Orchive Tapes 232B-235B

232B - Aug 04, 2004 15:57, 95 - Annotations
Faint calls, boat noise.
Whales - A30,A12,A36,A11,A35,A73,A24,A4 2,A43,A25,I15

233A - Aug 04, 2004 16:44, 12 - Annotations
Lots of boat noise, faint calls, nice clear calls towards end of tape.
Whales - A30,A12,A36,A11,A35,A73,A24,A4 2,A43,A25,I15

233B - Aug 04, 2004 17:31, 32 - Annotations
Some boat noise, faint calls, echolocation.
Whales - A30,A12,A36,A11,A35,A73,A24,A4 2,A43,A25,I15

234A - Aug 04, 2004 18:19, 35 - Annotations
Boat noise, faint calls.
Whales - A30,A12,A36,A11,A35,A73,A24,A4 2,A43,A25,I15

234B - Aug 04, 2004 19:06, 65 - Annotations
Heavy rain, boat noise, few calls.
Whales - A30,A12,A36,A11,A35,A73,A24,A4 2,A43,A25,I15

235A - Aug 04, 2004 19:54, 18 - Annotations
Loud ambient noise, very faint calls, dolphins.
Whales - A30,A12,A36,A11,A35,A73,A24,A4 2,A43,A25,I15

235B - Aug 05, 2004 04:11, 81 - Annotations
Quiet ambient noise, dolphins at start, nice I15's calls.
Whales - A30,A12,A36,A11,A35,A73,A24,A4 2,A43,A25,I15

A23 matriline at rubbing beach

232A

232A - Aug 04, 2004 15:10, 48 - Annotations
Lots of boat noise, few faint calls, echolocation.
Whales - A30 A12 A36 A11 A35 A73 A24 A4 2 A43 A25 I15

Orchive Logs - 2004 (230-231)

Tape Date Annotations
2004 230A Aug0404 06:49 76 - good calls
2004 230B Aug0404 07:42 29 - orcas rubbing
2004 231A Aug0404 13:38 196 - orcas rubbing
2004 231B Aug0404 14:22 32 - calls and echolocation

ORCHIVE

There are a total of 14862 recordings, each of which is 45 minutes long for a total of 668790 minutes of audio. If you listened for 8 hours per day, it would take you 3.8 years to listen to all the recordings.

ORCHIVE

Luna Files

First recordings of Luna, discovering him making southern resident killer whale discrete calls in Nootka Sound, British Columbia 2003. (see report)

New Calf J47

J35's new calf J47 was encountered in Puget sound by NOAA on January 3rd. This is the first calf born this year to the southern residents, a positive new year sign for this endangered population of killer whales.


pink baby

baby pusing

CWR

Dolphins should be treated as 'non-human' persons

Dolphins have long been recognised as among the most intelligent of animals but many researchers had placed them below chimps, which some studies have found can reach the intelligence levels of three-year-old children. Recently, however, a series of behavioural studies has suggested that dolphins, especially species such as the bottlenose, could be the brighter of the two. The studies show how dolphins have distinct personalities, a strong sense of self and can think about the future.

Times

Earthquake Kills Sperm Whales

An earthquake in the Ionian Sea occurred on Nov 3 and possibly ruptured the sinuses of a pod of sperm whales. These air sacs are necessary for echolocation and therefore the animals could not dive, feed, or navigate causing them to become disorientated and wind up in the Adriatic Sea. As a result the family group, of seven sperm whales, became too weak and were washed ashore between December 10th and 11th on the coast of Italy in the Southern Adriatic Sea. Mass strandings of sperm whales are extremely rare in the Mediterranean, and limited to ancient times. These include a stranding of 16 near Sicily in 1734, and a stranding of six occurred in the northern Adriatic Sea in 1853.

BBC

Photos

Film

Cascadia Research 2009

Killer Whale Field Projects

NZ KW

- Courious killer whale investigate snorkelers.

- Killer whales understand the behavioural consequences of sharks.

A Star is Born!

polaris

Southern resident killer whale Star/J46 was born to 16 year old Polaris/J28 on November 11th. Five babies have been born to this population this year L112, L113, J45, J44, and J46 with zero losses, good news for this Endangered species of now 87 members. Gestation takes 17 months and calves are often born in the fall and winter due to a spring and summer mating season. A firstborn calf can be stillborn due to the toxic offload of PCBs and fire retardants from their mothers, succinct offspring have a better chance at survival. Polaris' mother J17 has the newborn J45 and will assist in the raising of Star.

