Visitors spellbound as a pod of 14 orcas have a whale of a time off the coast of John O’Groats in ‘unprecedented’ sighting

By Alex Ward


..More than a dozen killer whales made a rare appearance off the most northerly point in mainland Britain on Monday morning.

Visitors to the John O’Groats coast were spellbound as 14 killer whales splashed and played in the harbour.

In an unprecedented sighting, the killer whales, also known as orcas, are believed to have been attracted by seals and were part of two or three different pods.

Scroll down for video


Rare appearance: Usually sighted in groups of four or five, visitors got an unprecedented glimpse at 14 killer whales off the John O'Groats coast

Searching for food: Usually seen in groups of four or five, the rare sighting of 14 killer whales could have been attracted to the coast by seals

Fred Fermor, of John O’Groats Ferries, was one of the first people to spot the whales and described it as a spectacular sight.

He said: ‘We first spotted the 14 killer whales at around 7.30am at John O’Groats and they stayed around until about 11am.


Record sightings: There's been a record number of killer whale sightings because of cooler summers in recent years

Whale watching: Since April there's been 24 sightings of killer whales, exceeding the annual average of 15-20

‘They were just swimming around the harbour and were not engaging in any hunting but they may have been attracted to the seals that were on the shore.

‘This is the usual time of the year whales are spotted in the Pentland Firth but the number has definitely increased.

‘There were lots of tourists at the pier who witnessed them and with the number of whale sightings going up, it truly enhances their visit here.’

There have been a record number of whale sightings off the Caithness coast in 2012 because of cooler summers in recent years.

Since the whale watching season began in April, there have been 24 sightings of orcas alone. The annual average is usually between 15 and 20.

Seawatch Foundation coordinator Colin Bird said it is very rare to see so many whales swimming together like what was witnessed on Monday.

He said: ‘Most sightings usually involve between three to five whales but what was seen at John O’Groats was unprecedented as there were two or three pods coming together.

‘As they come from Iceland, the killer whales usually follow the herring trails and, due to the very cool summers, the fish have travelled more south than usual.

‘When they do arrive at the Pentland Firth, they find that there are a great number of seals living in the area, which is part of their main diet.

‘This time of year seal pups are more common and are oblivious to the dangers orcas pose which make them easy prey.’

A pod was also spotted off the coast of Stroma on Saturday by a group of 30 people from the Islands Book Trust who witnessed the mammals hunting seals.

Sightings are common during the summer months in the Pentland Firth strait as the whales travel from Iceland on their way to the Moray Firth.

Sightings of killer whales have also been reported at Scrabster, Wick and at Strathy Point in Sutherland.

Mr Bird said anyone who wants to increase their chances of catching a glimpse of the mammals should visit Duncansby Head where they can be spotted at Stroma and the Pentland Skerries.

Despite the record number of whales being spotted off the Caithness coast, the number of dolphin sighted have dropped due to the cooler weather.




source;dailymail

Monster from the deep... on the Norfolk coast: 40ft sperm whale washes up on Christmas Eve

It is believed the mammal was dead before it was washed up on the beach


By Charles Walford


The 40-foot-long sperm whale was washed up on the beach at Old Hunstanton, in Norfolk


A 40ft sperm whale has been washed up dead on an East Anglian beach, with what appears to be a large gash in its stomach.

The sand around its tail did not appear disturbed, suggesting the creature was dead before the tide carried it onto the sands at Old Hunstanton, Norfolk.

Large crowds gathered to see the whale, which is near the high tide mark.

A spokesman for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue said it may have been the same whale which had been seen dead on the RAF’s bombing range on the other side of the estuary, at Holbeach, some weeks ago.

Scientists from the Zooological Society have already taken samples from the animal, which will be left to be carried away by the tide to decompose naturally.


