Killer Whale Chases Man and Dog!

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Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) chasing Labrador Retriever (Canis lupus familiaris)

Swim for your life! A diver and dog are chased from the water by a Killer Whale! Nothing against the orca, which is the largest dolphin, a highly intelligent carnivore, and was probably pinging the dog as a meal possibility, but I have to cheer for the dog to make it to the shore.

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace.” ~ Milan Kundera

“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” ~ Mark Twain

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” ~ Will Rogers


Killer Whale (Orcinus orca)

Orcas also have their place on Earth, in the biosphere, and are conscious beings. Killer Whales live 50 to 80 years, grow to 23 to 32 feet in length (7.0 to 9.7 meters), and weigh up to 6 tons (5,443 kilograms).

"It was once believed that most animal behavior, from the food they ate to the places they slept, was based on instinct. This new discovery supports the growing view that animals like killer whales are very prone to learning by imitation, and that they are `cultural` in nature." ~ Michael Noonan

Orcas Chasing Diver & Dog The free diver was on his way back in when he must have seen the Orcas and quickly got out onto the rocks. It seemed like there was at least 4 Orcas around him of which one was a mother with her calf. The one Orca came very close to shore where the Labrador was busy retrieving sticks from the water. He saw the whale and quickly turned around and swam back to shore with the Orca following as far as he could.





Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

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Global Ecological Footprint: Humanity has exhausted nature's budget for 2012

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The Ecological Footprint

August 22nd Is Earth Overshoot Day: Humanity has exhausted nature’s budget for the year

(Global Footprint Network, Oakland, CA, 8-22-12) Humanity has surpassed nature’s budget for the year, and is now operating in overdraft, according to data from Global Footprint Network, an international research organization with offices in California and Europe.

Earth Overshoot Day (from a concept devised by the UK think tank new economics foundation) helps conceptualize the gap between what nature can regenerate, and how much is required to support human activities. Similar to the way a bank statement tracks income against expenditures, Global Footprint Network tracks humanity’s demand for, and supply of, natural resources and ecological services. Global Footprint Network’s calculations show that in just over eight months, we have used up the resources and CO2 sequestration that the planet can sustainably provide this year.

For the rest of the year, we will maintain our ecological deficit by depleting resource stocks and accumulating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

“Nations around the world, and particularly in the south of Europe, have started to painfully experience what it means to spend more money than what they earn,” said Dr. Mathis Wackernagel, President of Global Footprint Network. “The resource pressure is similar to such financial overspending, and can become devastating. As resource deficits get larger, and resource prices remain high, the costs to nations become unbearable.”

Our ecological overspending has become a vicious cycle, in which we draw down more and more principal at the same time our level of consumption, or “spending,” grows. The social and economic costs could be staggering.

“From soaring fossil fuel prices to crippling national debts partly due to rising natural resource prices, our economies are now confronting the reality of years of spending beyond our means,” Dr. Wackernagel said. “If we are to maintain stable societies and productive lives, we can no longer sustain a widening budget gap between what nature is able to provide and how much our infrastructure, economies and lifestyles require.”

For most of human history, humanity has used nature’s services—to build cities and roads, provide food and create products, and absorb the CO2 generated by human activities—at a rate that was well within Earth’s budget. But sometime in the 1970s, we crossed a critical threshold. Human demand began outstripping what the planet could renewably produce, and we went into ecological overshoot.

What is Ecological Overshoot? The video is made available courtesy of the Pachamama Alliance and its Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium.




Global Footprint Network

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Maui's Dolphin: Incredibly rare, sighted near New Zealand coast!

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Maui's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui)

Maui's dolphin or popoto is the world's rarest and smallest known subspecies of dolphin. They are a sub-species of the Hector's dolphin. Maui's dolphins are only found off the west coast of New Zealand's North Island, and are the country's only endemic subspecies of cetacean. As of 2012, it is estimated that 55 Maui's dolphins exist in the world. Commercial fishing activity, specifically netting, is killing this species at an alarming rate. (See also Wikipedia)

Incredibly Rare Maui's Dolphins Sighted Off New Zealand Coast

A rare sighting of a pod of Maui's dolphins in the waters off the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. Only about 55 remain in New Zealand's waters, but they could be protected by prohibiting dangerous fishing gear from their habitat; safeguarding the region from sand mining and the threat of oil and gas exploration; and, establishing a protected ocean corridor.



