Dolphins are magnetosensitive — that is to say, they have an awareness of magnetic fields — according to new research from the Ethos unit of the Université de Rennes in France. The finding follows on the heels of much recent research greatly widening the number of animals known to be able to sense magnetic fields.
[UPDATED: Jan. 14, 2015; see UPDATE NOTE below] On Monday morning, December 2, an animal rights group called the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) filed a lawsuit in the Supreme court of New York. The goal of the lawsuit — the first of three planned — is to persuade the court that chimpanzees (and other highly
An injured dolphin in China was reportedly mishandled by swimmers at Dadonghai beach on the island of Hainan, which is several hundred miles from Hong Kong. A group of male swimmers picked up the distressed dolphin out of the water to have photographs taken with it. It was also reported that their interaction with the
India has released a statement rejecting captive dolphin shows due to damage dolphins sustain when kept in confined spaces. ‘Confinement in captivity can seriously compromise the welfare and survival of all types of cetaceans by altering their behaviour and causing extreme distress,” said B.S. Bonal, the member secretary of the Central Zoo Authority of India.
A news story about a woman who swam with dolphins and was somehow inspired to visit a doctor who identified a cancer tumor, has speculated a dolphin might have helped. A Panama City Beach, Florida woman went on a dolphin cruise and once in the water with about 15 dolphins something strange happened. One male
At the end of 2012 and the beginning of this year, hundreds of wild dolphins in the Solomon Islands were slaughtered. Local people living in the the village of Fanalei were reportedly responsible. Dolphin teeth have been traditionally used there as a form of currency, and their body parts for food, but a US conservation
Two fishermen in New South Wales, Australia were near the Tweed River when they saw a dolphin beached on a tidal river flat. They assumed the dolphin was dead as it wasn’t moving and appeared left high and dry. As they approached, they were surprised to see the marine mammal move and actually appeared to
Dolphins — do you know anybody who doesn’t like them? So cute, so amazing and funny — that’s what they are. What’s more — they’re absolutely intelligent and talented! Can I say that they’re just fabulous animals?
Have any of you swum with dolphins? Can you describe this feeling for those who haven’t had so much fortune to do that (yet)? I hope I will try one day!
Along with the many top activism stories I’ve shared in the past couple weeks, here are several more I keep forgetting to get to because I was saving them on email and not in my normal places. Check them out:
In concluding the International Year of Biodiversity, the good news is that manatees are still with us, the bad news is that manatee deaths in U.S. waters continue to climb. In 2009, there were 429 reported manatee deaths, which was about double the number from 2008. As of December 2010, however, manatee deaths totaled 699.
Seems like you can’t swing a dead…um, strike that. It’s hard to miss the wave of news coverage of late concerning the mysterious die-offs of flocks of birds (in two Southern U.S. states). And then there’s that slightly earlier, mass fish kill (all one species), not far away, coming just a short time before the
I may do a post on other types of gifts later on in the season, but on “Cyber Monday” I thought I’d go with this simple but nice gift idea. I’m sure different people have different opinions about these gifts, but I think they serve a good purpose with few environmental costs, while also accepting
In a rare win for protecting the beautiful creatures of the sea and biodiversity as a whole, the small Island nation of Palau is acting big. Yale Environment 360 reports: The Pacific Island nation of Palau has announced the establishment of a 230,000-square-mile marine mammal sanctuary that will protect whales, dolphins, and the endangered dugong
This Thursday, October 14, people around the world are going to be protesting the slaughter of dolphins in Japan. Rallies will be held in front of Embassies and Consulates of the government of Japan in numerous countries on all 6 inhabited continents. Save Japan Dolphins Day is primarily being organized by Save Japan Dolphins and Oceanic
Animal Planet’s Blood Dolphins continues the story of The Cove beginning August 27.
Here’s our weekly roundup of environment and wildlife news. Enjoy.
When it comes to highly intelligent sea creatures, dolphins, whales tend to get most of the cerebral credit. But the “lowly” octopus—a popular dish in many Mediterranean cuisines—may be one of the most intelligent creatures in the sea, and is the only invertebrate (animals lacking bones) that has been conclusively shown to use tools…Possessing both a short and longer-term memory capacity, octopuses exhibit a wide range of fascinating behaviors, many of which have led some scientists to describe them as “highly intelligent”.
A controversial new proposal would allow nations (i.e. Japan, Norway and Iceland) to kill endangered whales. Quotas will be based on politics, not science. In 1986, commercial whaling was officially banned by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), an entity established to protect dramatically declining whale stocks. Despite this ban, certain nations, most notably Japan, Norway
Dunham the bottlenose dolphin was attacked by sharks and euthanized this Tuesday just 3 hours after being released from Florida’s Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Experts nearby monitoring the dolphin said he was attacked by at least two different sharks, and that the wounds were life-threatening. They euthanized him immediately upon arriving at the scene.
23,000 Dolphins are slaughtered each year in a hidden cove in Taiji, Japan. The Japanese government covers it up. No one could get in. Until now. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/Sw5qgVp0jng] [UPDATE: Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji’s ‘Cove’ Suspended]! The Cove exposes an atrocity of unimaginable brutality. The dolphin slaughter depicted here is committed yearly and without knowledge of the
[social_buttons] The Brazilian government has today signed a federal decree establishing the Brazilian Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary, which will drastically increase protection for all cetacean species along the country’s entire 5,000 mile long coast. According to José Truda Palazzo, Jr., Brazilian Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission, “the initiative sends a clear and powerful message
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), just released a report showing that in recent decades, the noise created in the ocean by human activities has risen significantly, which poses a major threat to marine mammals.[social_buttons] Commercial shipping noise, seismic exploration, sonar, and off-shore construction and recreational activities are all contributing to an increasingly more