The whale had a gash in its stomach, but may have died due to the fact there are no squid for it to live off in the North Sea

A member of the public cuts off a tooth from the beached whale, which washed up on the Norfolk coast on Christmas Eve


A number of whales have been washed up on the North Sea coast in the past year.
They have been especially prevalent around the Humber Estuary.

Conservationists believe the increase in the number of strandings could be explained by a change in sea currents bringing colder streams of Arctic water into the North Sea and with them whales that would not normally pass so close to the UK shoreline.

At the end of September a 33ft mammal, thought to be a Sei whale, was discovered in marshes on the north bank of the River Humber near the village of Skeffling.

Earlier the same month, a young Fin whale - a relative of the Sei - was stranded at Immingham, North East Lincolnshire, and subsequently washed up dead near Spurn Point.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has noted a rise in whale sightings generally in 2011 but no-one is sure why there may be an increase in the mammals in the North Sea.

Over the summer, a pod of up to 10 Minke whales were spotted regularly off the North Yorkshire coast between Whitby and Scarborough.

Whale experts admit they do not know why there has been an upsurge in sightings and strandings.


The whale has not been moved for two days and is attracting great interest from the locals


A man poses in a fisherman's outfit to pretend he had caught the 40ft beast that was washed up on the North Sea coast


A number of people have descended on the beach to take pictures of the stranded whale



source:dailymail

I’m forever blowing bubbles: Beluga whale waves for the camera as performs tricks by pushing out circles of water

By Gavin Allen


Ring of truth: One could be forgiven for thinking these photos are not real but blowing bubbles is a skill that appears to be learned by some beluga whales


It's one thing for a whale to be talented enough to blow circular bubbles underwater, but this looks a touch like showing off.

This white whale has the confidence to wave to the camera as she is doing it.

These amazing photograph of her underwater antics were taken at Kamogawa Sea World in Kamogawa, east of Tokyo, in Japan, on Christmas Day.

Bye bye, bubble: This image, taken at at Kamogawa Sea World near Tokyo, appears to show a beluga waving off another circular bubble


White whales, also known as beluga whales, inhabit the Arctic Ocean and are known to be highly intelligent, with the ability to chatter among themselves.

They also emit ultrasound waves, which help them navigate vast waters and locate each other.

The bubble blowing is a skill that appears to be learned by some belugas, and this is not the first time one has been snapped in the act.

A 10-year-old beluga who perfected the technique over a period of last three years has been an attraction at the Shimane aquarium in Japan.

She uses her mouth to blow the water to make a current, then her blow hole to break the current into a ring shape.

Her antics have been captured on camera by photographer Hiroya Minakuchi.

Blowing bubbles: This beluga whale was captured creating a halo effect by photographer Hiroya Minakuchi at the Shimane aquarium in Japan


The 58-year-old, from Osaka, is the only person outside the aquarium who is allowed to dive with the belugas.

He said: 'This beluga started making bubble rings when she was seven. And a couple of years ago she developed her technique.

'Now she blows the water from her mouth to make a current, which is not visible for us underwater. She then blows air from her blow hole into the current and that makes a ring shape.

'I believe it is just a lot of fun for her. Since she developed this new game she often performs it for visitors.' He added: 'I am the only person outside of the aquarium who can dive with the belugas so this kind of photograph is very rare.'



source:dailymail

What's wrong with me? The playful beluga whale who fell behind her identical friend in photographer's pecking order

By Danny Wheeler


Right on the smacker: Photographer Dafna Ben Nussing captured the whales at their most playful


What we have here is a clear case of favouritism.

Pity the poor beluga having to wait for his peck on the nozzle from wildlife photographer Dafna Ben Nun, who braved temperatures of minus 2 degrees to capture the beautiful creatures in the White Sea, north-west Russia.

Despite the fact these ladies look almost identical, he found himself falling behind in the pecking order.

Breaking the ice: The whales seemed to enjoy playing up to the camera in temperatures of minus 2C in north west Russia


Dafna, from Israel, travelled for seven hours by truck to reach the whales and it was worth every minute of her journey as she captured them at their most playful.