Help Save the World’s Smallest Dolphin

The world’s rarest and smallest marine dolphin is at risk of extinction. Only an estimated 55 Maui’s dolphins over the age of one remain on the planet, all living along a small stretch of New Zealand’s coast. While their survival is threatened by sand mining and oil and gas exploration, the greatest immediate threat is certain types of fishing nets used throughout their coastal habitat. Living close to shore, Maui’s dolphins can easily become entangled in these nets and drown. With so few remaining, each unnecessary death is a critical one.


Maui's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) killed by fishing nets Take action today: http://wwf.to/savethemauis


Range of Maui's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) Please sign WWF's petition and protect the Maui's dolphin from extinction: http://wwf.to/savethemauis



The Maui's Dolphin Is Facing Eminent Extinction

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Sea Turtles: Struggle for Survival Against Nature and Humanity

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Sea Turtles of the World

The Survival of the Sea Turtle Watch the miraculous journey of infant sea turtles as these tiny animals run the gauntlet of predators and harsh conditions. Then, in numbers, see how human behavior has made their tough lives even more challenging.

Lesson by Scott Gass, animation by Veronica Wallenberg and Johan Sonestedt




Gulf of Mexico: Kemp's Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)



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Living Planet Report 2012: Resource Demand Increasing, Biodiversity Decreasing

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Biodiversity continues to be lost on planet Earth

We may not recognize it, but virtually every decision we make comes with a price to our planet—a small, but not insignificant, withdrawal of the earth’s resources. Added together, these withdrawals represent our environmental footprint.

WWF’s 2012 Living Planet Report highlights the cumulative pressure we are putting on the planet and the resulting decline in the health of our forests, rivers and oceans.

We are living as if we have the resources of an extra planet at our disposal. We’re using 50 percent more resources than the Earth can provide, and unless we change course that number will grow very fast—by 2030, even two planets will not be enough.

The Living Planet Report finds:

• Biodiversity continues to be lost: Populations of species continue to decline, with tropical and freshwater species experiencing the biggest declines.

• The U.S. has the fifth largest ecological footprint in terms of the amount of resources each person annually consumes. We rank only behind Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Denmark in the global rankings of the Ecological Footprint.

• Resource scarcity is already being experienced across the globe, as 2.7 billion people around the world already are forced to cope with water scarcity during at least one month a year.

A View from Space Listen to European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut André Kuipers talk about the health of the planet. Learn more about WWF's 2012 Living Planet Report at http://www.worldwildlife.org/lpr





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A Global Effort Is Building to Save Our Oceans

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Earth's Oceans

Imagine what the world’s leading ocean scientists, policy experts, private sector actors, and activists could accomplish if they united as a single force for ocean health. We’re about to find out.

During the World Bank’s spring meetings, I had the honor of speaking with 120 of the leading thinkers and activists on oceans. It was a first gathering of organizations involved in the creation of the new Global Partnership for Oceans, announced earlier this year by President Bob Zoellick, and they came with enthusiasm and ideas.

Everyone in the room was united in their determination to restore the health and productivity of oceans through more collaboration and providing more resources for more results on an unprecedented scale. I saw a very strong alignment of interests – between the scientific community and civil society organizations, between the private sector and fishing communities, between bilateral donors and implementation agencies including the UN agencies who deal with oceans and other international bodies.

There was a feeling of urgency as the room discussed how to step up action to end decades of free-for-all exploitation, which, along with pollution, climate change, and the dramatic degradation of coastal and marine habitats have put oceans and the economies they sustain on the brink of collapse.

We all recognize that by working together, we will be able to pool resources more efficiently, avoid redundancies in research, data collection, and projects, and globally amplify the call for better oceans management.

