Posts by George Berry
US authorities put forward proposal for Makah gray whale hunt
Federal authorities in the United States have put forward a proposal that would allow the Makah, a Native American tribe, to resume the aboriginal subsistence whaling of gray whales in Washington State. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) made the announcement earlier this month. Under the proposal, the Makah would be allowed to…
Read MoreFossil of prehistoric four-legged whale discovered in Peru
Scientists have unearthed the fossil of a 43-million-year-old whale in Peru, which was adapted to living both on land and in water. The mammal is thought to have been around 13 feet (4 meters) long and had four legs, webbed feet and hooves as well as a tail. The discovery adds further light to our…
Read MoreShepherd’s beaked whale filmed underwater for the first time
A rarely seen species of beaked whale has been filmed underwater for the first time. Two Shepherd’s beaked whales were observed together on video footage obtained via a camera deployed off the coast of Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic. It was the first sighting of the species here since 2002 and…
Read MorePreparations for beluga whale move to Iceland continue
Ahead of the relocation of Little White and Little Grey to the world’s first open water sanctuary for beluga whales this April, we gave international media the opportunity to discover how this epic 6,000 mile journey will be delivered to plan. They were also able to speak to some of the expert team involved in…
Read MoreWhale culture should play a part in their conservation says new international study
An international group of researchers working on a wide range of species, including whales, argues that cultural knowledge of these creatures needs to be taken into consideration when planning international conservation efforts and laws. A paper published in leading journal Science (Tuesday February 26th) makes a compelling case that growing scientific evidence on social learning, which…
Read MoreMultiple belugas moved in US marine parks
Over the last month, there has been a flurry of movement between marine parks in the U.S. as several captive-held belugas have been shifted among facilities. This appears to be an attempt to mix up males and females and advance captive breeding efforts, after a 2015 court decision denied the Georgia Aquarium and other parks permission to import 18…
Read MoreIceland to kill over two thousand fin and minke whales
The Icelandic fisheries minister has announced a new whaling quota, which will allow Icelandic whalers to kill over two thousand fin and minke whales over a five year period. This move comes at a time when public support for whaling within Iceland is falling and local demand for whale meat is negligible. This announcement appears to confirm the influence of wealthy businessman…
Read MoreRecord numbers of dolphins dead on French beaches
According to reports from France, huge numbers of dolphins have been washing up dead on French beaches once again. Since the start of 2019, up to 600 dead dolphins have drifted onto beaches along France’s Atlantic coast due, it seems, to incidental capture in in fishing trawls and static fishing nets offshore (also known as bycatch).…
Read MoreDolphinaris Arizona will no longer hold dolphins
A week after closing, the signs were removed from Dolphinaris Arizona as the marine park undergoes an evaluation following the death of four bottlenose dolphins in less than two years – half of the dolphins held at the dolphinarium, and the park has announced they will no longer hold dolphins if and when they reopen. A panel of third-party…
Read MoreAnother orca death at SeaWorld
SeaWorld announced on Monday that Kayla, an orca held at its marine park in Orlando, Florida, has died. Kayla was 30 years old, having spent her entire life in captivity since her birth in 1988 at SeaWorld’s San Antonio park. Kayla’s father was an orca captured from British Columbia in Canada while her mother was…
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