In this series of images the white whales - which weigh around 3,000 lbs and measure up to 12 foot long - can be seen amazingly blowing water jets from their mouths.

The 31-year-old spent almost an hour in the water with the two female whales.

She said: 'If they don't want to do something they won't, but they are so friendly, I was playing with them and then they just starting spouting the water from their mouths, it was very funny.

Impish: The belugas blew cheeky jets of water at the photographer, who spent almost an hour in the water with the two female whales


'These whales are something of an attraction for people but because they are so remote you have to really want to see them to go there so luckily not too many people do.

'When you get in the water with them they are very curious and kept coming up to my camera.

'If I held onto their nose they would even lift me out of the water.'

Remote: The whales are something of an attraction, but many people are put off by their isolated location


Dafna said she had travelled all round the world photographing wildlife including the Amazon and Antarctica.

She said: 'The water was obviously a lot colder than the Amazon, about minus 2C because it's salt water, but it was definitely worth it.

'The whales here are two young females but their are also two males as well so people are hopeful that they will breed.'



source:dailymail

Animal rights activists fail in bid to save killer whale from amusement park and return her to the wild

By Graham Smith


Court battle: Morgan swims in her tank at the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk, Netherlands, earlier this month. A Dutch judge has ruled she will now be sent to a Spanish amusement park


Conservationists have failed to prevent a young killer whale from being sent to a Spanish amusement park.

The whale, called Morgan, was rescued by a Dutch dolphin park in 2010.

Animal activists had wanted the mammal to be returned to its native waters off the coast of Norway, but a court in Amsterdam yesterday ruled that it will instead be sent to Loro Parque on the island of Tenerife.


In a written ruling, Judge M de Rooij said chances of the female whale surviving in the wild were 'too unsure'.

She said: 'Morgan can be transferred to Loro Parque for study and education to benefit the protection or maintenance of the species.

A panel of experts assembled by the commercial dolphinarium in Harderwijk, Netherlands, where Morgan is currently living, argued that releasing the highly social animal would be tantamount to a 'death sentence' unless she could be returned to her native pod, or family.

They said she would be better off at Loro Parque on Tenerife, which has four other orcas.

Opposing experts for the 'Free Morgan' group said the dolphinarium was guided by financial interests, rather than concern for the animal's well-being, and that they will continue to seek Morgan's release.

'It's disgusting,' marine biologist Ingrid Visser said of the decision.

Visser, who travelled from New Zealand for the ruling, had also laid the groundwork to prepare Morgan for release in the Norwegian town of Stoe.

But dolphin park spokesman Bert van Plateringen said: 'We are very satisfied with today's ruling, which is what's best for Morgan.'

He said the cost of the rescue, upkeep and transfer of Morgan would be 'upward of a million euros' and that the dolphinarium would not profit from having had her and that that the transfer would take place within several days.


Popular: Animal activists had wanted Morgan to be returned to her native waters off the coast of Norway

Conservationists had already laid the groundwork to prepare Morgan for release in Stoe, Norway


Morgan was found starving and weak in shallow North Sea water off the Dutch coast in June 2010. She was estimated to be about two years old and weighed just 880lbs. By July of this year she was in good health and had more than doubled her weight.

International treaties prohibit the trade of killer 'whales' - which are actually classified as ocean-going dolphins - without difficult-to-obtain exemption permits.

Fewer than 50 orcas are held in captivity worldwide and the bulk of them are owned by SeaWorld, a subsidiary of U.S. private equity giant BlackRock.

Orcas are the largest species within the dolphin family and one of the world's most powerful predators, hunting in pods to feast on animals such as seals, sea lions and even whales. The killer whales' distinctive traits include sophisticated problem-solving and communicative abilities, and their formation of complex communities.