Rachel Kyte; Vice President, Sustainable Development, World Bank

Global Partnership for Oceans Oceans are under stress. The Global Partnership for Oceans is a growing alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society groups, and private sector interests that will mobilize knowledge and financial resources to address threats to ocean health, resilience and productivity. Additional footage provided by Guy Harvey, The Nature Conservancy, and Conservation International. For more information, please visit http://www.globalpartnershipforoceans.org




Global Partnership for Oceans The Global Partnership for Oceans is a growing alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society groups, and private sector interests committed to addressing the threats to the health, productivity and resilience of the world’s oceans. It aims to tackle widely documented problems of overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss. Together these problems are contributing to the depletion of a natural resource bank that provides nutrition, livelihoods and vital ecosystem services.

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Wonders of Nature: Jeju Island (South Korea)

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7 Wonders of Nature Announced

Among the winners of the 7 Wonders of Nature was Jeju Island (South Korea). The 7 winners were announced and listed in a prior post here.

Jeju Island - New 7 Wonders Jejudo is a volcanic island, 130 km from the southern coast of Korea. The largest island and smallest province in Korea, the island has a surface area of 1,846 sq km. A central feature of Jeju is Hallasan, the tallest mountain in South Korea and a dormant volcano, which rises 1,950 m above sea level. 360 satellite volcanoes are around the main volcano.




New 7 Wonders of Nature

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Very Rare Shepherd’s Beaked Whales Sighted, First Video Ever!

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Shepherd’s Beaked Whale (Tasmacetus shepherdi)


Very Rare Shepherd’s Beaked Whales Sighted, First Video Ever! he Australian Antarctic Division team was tracking blue whales off the coast of Victoria state last month when they spotted the reclusive mammals, which are so rarely seen that no population estimates of the species exist. Voyage leader Michael Double said the black and cream-coloured mammals with prominent dolphin-like beaks had been spotted in the wild only a handful of times through history.

According to the Australian environment department, there have only been two previous confirmed sightings - a lone individual in New Zealand and a group of three in Western Australia. They have never been filmed live before.

"These animals are practically entirely known from stranded dead whales, and there haven't been many of them," Double told AFP, calling the footage "unique". "They are an offshore animal, occupying deep water, and when they surface it is only for a very short period of time."

Double said what was remarkable about the sighting was that the whale was previously thought to be a solitary creature, yet was in a pod of 10 to 12. "To find them in a pod is very exciting and will change the guide books. Our two whale experts will now carefully study the footage to work out the whale sizes and so on and prepare a scientific paper." The Shepherd's beaked whale, also known as the Tasman beaked whale, was discovered in 1937 but little is known about them.

Rare Whales Spotted in Bass Strait Scientists hope the sighting of a pod of rare Shepherd's beaked whales will lead to new research into the species.



 Source: Physorg.com and AFP


Shepherd’s Beaked Whale (Tasmacetus shepherdi)
Status: Data Deficient
Shepherd's beaked whales are primarily known from a few dozen strandings, all south of 30°S, around New Zealand, southern Australia, southern South America, the Juan Fernandez Islands, and Tristan de Cunha (Mead 1989).


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The Majestic Plastic Bag: A Mockumentary

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Humans Are Trashing the Ocean


The Majestic Plastic Bag - A Mockumentary Narrated by Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons, this "mockumentary" video hammers home the stark reality of California's plastic bag pollution situation.


Related Post:
The Great Ocean Garbage Patches: Human trash impacting marine life




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Unexplained Dolphin Strandings Continue at Cape Cod, 100+ Dolphins Have Died

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Unexplained Dolphin Strandings Continue at Cape Cod Dolphins continue beaching themselves at Cape Cope. This mass stranding event began January 12. The International Fund for Animal Welfare, IFAW, has been leading the rescue effort and deploying resources to save the dolphins. The strandings are a mystery, although many explanations have been conjectured. To-date, 177 short-beaked common dolphins have stranded on Cape Cod in the last month and 124 have died. The total is nearly five times the average of 37 common dolphins that have stranded annually during the last 12 years. The numbers increase daily.

