Whales caught ‘thieving’ on camera

October 6th, 2009 Survey finds Cook Inlet belugas declining againANCHORAGE, Alaska — A survey finds that the number of beluga whales in Cook Inlet is again declining. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report released Tuesday shows the numbers have slipped again to 321 animals, down from an estimated 375 animals in 2007 and 2008.

September 23rd, 2009 LONDON - A new research by scientists has determined that blue whales have had to increase their 'singing' to cope with noise pollution from ships. Man-made noise such as ships' engines has caused hearing loss in whales.

September 16th, 2009 BUENOS AIRES - Forty-two pilot whales beached themselves and died in a small bay in the southern Argentine province of Chubut, a marine expert has said. "We counted 42 dead pilot whales in an area that's not much more than a small bay," Centro Nacional Patagonico researcher Enrique Crespo said.

September 2nd, 2009 SYDNEY - Secret Soviet whaling between 1947 and 1973 wiped out some humpback whale population in the Pacific, according to a new study. Wally Franklin, doctoral student at the Sydney based Southern Cross University's Whale Research Centre and co-director of The Oceania Project, co-authored the paper.

August 25th, 2009 Stranded belugas in Alaska swim freeANCHORAGE, Alaska — About 20 beluga whales that became stranded in mud during a low tide over the weekend have apparently freed themselves, bringing relief to biologists who have been closely monitoring their plight. Two federal biologists flew over the area Monday and found no sign of stranded or dead whales, but quite a few of the whales swimming freely.

August 3rd, 2009 LONDON - Hydrophones have revealed that bowhead whales can sing in different voices to attract a mate and thereby ensure the species' survival. This is probably because global warming has opened up the Northwest Passage in 125,000 years, enabling the 100 tonne bowhead whales of the northern Pacific to reach Disko Bay in Greenland to mate with other whales.

July 7th, 2009 LONDON - a report published by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has suggested that watching whales is far more profitable than eating them. According to New Scientist, the report found that revenues from whale watching in 2008 reached 2.1 billion dollars, which is double the amount earned a decade ago.

June 18th, 2009 Australia, NZ to study Antarctic whalesWELLINGTON, New Zealand — Australia and New Zealand announced Thursday a non-lethal whale research expedition to the Antarctic, a direct challenge to Japan's research program that kills up to 1,000 whales a year. The six-week expedition, to set sail in a New Zealand ship early next year, will prove that whales can be studied without killing them, the two governments said in a joint statement.

June 1st, 2009 LONDON - In a new research, scientists have discovered that there are babysitters in whale populations as well, which look after the young ones of mother whales while they go hunt for food. According to a report in New Scientist, Shane Gero of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, and colleagues tracked two populations of sperm whales in the Caribbean and Sargasso seas to see what happened when mother whales dived for food.

May 31st, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - A desperate attempt to rescue dozens of pilot whales that washed up on a Cape Town beach in stormy seas ended with 44 out of 55 whales having to be euthanised, a marine scientist said Sunday. "We euthanised 42, and another two were euthanised during the night (Saturday night)," Marine and Coastal Management scientist Mike Meyer was quoted by the South African Press Association (SAPA) as saying.

May 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of scientists, using a system of underwater hydrophones that can record sounds from hundreds of miles away, has documented the presence of endangered North Atlantic right whales in an area they were thought to be extinct. The scientists are from the Oregon State University (OSU) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

May 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have documented the presence of endangered North Atlantic right whales with the help of underwater hydrophones that can pick up sounds from hundreds of kilometres away. The discovery is particularly important because it is in an area where these whales were thought to be extinct and one that may be opened to shipping if the melting of polar ice continues, as expected, said researchers.

May 9th, 2009 Nice going, mom! Right whales break birth recordBOSTON — Right whales have plenty to celebrate this Mother's Day — the sea moms gave birth to a record 39 calves this spring. The New England Aquarium said Friday that the birth surge breaks the old record of 31 and shows much improvement from 2000, when only one calf was born.

April 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A medication for treating alcohol and drug addiction also curbs compulsive thieving instincts, according to a new research. University of Minnesota (U-M) Medical School's psychiatry department conducted an eight-week, double-blind study of 25 men and women aged 17-75, who spent an average of at least one hour a week stealing.

February 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Young 'right whales' learn from their mothers where to eat, prompting concerns among biologists about their ability to find new places to feed if changing climate disrupts their traditional dining areas. 'A primary concern is, what are whales going to do with global warming, which may change the location and abundance of their prey?' asked Vicky Rowntree, research associate professor of biology and a co-author of the new study at Utah University.