A female capable of breeding and introducing new genes into the pool of captive orcas is worth millions of pounds, Visser said. Female orcas may live as long as 80 years, giving birth five or more times once they reach maturity.

French environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau, in reaction to the ruling, said: 'It is unfortunate that we continue to be manipulated by the power of economics over clear science and what is best for the welfare of this one individual killer whale.'

The Harderwijk Dolphinarium is owned by France's Compagnie des Alpes. Loro Parque, owned by a German businessman, received its four orcas on loan from SeaWorld.

The Harderwijk Dolphinarium, which put Morgan on display after her rescue, has not disclosed financial details of her shipment to Loro Parque.


Morgan, pictured here with British biologist Steve Hearn, was found starving and weak in shallow North Sea water off the Dutch coast in June 2010

Fewer than 50 orcas are held in captivity worldwide and the bulk of them are owned by SeaWorld in the U.S.


Previous attempts to reintroduce orcas into the wild have a mixed record at best. The most famous case is that of Keiko, the killer whale who starred in the 1993 film Free Willy.

Keiko was caught at age two near Iceland and spent many years in Mexico City. After 20 years in various marine parks, he was flown back to Iceland and released under lengthy supervision. He died in 2003 at age 26, apparently of pneumonia, after surviving two months on his own and swimming about 870 miles to Norway.

The most successful release was that of a young orca called Springer, which had a story somewhat similar to that of Morgan. Springer was found off the coast of Washington state in early 2002 and successfully reintroduced to her pod in British Columbia, Canada, later the same year.

Experts agree that the less time the animals are exposed to humans and the quicker they are reunited with family or relatives - identified by their vocalisations - the better their chances of survival.

Visser said Morgan's chances are waning, but possibly still as much as '80 per cent' with the proper care. She said in any case it was worth the risk to spare Morgan what Visser said would be a miserable life in captivity, forced to perform in daily public shows.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is currently pursuing a long-shot court case in the U.S. that equates orcas with people and says their working conditions violate the 13th Amendment ban on slavery. SeaWorld said the suit is baseless.

Visser said Morgan's best hopes for release now lie with Spanish courts or the Norwegian government petitioning Spain for her release.


source:dailymail

Home at last: Giant killer whale in bizarre custody battle arrives in California

-SeaWorld in San Diego is suing Canadian marine park after refusing to return 'loanee' whale Ikaika
-Whale's father, Tilikum, killed his trainer at SeaWorld in Florida

By Paul Thompson


SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, is demanding the return of Ikaika, pictured swimming in a tank at Marineland in Niagara Falls


A killer whale at the centre of an international custody battle has arrived in California.

Ike, a nine year old Orca, was flown to SeaWorld in San Diego after a year long legal battle over ownership between the US theme park and a Canadian marine park.

The whale's father is Tilikum the 12,000lb whale that killed his trainer Dawn Brancheau in February 2010 at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida.


Ike was transported from Marineland theme park in Toronto, Canada, by a14 vehicle police escort.

It was flown overnight on a cargo plan fitted with a special water tank to San Diego and released into the theme park’s pools where it will join the other killer whales.

Ike had been at Marineland for the last five years after being loaned by SeaWorld as part of a breeding exchange.

SeaWorld received four beluga whales while it was hoped Ike would breed and produce a number of calves for the Toronto based theme park.

Ikaika, Katina, and Taku (from left) perform in Sea World. Marine parks in North America are banned from importing wild-caught orcas, but the law does not apply to those born in captivity


Last year Seaworld demanded the return on Ike - but bosses at Marineland refused saying they were led to believe Ike was on a long term loan.

Lawyers for Marineland argued that SeaWorld did not have the authority to cancel the agreement.

They also claimed SeaWorld only wanted Ike back as one of their performing killer whales,Sumar, had died last year.

SeaWorld insisted they wanted Ike back in their care as they were concerned for his health.

Courts in Ontario, Canada, sided with SeaWorld and US courts also backed the decision to return the whale to San Diego.


