Ocean Sentry
Dragon, a female North Atlantic right whale, has been discovered entangled off the coast of Nantucket. She is currently in declining health, and has a buoy lodged in her mouth.
March, 2020
February, 2020
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19 February
Taiwan: Hundreds of cetaceans, sea turtles washed up last year
Last year, 150 cetaceans and 269 sea turtles washed up on the nation’s shores, the Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) said yesterday, blaming improper fishing activities for many of the injuries.
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19 February
Taiji: Immense cruelty in capturing dolphins
More than ever, it is critical to put a spotlight on Taiji’s drive hunts, including the extreme cruelty involved along with their financial ties to the captivity industry. Even if an aquarium or marine park boasts that none of their dolphins were wild-caught, life in a tank is no place …
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19 February
Southeast Asia’s dugongs may disappear soon
In 2019, two baby dugongs were found alive after they washed ashore in Krabi and Trang provinces, in Thailand, but sadly died not long after they were rescued. Prior to the two dugong deaths, seven of these docile mammals were also found dead on Thai beaches in the same year.
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17 February
Climate change is contributing to right whale deaths
North Atlantic right whales – already the most endangered large whale species in the world – are becoming even more at risk as rising sea temperatures make it harder to find food or safe waters.
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7 February
Amazon’s pink dolphins threatened by end of fishing ban
Prosecutors in Amazonas state, who asked for the catfish ban in 2015, warned then that as many as 2,500 dolphins were being killed each year for bait.
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3 February
Study connects marine heat wave with spike in whale entanglements
A new study shows how the record-breaking marine heat wave of 2014 to 2016 caused changes along the U.S. West Coast that led to an unprecedented spike in the numbers of whales that became entangled in fishing gear.
January, 2020
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31 January
DDT and other banned chemicals pose a threat to vulnerable dolphins on Great Barrier Reef
One tissue sample taken from a female humpback dolphin had concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) – banned in Australia since 1975 – that were among the highest recorded in the scientific literature. Read more
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29 January
Alaska’s Cook Inlet beluga whales continue decline
A biennial survey conducted by the fisheries arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated the population of the white whales at 250 to 317, with a median estimate of 279. Read more
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22 January
Freak warm weather threatens birth of baby seals in Northern Russia – NGO
Record high temperatures in northern Russia this winter have prevented sea ice from forming, threatening the birth of baby seals as the pupping period approaches, a local NGO has warned. Read more
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22 January
Newborn North Atlantic right whale calf critically injured
A days-old North Atlantic right whale calf has been severely injured after being struck by a boat’s propellers. News of this injury comes from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which found that the calf had two “parallel and s-shaped” wounds along its body, most likely caused by boat …
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20 January
Australian sea lions are declining. Using drones to check their health can help us understand why
Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) are in trouble. Their population has never recovered from the impact of the commercial sealing that occurred mainly in the 19th century. Read more