Mysterious Dolphin Beachings Persist on Cape Cod (CBS/AP) WELLFLEET, Mass. - There's no good spot on Cape Cod for dolphins to continue this winter's massive and unexplained beachings, but a group of 11 has chosen one of the worst. The remote inlet down Wellfleet's Herring River is a place where the tides recede fast and far, and that's left the animals mired in a grayish-brown mud one local calls "Wellfleet mayonnaise." Walking is the only way to reach the animals, but it's not easy. Rescuers crunch through cord grass and seashells before hitting a grabby muck that releases a footstep only after a sucking pop. One volunteer hits a thigh-deep "hole" and tumbles forward. The mud covers his face like messy war paint the rest of the morning.






Amazing Marine Mammal and Rescue Team Efforts In this short video, produced by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, IFAW Marine Mammal Rescue and Research team staff and volunteers help as many dolphins as possible during one of the largest common dolphin stranding events on record.








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Dolphins and Whales Play Together in Hawaiian Waters

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Bottlenose Dolphin and Humpback Whale


Whales Give Dolphins a Lift

Many species interact in the wild, most often as predator and prey. But recent encounters between humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins reveal a playful side to interspecies interaction.

In two different locations in Hawaii, scientists watched as dolphins "rode" the heads of whales: the whales lifted the dolphins up and out of the water, and then the dolphins slid back down. The two species seemed to cooperate in the activity, and neither displayed signs of aggression or distress.

Whales and dolphins in Hawaiian waters often interact, but playful social activity such as this is extremely rare between species. The latest Bio Bulletin from the Museum's Science Bulletins program presents the first recorded examples of this type of behavior.




Two Unusual Interactions Between a Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Hawaiian Waters Abstract: When two species share a common habitat, interspecific interactions can take many forms. Understanding the dynamics of these interactions can provide insight into the behavior and ecology of those species involved. Two separate, unusual interactions are described in which a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) lifted a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) completely out of the water. Both incidents occurred in Hawaiian waters. Based on reports of object play by hump-back whales, and the apparent initiation and cooperation of each dolphin being lifted, object (i.e., the dolphin) play by the whale and social play by the dolphin seem to be the most plausible explanations for the interaction. Aggressive and epimeletic behavior by the humpback were also considered.


Bottlenose Dolphin and Humpback Whale




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Dolphins and Whales Play Together in Hawaiian Waters

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Bottlenose Dolphin and Humpback Whale

Whales Give Dolphins a Lift Many species interact in the wild, most often as predator and prey. But recent encounters between humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins reveal a playful side to interspecies interaction. In two different locations in Hawaii, scientists watched as dolphins "rode" the heads of whales: the whales lifted the dolphins up and out of the water, and then the dolphins slid back down. The two species seemed to cooperate in the activity, and neither displayed signs of aggression or distress. Whales and dolphins in Hawaiian waters often interact, but playful social activity such as this is extremely rare between species. The latest Bio Bulletin from the Museum's Science Bulletins program presents the first recorded examples of this type of behavior.



Two Unusual Interactions Between a Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Hawaiian Waters Abstract: When two species share a common habitat, interspecific interactions can take many forms. Understanding the dynamics of these interactions can provide insight into the behavior and ecology of those species involved. Two separate, unusual interactions are described in which a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) lifted a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) completely out of the water. Both incidents occurred in Hawaiian waters. Based on reports of object play by hump-back whales, and the apparent initiation and cooperation of each dolphin being lifted, object (i.e., the dolphin) play by the whale and social play by the dolphin seem to be the most plausible explanations for the interaction. Aggressive and epimeletic behavior by the humpback were also considered.


Bottlenose Dolphin and Humpback Whale



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Dolphins Help Save Dog! (Video) *Alert neighbor to dog trapped in canal*

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Bottlenose Dolphin

Dolphins Help Save Dog Trapped in Canal

Dolphins are being credited for alerting a neighbor to a dog trapped in a Florida canal. Turbo, an 11 year old Doberman Pinscher, had been missing for 15 hours after his gate had been left open. Cindy Burnett had been searching for her dog Turbo but had not found him. A neighbor heard dolphins persistently splashing in a canal and then saw Turbo trapped in the water. The neighbor then rescued Turbo and told Burnett, "the dolphins were with him". Turbo apparently had been in the canal overnight.

WBBH News "Dolphins Help Save Tired Dog Stuck in Canal" Some persistent dolphin are being credited with saving a dog that had run away on Marco Island. The dog's owner said he had been missing for 15 hours before the dolphins alerted neighbors.