Tilikum continued to perform after killing its trainer Dawn Brancheau, right, in a tragic poolside accident in February 2010


Ms Brancheau had been nose-to-nose with the whale when her pony tail floated into the animal's mouth and she was dragged in


A judge in Orlando refused to grant Marinland an injunction preventing the transfer.

A spokesman for SeaWorld said the transfer of Ike had been a success.

'He was in the water in San Diego early Sunday morning. Everything went great,' insisted SeaWorld spokesman Fred Jacobs.

Since the death of 40-year-old Brancheau, trainers are no longer allowed in the water with the killer whales.

The Orlando attraction was fined over $50,000 by health and safety officials following the tragic death which was witnessed by up to a dozen visitors.



source:dailymail

It's behind you! Whale surprises surfer and nearly swallows her whole after lunging out of water in front of beachgoers

By NINA GOLGOWSKI


Scroll down for video

'We were crazy to be out there': The woman who captured the giant whale lunging out beside them says she was lucky they weren't swallowed or crushed


Earlier in the week the U.S. Coast Guard warned of a pod of whales approaching the California coast and the dangers they faced to beach-goers, but nothing could prepare these swimmers for what happened to them next.

Idling in the water off Santa Cruz, the glassy-smooth surface beside a surfer and group of kayakers was smashed when two whales plunged, mouth-gaping wide out of the water, nearly swallowing them whole.

The entire scene was caught on camera by one of the swimmers, to her total shock - then and now.

'Size of a school bus:' The approximately 40-ton animal dove it's body out of the water before crashing down beside the swimmers


'We were crazy to be out there,' Barbara Roettger who shot the scene told ABC News.

'You're a sitting duck, basically,' she said.

Floating at Ms Roettger's estimated distance of about a quarter mile from shore, near Santa Cruz, scientists explain the increased sightings of the whales closer to shore as being in result of recent weather patterns luring their pray - fish, not humans - closer to shore.

On Wednesday the U.S. Coast Guard was monitoring the waters precisely where the group was bathing for the whales.

They said a pod of humpback whales, each measuring roughly the length of a school bus, had been spotted unusually close to shore.


'Whale harassment': The U.S. Coast Guard warned of fees starting at $2,500 earlier in the week if swimmers were seen too close to the whales


The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary said no one has been hurt so far but at least one sailboat was damaged earlier this week when it struck a whale.

Penalties for getting too close to the whales by the marine sanctuary and Coast Guard starts at $2,500.

It's called whale harassment, but it can also save bather's lives.

'If a 40-ton animal can lift its entire body out of the water with a couple swipes of its tail, you can image what it can do to a person,' Ken Stagnaro, owner of Santa Cruz Whale Watching told ABC.

Watch the video here:




source:dailymail

Pictured: How killer whales seal the fate of prey by working together to create waves that knock them into the water

By Daily Mail Reporter


Prey: Two killer whales circle the seal in the Antarctic before adopting a team technique to knock it off the ice


The seal feels perfectly safe lying on the Antarctic ice even if it is surrounded by a pod of killer whales.

But within minutes it has been knocked into the water in a clever team tactic before being killed.

These astonishing pictures show how the sea predators work together - and the technique provides meals for killer whales three out of every four times they use it, according to scientists.


Research has also found that the mammals - around 26ft in length and weighing more than six tonnes - carefully butcher the prey underwater, co-operating as they skin and dissect the seals.

Dr Robert Pitman, a marine scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in California, took the stunning images of the pod going in for the kill.

He said: 'The killer whales were very good at knowing in advance if they were going to be able to wash a seal off a floe and they were always successful in getting the seal into the water.

'A couple of times the seal was washed off but managed to escape in the confusion, but not very often. From killer whale studies elsewhere we expected this kind of social interaction but it was the canniness of their hunting tactics that blew us away.'

