Marine Mammals

August, 2008

• 22 August

  Colin the abandoned whale calf is put down

  

  (From timesonline.co.uk)- Despite an international call for help, an offer of assistance from the Army, and a last-minute attempt at spiritual healing with a visit from an Aboriginal whale whisperer on Thursday, nothing could be done to save Colin, who was humanely put down by vets in the early hours …
• 21 August

  Baby whale stranded in Sydney to be put down

  

  (From telegraph.co.uk)- Vets plan to euthanise the whale early on Friday morning, if it has not died naturally by then. Authorities are expected to use a lethal dose of anaesthetic. Whale whisperer Bunna Lawrie pleaded with the authorities to spare Colin. “He heard me singing and came over. I looked …
• 21 August

  Beached whale carcasses on West End probably were hit by ships

  (From peninsuladailynews.com) Olympic National Park, Washington- Both whales showed signs of blunt-force trauma consistent with being struck by a ship, said Annie Douglas, a field biologist for Cascadia. However, she added, the carcasses were too decomposed to tell if they had been struck before or after they died. “Of the …
• 21 August

  New, “Chubbier” River Dolphin species found in Bolivia

  

  (From news.nationalgeographic.com)- The Bolivian river dolphin is a separate species from the Amazon river dolphin, scientists announced recently.Thousands of years ago a powerful drought dried up Brazil”s Madeira River, causing a “radical separation” as dolphin populations were caught on different sides of the newly created rapids, said researcher Manuel Ruiz-Garcia. …
• 21 August

  Confusion plagues fight for Colin

  (From news.com.au)- Last-ditch attempts to save Colin the whale calf are in disarray, with the SeaWorld vet expected to arrive still on the Gold Coast this morning. Rescuers are also awaiting confirmation of plans to involve the Australian Defence Force in Colin”s rescue.
• 20 August

  Injured seal at Corrimal Beach

  

  (From illawarra.yourguide.com.au)- The female Australian fur seal had suffered a deep, circular wound to its left flipper and looked frail and thin, prompting speculation it had recently given birth to a litter of pups. Tne or two seals were found on the region”s beaches each year, either taking time out …
• 20 August

  Seaquarium activists push to free Lolita the Whale

  

  (From miaminewtimes.com)- The 38-year-old killer whale has sparked controversy since she was first sold to Seaquarium for $6,000 in 1970 after being snatched from her family pod in Puget Sound — a practice now effectively banned there. Lolita”s defenders decry not only confining such an intelligent marine mammal, but also …
• 20 August

  Otter Killed In Illegal Fishing Trap

  

  (From iar.org.uk)- An otter has been killed in the River Tamar, after it was caught in an illegal fishing trap. A spokesperson from the Environment Agency explained that the otter had swum into the trap but had been unable to escape. As a result, it is believed to have drowned.The …
• 20 August

  Mexico Starts Campaign To Save Endangered Porpoise

  (From ap.google.com) Ensenada, Mexico Mexico is investing 163 million pesos (US$16 million) to save a highly endangered type of porpoise from fishing nets in the upper Gulf of California. Scientists say they believe the population of the vaquita marina — Spanish for “little sea cow” — has dwindled to 150 …
• 20 August

  Sydney Pours Heart Out For Stray Whale

  (From thewest.com.au)- Time is running out for the abandoned humpback whale calf stranded in Sydney’s Pittwater. Wildlife authorities are debating whether to euthanase the 4.5-metre mammal rather than allow it to suffer a slow, painful death. The baby whale, believed to be about two to three weeks old, was first …
• 20 August

  Hopes High For Minke Calf

  (From news.com.au) Tasmania- A lone minke whale calf stranded yesterday afternoon on a beach to Hobart”s east has not been sighted today, raising hopes the young female may have relocated her mother.  “Our assumption, yesterday, was hopefully the mother was around and it would find the mother and go from …
• 20 August

  Whale That Beached In Vero Euthanized Because Of Bad Heart

  

  (From tcpalm.com) Vero Beach, Florida- Harbor Branch officials on Tuesday euthanized the female pygmy sperm whale found beached earlier in the day at South Beach. The near 10-foot-long whale was diagnosed with the heart condition known as cardiomyopathy, resulting in a build-up of fluid in the lungs, said Gregory Bossart, …