Whale Protection

Blue Whales and What Makes This Species Unique

admin — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

One thing that makes the blue whale unique is the fact that it is the largest animal that ever lived on the earth. They can be up to 94 feet long. They have a blue gray skin with small white gray spots. They can weigh about 120 tons. More than often, the female blue whales weigh more than the males. Another amazing thing about the blue whale is the size and weight of their hearts. A blue whale heart can weigh about 1,000 pounds.Didn-t catch that? This explains it.

The sounds that the blue whales makes are very loud. They are considered to be the loudest animal on earth. Their call can reach up to 188 decibels which is louder than a jet plane or a screaming person. These sounds can be painful to the human ears.

Blue whales are seasonal feeders and can eat an average of 2,000 to 9,000 pounds of plankton on a daily basis. One of the reasons that they can consume a lot of food on a daily basis is because their tongue weighs 4 tons and they have 320 pairs of black baleen plates.

In conclusion, the blue whale is one of the most unique and fascinating creatures on the earth.

Baleen Whales and What Makes This Species Unique

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Imagine weighing 145 tons and eating enough to maintain your size, while having no teeth. The baleen species of whales contain some of the most enormous animals on earth, yet they have no teeth. This is the primary difference that sets baleen apart from toothed whales.

Instead of teeth, they have baleen plates comprised of keratin. This is the same substance that human nails and hair are made of. Baleen consists of hundreds of long, rough bristles that hang from their upper jaws. The edges are made of fibrous keratin strands that form a filter. A baleen whale-s diet contains krill, plankton and small fish, which get sifted out of the water or sand by their baleen. These huge mammals can filter out, and take in tons of food a day.

Besides being larger and having no teeth, baleen whales differ from toothed whales in other ways. Baleen whales tend to move more slowly, and have smaller dorsal fins. They also have two blowhole openings, instead of just one.

The blue whale is a species of baleen, and is the biggest animal to inhabit the planet. They might be the giants of the oceans, but they feed on some of the tiniest creatures in the world. No teeth required.

Beluga Whales and What Makes This Species Unique

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Beluga whales, one of the smallest species of whales, are known as “White Whales’ because of their unique color. Unlike most whales, beluga whales can actually turn their heads in all directions because of their flexible necks.

Belugas are social mammals, living together in pods, and communicate with their social groups with a complex language filled with clicks and whistles. In addition to the usual beluga whale language, these graceful animals can also mimic a variety of other sounds, prompting the small whales to be known as the canaries of the sea.

The range of beluga whales is relatively small. They live in coastal areas of the Arctic Ocean, the world-s smallest ocean. When the ocean freezes beluga whales migrate south, but many whales become trapped by the ice and die.

Cook Inlet beluga whales are listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, placing them under protection. They are one of the five most endangered whale species due to overharvesting of the majestic animals.

In addition to hunters, belugas are threatened by oil pollution, mercury, and PCBs. Some belugas whales found dead in the St. Lawrence River area in Canada have been so contaminated that their corpses have been categorized as toxic waste.

Whales on TV

mgeedey — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If you can-t afford to making on a whale-watching tour this year consider yourself lucky ” the weather-s too cold for much good spotting anywhere near the US. If you-re itching to see your mammalian friends in action tune into your DIRECT TV Choice Extra packages to catch some of our favorite whale classics
Whale Wars: Who hasn-t heard of Whale Wars yet? Discovery-s high-stakes thriller follows whale protection agencies as they fight the good fight against poachers. It-s high octane and there-s always a reason to laugh, cry and get mad.
Blue Whale Odyssey: National Geographic Channel often reruns this whale classic in which camera crews follow a herd of blue whales from the Pacific all the way to colder waters. It-s a fascinating look inside the life of a wild whale and as always, National Geographic does it right.
Free Willy: Who can resist? This children-s classic still has a heart as anyone who loves whales can attest and it-s good viewing for the whole family. It-s also one of Elijah Wood-s first films so you-re bound to get a kick out of how young he looks.

Killer Whales, Commonly Known as the Orca

admin — Sun, 01 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The name Killer Whale is pretty menacing, but the animal really is not—at least when it comes to human beings. Killer whales, also known as orcas, eat fish and marine mammals, just like sharks or many other species of whale. Though orcas kill a lot of animals to survive, it shouldn’t be a surprise—after all, an average-sized orca needs 550 pounds of food per day. Though there have been instances of trainers being harmed by killer whales in captivity, there is no recorded instance of a killer whale attacking a human in the wild.
Killer whales are very intelligent, and hunt in methodical ways in pods. They will eat anything they can catch, including mammals like seals and walruses, and even large sharks. Some authorities claim that killer whales will attack small blue whales, which are much larger.
Male orcas have a life span of about 50 years, females nearly twice as long, during which time they stay in their tight-knot pod. Pod members will fiercely protect the young, sick, or injured.
Orcas worldwide are faring pretty well compared to other whale species. Their only predator is man, and orcas have no real commercial value outside of use in aquariums.

Gray Whales and What Makes This Species Unique

admin — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The gray whale gets it’s name from their dark gray skin and white and grey patches on their skin from scars made by parasites feeding on them. The gray whale’s main source of food is benthic crustaceans found on the ocean floor. The largest part of their population is located in the Eastern Pacific. They can grow to over fifty-two feet and weigh more than thirty-six tonnes. Mother gray whales, or cows, carry their newborns for about one year. The newborn comes out tail first and is about thirteen feet in length. Unlike other whales such as killer whales, the gray whale is very rarely kept in captivity due to it’s size and migration habits.