Team tactic: Three killer whales create a huge wave as they head for the seal on the ice floe

Killer wave: The whales have created a wall of water to hit the ice and knock the seal off

Hanging on: The seal appears helpless to stop the wave washing it off the ice and into the water

Dr Pitman and his colleague Dr John Durban helped a BBC film crew capture their behaviour for the TV documentary series Frozen Planet, to be shown later this month.

They spent weeks tracking and recording the hunting behaviour in the pack ice off the coast of the Antarctica Peninsula.

In one attack, the whales charged in formation towards the ice from as far away as 150 feet, creating a wave in front of their bodies and a deep trough above their tails. A second larger wave formed above their pumping tails.

When they reached the ice, they dived under it, kicking their tails in a powerful stroke to create a large wave that washed over the ice and knocked the seal into the water where they could grab it and drown it.


Game over: The seal desperately tries to get back onto the ice, but the killer whales are ready to pounce

The whales prefer weddell seals, which can be up to 11 feet long,rather than the more aggressive crabeater and leopard seals.

Dr Pitman told the Sunday Telegraph that the whales deal with seals who try to hide among the ice after being knocked into the sea by creating shock waves with their tails to knock them out into the open water.

He said: 'The whales also blew streams of bubbles under the seals apparently trying to get them to bolt into open water where they wouldn't have a chance against the waiting killer whales.'


source:dailymail

Rare pure white humpback whale calf spotted off Great Barrier Reef

By WIL LONGBOTTOM

A white spectacle: A rare pure white humpback whale has been spotted off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. There are only 10 to 15 in the 15,000-strong humpback population along the east coast of Australia

A rare white humpback whale calf has been spotted near Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Believed to be just a few weeks old, the 12ft calf was seen at Cid Harbour in the famous reef's Whitsunday Islands area by a family out in the bay in their boat.

White whales are highly unusual, with only 10 to 15 believed to exist among up to 15,000 living along Australia's east coast.


Has he got a famous dad? This picture shows Migaloo - Aboriginal for 'whitefella' - another pure white whale that been spotted off Australia since 1991. The calf may be related

Wayne Fewings was diving in the harbour when he spotted the animal surfacing and described the sighting as a 'once in a lifetime experience'.

He said: 'We were just drifting when I noticed the smaller whale in the pod was white. I couldn't believe my eyes.

'Then the white calf approached my boat, seeming to want to check us out. I was just so amazed at seeing this animal, it made me think how truly astounding the Great Barrier Reef is.'




source: dailymail

How did a Sei whale get beached in the middle of a field in East Yorkshire?

-Marine experts baffled by discovery in salt marshes
-Monster 33ft beast found 800 yards from the sea


By Daily Mail Reporter


Stranded: The 33ft whale was found beached 800 yards from the shoreline of the Humber Estuary

A rare breed of whale found dead 800 yards from the shoreline in the Humber Estuary has baffled marine experts.

The 33ft mammal, thought to be a Sei whale, was discovered in salt marshes on the north bank of the River Humber.

It is thought that the whale became stranded in shallow waters, rolled over onto its blowhole and died, before the tide retreated and left it behind, near the village of Skeffling.

Mysterious: Experts are baffled by the beached whales, as this one, like others, are from species not normally stranded on the British coast


The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has spent the summer monitoring the area due to an increase in whale sighting and activity.

Conservationists believe the increase in the number of strandings could be explained by a change in sea currents bringing colder streams of Arctic water into the North Sea and with them whales that would not normally pass so close to the UK shoreline.

Experts who examined the animal said they are 95 per cent certain it is a female Sei whale and say the huge sea creature could simply have been looking for food when the tide turned.

Kirsten Smith, North Seas Living Seas manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said: 'The area where the whale was found is salt marsh, which is still connected to the sea.

Too late: Andy Gibson from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust examines the young female whale on the banks of the Humber Estuary on Wednesday


'With the high tide the whale probably got carried up on to the salt marsh, got pushed further in shore and then got stuck when the tide went out.