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The 7 Wonders of Nature (Video, Images) *Provisional winners announced from global voting*

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New 7 Wonders of Nature

7 Wonders of Nature Announced The provisional list of the New 7 Wonders of Nature have been announced by New7Wonders. The global voting is now being checked, validated, and independently verified. The official winners will be announced in early 2012 during the official inauguration ceremonies. It is possible there will be changes between the provisional winners and the confirmed winners.

The provisional winners, in alphabetical order, are:
▲ Amazon (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela)
▲ Halong Bay (Vietnam)
▲ Iguazu Falls (Argentina, Brazil)
▲ Jeju Island (South Korea)
▲ Komodo (Indonesia)
▲ Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines)
▲ Table Mountain (South Africa)

The other finalists, in alphabetical order, are:
▲ Angel Falls (Venezuela)
▲ Bay of Fundy (Canada)
▲ Black Forest (Germany)
▲ Bu Tinah Island (United Arab Emirates)
▲ Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)
▲ Dead Sea (Israel, Jordan, Palestine)
▲ El Yunque (Puerto Rico)
▲ Galapagos (Ecuador)
▲ Grand Canyon (United States)
▲ Great Barrier Reef (Australia, Papua New Guinea)
▲ Jeita Grotto (Lebanon)
▲ Kilimanjaro (Tanzania)
▲ Islands of the Maldives (Maldives)
▲ Masurian Lake District (Poland)
▲ Matterhorn/Cervino (Italy, Switzerland)
▲ Milford Sound (New Zealand)
▲ Mud Volcanoes (Azerbaijan)
▲ Sunderbans (Bangladesh, India)
▲ Uluru (Australia)
▲ Vesuvius (Italy)
▲ Yushan (Chinese Taipei)

Announcing the Provisional New7Wonders of Nature The provisional New7Wonders of Nature are, in alphabetical order: Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Komodo, Puerto Princesa Underground River, Table Mountain. Here, Bernard Weber, Founder-President of New7Wonders, announces the names of the provisional New7Wonders of Nature at the New7Wonders headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

New7Wonders

A global movement, creating 7 symbols of heritage and nature, becoming part of Global Memory forever.

Amazon (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela)

Halong Bay (Vietnam)

 Iguazu Falls (Argentina, Brazil)

Jeju Island (South Korea)

Komodo (Indonesia)

Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines)

Table Mountain (South Africa)

International Union for Conservation of Nature
Conserving Biodiversity

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The Great Ocean Garbage Patches (Videos) *Human trash impacting marine life*

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Pollution on seashores and the open ocean is increasing

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Plastic bags and other human trash are now common in the world's oceans. With the world's population now reaching 7 billion people, up 1 billion in 12 years, the pollution of the world's oceans with human trash intensifies. Dr. Marcus Eriksen, of the 5 Gyres Institute, studies the amount and impact of plastic debris in the ocean. He has traveled to the ocean gyres that trap this debris in a giant garbage patch, an enormous plastic soup. The North Pacific Gyre, or garbage patch, may be the size of Texas. Dr. Bill Van Bonn, of the Marine Mammal Center, adds that he has seen plastic bags in the stomachs of whales, sea lions, and dolphins. Trash is mistaken for food or prey by the creatures in the sea and ingested.

Plastic Bags and the Environment CNN's Amber Lyon examines the effect plastic bags have on the ocean.

Plastics in the Oceans Dr. Marcus Eriksen, was interviewed on 11 Alive News for Earth Day. Eriksen studies plastics in our oceans, and the effects on our water and planet.

World's Ocean Gyres

The 5 Gyres Institute
Our mission is to conduct research and communicate about the global impact of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans and employ strategies to eliminate the accumulation of plastic pollution in the 5 subtropical gyres.

Marine Mammal Center
Our mission is to expand knowledge about marine mammals - their health and that of their ocean environment - and to inspire their global conservation. Our core work is the rescue and rehabilitation of sick and injured marine mammals, supported by state-of-the-art animal care and research facilities, a corps of dedicated volunteers, and an engaged community.

International Union for Conservation of Nature
Conserving Biodiversity

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