Polaris J28 female b.1977

cwr
5 calves
tc

New killer whale photo-ID catalog

It is the first photo-identification catalog of tropical pelagic killer whales. 195 individual killer were identified in the eastern tropical Pacific between 1986 and 2006. The catalog yields information on the geographic movement and external morphology of this little known population of killer whales.

Catalog Link

Shell offshore oil drilling in the Arctic

Conservation groups based in Alaska have accused the Obama administration of repeating the mistakes of George Bush after it gave the conditional go-ahead for Shell to begin drilling offshore for oil and natural gas in the environmentally sensitive Beaufort Sea.

Offshore Killer Whale Consultations

In April 2009, COSEWIC re-assessed the status of the Offshore Killer Whale, changing it from special concern to threatened; it will now enter the legal listing process for potentially changing its status under SARA. At this stage, it is important for the public to learn more about the species being considered for re-listing, and to provide input before a decision is finalized.

Survey

Offshores

A12 & A36 Boys

Proposed Offshore Killer Whale Management Plan

The offshore killer whale is a marine mammal and is under the responsibility of the federal government. The Species at Risk Act (SARA, Section 65) requires the competent minister to prepare management plans for species listed as special concern. The offshore killer whale was listed as a species of special concern under SARA in 2003. The development of this management plan was led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada – Pacific Region, in cooperation and consultation with many individuals, organizations and government agencies, as indicated below. The plan meets SARA requirements in terms of content and process (SARA sections 65-68). Success in the conservation of this species depends on the commitment and cooperation of many different constituencies that will be involved in implementing the directions set out in this plan and will not be achieved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada or any other party alone. This plan provides advice to jurisdictions and organizations that may be involved or wish to become involved in activities to conserve this species. In the spirit of the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans invites all responsible jurisdictions and Canadians to join Fisheries and Oceans Canada in supporting and implementing this plan for the benefit of the offshore killer whale and Canadian society as a whole. The Minister will report on progress within five years.

Link - Offshore Recovery Plan

Bere Point Eagles

The bald eagle historically ranged throughout North America and are now only found in Alaska, Canada, Florida, and the Northwest America. The bald eagle mates for life and breeds in old growth forests. During the winter these animals disperse inland to forage in rivers upon salmon. The Bald Eagle has a maximum 8-foot wingspan. Bald eagles are piebald animals, lacking pigment, resulting in a white head and tail feathers. Their beak, feet, and irises are yellow, legs are not feathered and they have short powerful toes with long talons. The front 2-hold their prey and the 3rd hind toe has the largest talon used for piercing. The body of the bald eagle is black and juveniles are brown, mottled with white.





Threats to the eagle include noise pollution, industrial contaminates (decreasing egg shell thickness), decreased food availability, and habitat destruction. Encroaching civilization decreases these bird populations. Land development and logging also threaten the survival of salmon streams, a major food source for both birds and humans. Maintaining healthy green spaces near coastal habitats can protect these species. Using organic, biodegradable products, recycling, and decreasing our carbon footprint can all decease pollutants, thereby producing a cleaner, healthier, and more productive environment.

the gods

BC Summer Resident Humpbacks

Cascadia Research SPLASH program photo-identification of BC summer resident humback whales.




mother




calf

Proposed Vessel Regulations for Killer Whales

As part of the recovery program for endangered Southern Resident killer whales, NOAA Fisheries Service is proposing new rules for vessel traffic aimed at further protecting the whales in navigable waters of Washington State. The proposed rules would prohibit vessels from approaching any killer whale closer than 200 yards and forbid vessels from intercepting or parking in the path of a whale. In addition, the proposed regulations would set up a half-mile-wide no-go zone along the west side of San Juan Island from May 1 through the end of September, where generally no vessels would be allowed. There would be exemptions to the rules for some vessels, including those actively fishing commercially, cargo vessels traveling in established shipping lanes, and government and research vessels. The no-go zone would also have exemptions for treaty Indian fishing vessels, and limited exceptions for land owners accessing private property adjacent to it. The news release, proposed rule, draft environmental assessment, and other supporting documents are available, along with instructions for submitting comments. There is a 90 day public comment period and we will hold public hearings Sept. 30 in Seattle, and Oct. 5 in Friday Harbor to provide additional information on the proposed rule. Thank you for your interest.