On Friday, April 21st, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will determine whether the petition...

New research reveals harbour porpoise hunting skills

The harbour porpoise might be one of the smallest cetaceans (the collective name for whales, dolphins and porpoises) but findings in a new report from Danish scientists reveal that it when it comes to success in hunting its prey, it has few rivals.

Being small (less than two metres long) with a high metabolic rate and living in cool or cold waters means that the porpoise must feed continuously both day and night to provide the energy needed to survive, eating enough fish to replenish as much as 10% of its own body weight each day.

Like other toothed whales and dolphins, porpoises use echolocation to find their prey but the research reveals that porpoises have around a 90% success rate, consuming over 500 fish every hour. With the need to be continuously hunting, the findings also raise concerns about how even a small impact from human activities could have a potentially devastating impact on these creatures, making them vulnerable to threats such disturbance from noise or habitat loss.

For the full report:
Ultra-High Foraging Rates of Harbor Porpoises Make Them Vulnerable to Anthropogenic Disturbance
Wisniewska, Danuta Maria et al. Current Biology