Humans are the only predators of adult gray whales. Even though they are considered endangered, in some regions gray whales are still sometimes poached. Not only are these animals killed illegally, many of their habitats are more frequently becoming more and more human populated. In some areas whale watching is very popular. It’s a great experience to see these animals in their natural habitat, but it is very important not to get to close. This not only is this very dangerous, but can also distract and disturb the whales.

NOAA

www.whaleprotection.org — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of all things oceanic you might want to bookmark the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) webpage for information on a wide array of topics specific to your area of interest.The organization dates back to 1807and has evolved to meet the needs of a changing country by staying current on issues such as:

Oil and chemical spills
Marine protected areas
Coral reefs
Marine debris
National Marine Sanctuary System
State of the Coast Natural Resource Restoration Coastal Ecosystem Science
Tides and currents
Hydrographic surveying

Additionally, the organization is involved with 380 planned, ongoing, and completed restoration projects in the Gulf states. These projects have restored wetlands, freshwater habitat, coastal beaches, and fragile Gulf shorelines.Other areas of focus include:

Helping to build capacity and adaptation strategies for dealing with climate change and natural hazards such as hurricanes and tsunamis
Produce and deliver nautical charts, hydrographic surveys, and other navigational products and services
Develop and implement strategies to protect, maintain, and restore the health and resiliency of ecosystems, including in the Arctic region and in response to climate change
Conduct activities to better understand, manage, and protect ecosystems such as coral reefs, estuaries, and beaches, which generate billions of dollars in tourism, recreation, and food revenues each year
Apply coastal and marine spatial planning, to balance ocean use with stewardship and conservation

Specific to whale protection the NOAA is a vast and viable source and resource for knowledge and current information pertaining to this area, so we highly recommend you stop by their site and get acquainted.

Christmas Help

www.whaleprotection.org — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:26:53 +0000

There’s no better time to make a statement about environmental and species protection than at Christmas, and there’s no better way to do it than a donation to an organization that is involved in activities that you support. With economic times being as tough as they are these days, more and more people are less likely to “fuel the retail machine” choosing instead to spend their hard-earned dollars in a way that will truly make an impact. Instead of paying retail mark-up on products a cash donation to an organization such as the World Wildlife Fund will assure that 82 cents of every dollar donated goes toward conservation isn’t that preferred over 80 retail markup? We think so. Also, the World Wildlife Fund has been recognized by Charity Navigator, and meets the BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s Standards for Charity Accountability. And if you get your donation in on time you can typically receive a gift card well in advance of Christmas morning so you can present your gift in true holiday style. Money is needed every day of the year, but if you want to pool your gift funs into one resource this year, there’s no better time than the present!

SeaWorld is for whale lovers

www.whaleprotection.org — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:19:39 +0000

SeaWorld is an aquatic theme park with locations in Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio. Depending on which location you visit, you can enjoy rides such as Journey to Atlantis, The Great White, and the Kraken. However, while the rides are exhilarating, there’s nothing quite like the whale shows.One act that consistently plays at all three locations is the Shamu Show: Believe. Watch as Killer Whales jump and flip in the air, as well as interact with their trainers and fellow whales. From sliding along the watery stage, to soaking the visitors in the splash zone, Believe lets visitors admire the beauty of Killer Whales.Another whale show, found in Orlando and San Diego, is Shamu Rocks. Also starring Killer Whales, the night time performance puts the whales’ majestic movements with the sounds of Rock ‘n’ Roll. However, the whale show doesn’t run all year. Check the Orlando and San Diego websites for more information on the Shamu Rocks’ schedule.The Shamu Show: Believe and Shamu Rocks are two of SeaWorld’s most popular shows. However, they are by no means their only whale acts. In-fact, San Antonio just recently premiered a new aquatic and acrobatic performance. The Azul Show features Beluga whales alongside acrobatic performers, dolphins, and birds. Meanwhile, in Orlando you can find the touching Shamu Christmas Miracles, and at the San Diego SeaWorld, you can watch the Shamu Story (Spring time only).No matter which SeaWorld you visit, whale lovers will find a variety of whale-themed performances.

Whale protection as seen on T.V

mgeedey — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:48:08 +0000

Animal Planet offers the best series for animal lovers everywhere. But since 2008, one show has taken particular focus in the public eye. “Whale Wars” follows the efforts of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to put an end to illegal whaling- with a particular focus on Japanese whaling.Captain Paul Watson and his crew have three ships for their expeditions, the Steve Irwin, the Bob Barker and the Ady Gil. The last of these ships is a recent addition, and easily, their best ship. The Ady Gil had “twin 540 horsepower engines and stealth radar-scattering paint” (“Whale Wars” site). The Ady Gil sank after impact with a Japanese ship earlier this year, but no one was seriously harmed.However, the sinking of the Ady Gil is only part of the heart stopping and dangerous endeavors the “Whale Wars” cast undergo. From hitting Japanese boats, to actually sneaking on to their ships, Paul Watson and his crew leave no method unturned. In-fact, on the final episode of season one, the crew launches acidic bombs at one the Japanese’s largest whaling ships.The Sea Shepherd society’s efforts have put their lives in danger more than once. Season two offered particularly hair-raising events, from possible Anthrax attacks to getting trapped by sheets of ice; there have been plenty of threats to the life of the crew.Despite the constant danger Paul and the Sea Shepherds face, their dedication to whale protection keeps them fighting year after year. You can watch “Whale Wars” every Friday at 9pm until the season finale on August 27^th. And while that’s just around the corner, no worries, they’ll be back next year.