Posts by Colleen Weiler
How to help the Dolphinaris Arizona Dolphins
While the investigation into the recent deaths of four bottlenose dolphins at Dolphinaris Arizona is still ongoing, the marine park has already announced that they will no longer hold dolphins, and will be a different ocean-themed park if and when it re-opens. The four remaining dolphins have been moved out of the facility, and many…
Read MoreCanada announces 2019 plans to protect North Atlantic right whales
February 7, 2019: Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced their 2019 management measures to reduce risk to North Atlantic right whales in Canadian waters. In 2017, 17 right whales were found dead, 12 of them in a span of just three months in Atlantic Canada. Investigations into those deaths revealed the leading causes…
Read MoreAnother dolphin dies at Dolphinaris Arizona
Another dolphin has died at Dolphinaris Arizona, the fourth death in less than two years at the controversial marine park. Just one month after the loss of Khloe, a young female bottlenose dolphin, the park announced the death of Kai, a 22-year-old male. According to Dolphinaris, Kai started showing signs of illness two weeks ago,…
Read MoreSouthern Resident orca Task Force: Reflecting on Year One
As we get settled into 2019 and figure out our plans for the next few months, I wanted to take a quick look back at the first year of work by the Washington State Southern Resident Orca Task Force, an effort dedicated to identifying local and regional solutions to reverse the decline of the critically…
Read MoreThe Road ahead for L124: Reality sets in for new Southern Resident orca
After the news of a brand new baby in the endangered Southern Resident orca community broke last Friday, it has been non-stop excitement. From hearing the news to seeing the first pictures and videos, (including this incredibly sweet image of L124, the newest Southern Resident orca, swimming with L25 (Ocean Sun), the oldest Southern Resident…
Read MoreNew Southern resident orca born!
The endangered population of orcas known as the Southern Residents were causing quite a stir in Washington State’s Puget Sound last week, with news helicopters broadcasting aerial images of the orcas. A few eagle-eyed viewers noticed a particularly small orca swimming amongst the others, but blurry stills and screen-grabs from the news footage made it…
Read MoreNew Southern Resident orca calf!
Last Thursday, while I was on my way to give a presentation to Oregon’s Midcoast Watershed Council on the connection between Southern Resident orcas and watersheds (and hopefully inspire some whale advocates to dig in to salmon habitat recovery!), my phone started buzzing with messages. The Southern Residents had been causing quite a stir in…
Read MoreThird dolphin dies at Dolphinaris Arizona
Yet another dolphin has died at Dolphinaris Arizona, the third to lose their life in less than two years at the marine park. The death of Khloe, an 11-year-old bottlenose dolphin, was announced by the park on December 31st, 2018. Dolphinaris Arizona notes the preliminary cause of death as a chronic illness caused by Sarcocystis,…
Read MoreLegislation to kill sea lions signed into law
December 19, 2018: Legislation to allow nearly 1,000 sea lions per year to be killed in the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington has now been signed in to law. Following passage by the Senate earlier this month, the Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act (S.3119) was accepted and passed in the House of Representatives despite…
Read MoreCanada takes steps to phase out Atlantic salmon fish farms
Atlantic salmon net pens in the Pacific Northwest are a major threat to the native wild salmon that are a vital food source for both the Northern and Southern Resident orca populations. These net pens can spread lethal parasites and viruses to wild salmon, are a significant source of pollution, and the nets themselves can…
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