'The salt marsh is one of several components of the Humber Estuary, and is further in than the mud flats and sand components.

'Sometimes whales come into the shallow water looking for food and get stuck.

'It can be illness or confusion in individual animals, but for it to happen twice in the area, and with reports of another whale nearby now, that could be more than just coincidence.'

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has launched a campaign called Petition Fish to encourage to Government to monitor more closely the changes in British marine life.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said that the whale is likely to have found herself so far in as today marked the day of the highest and lowest tide of the year.

Stuck in the mud: Last month a 30ft baby Minke whale became beached in a shallow dock near Grimsby, Lincolnshire, but rescuers managed to save it after an eight-hour mission

Successful mission: Over 50 emergency personnel descended on Grimsby's Immingham Docks, including the RSPCA, Coastguard, RNLI, fire services and British Marine Rescue

Humber Estuary Services estimate that water levels at Albert Dock, near Hull went as high as 9.5m by 7am today, and went down to 1.3m by 2pm.

The whale, found at 2.30pm last Friday, is the latest of a number to have died in the Humber estuary.

Andy Gibson, of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, added that Sei whale strandings were very rare with only three in UK waters in the last 20 years.

Mr Gibson said: 'It was in shallow water of 4ft -5ft, making contact with the bottom. When it gets in that situation it rolls onto its side and it can cover its blow hole. It is sad but we will be able to learn a lot from it.'

Earlier this month, a young Fin whale - a relative of the Sei - became stranded at Immingham, North East Lincolnshire, and washed up dead near Spurn Point.

Another dead whale was spotted in the river mouth in the last few days but has yet to wash ashore.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has reported a rise in whale sightings this year but no-one is sure why the mammals are making their way to the North Sea.

Over the summer, a pod of around ten Minke whales were regularly spotted off the North Yorkshire coast between Whitby and Scarborough.



source:dailymail

Flipping heck! 50ft-long humpback whales rear up from the sea yards from unsuspecting paddle boarders

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Close-up: An awe-struck paddle boarder watches as a 36-tonne Humpback whale rears out of the sea in Nuqui, Colombia

These two paddle boarders were hoping to catch a wave - but they ended up snatching a glimpse of a stunning humpback whale.

The thrill-seekers had paddled out into the ocean at a little known surf spot in Nuqui, Colombia, when their session was interrupted by stirrings in the water.

The 50ft-long sea beasts - the largest-ever creature to have lived on earth - suddenly rose out of the ocean yards from their boards.


Water off a humpback: Leaving a trail of spray from its enormous fins, the whale crashes back down into the water after its gigantic leap

Fortunately the 36-tonne whales are harmless to humans and the surfers kept their cool as the whales leapt up to 40 feet into the air.

The whales played for a few moments, coming up out of the water and crashing down on their backs, before swimming off around the idyllic bay.


Ocean spray: A second humpback appears from the depths at the remote location on the west coast of Colombia where surf photographer Dan Merkel captured the inspiring scenes

Surf photographer, Dan Merkel, 62, had travelled with the surfers to the remote location off the coast of Colombia and captured the astonishing scenes.

Each year from July to October about 2,000 humpback whales are known to swim to the warm waters off Colombia to breed and eventually feed their newborn calves.


source: dailymail

What's a beluga whale's favourite trick? Blowing bubbles that look like a halo

By Daily Mail Reporter


Blowing bubbles: This beluga whale was captured creating a halo effect by photographer Hiroya Minakuchi at the Shimane aquarium in Japan


This whale has become a sensation at an aquarium after learning how to blow halo-shaped bubbles.

The 10-year-old beluga has perfected the technique over the last three years and now stuns visitors with her unique talent.

She uses her mouth to blow the water to make a current, then her blow hole to break the current into a ring shape.

The extraordinary spectacle was captured on camera by photographer Hiroya Minakuchi at the Shimane aquarium in Japan


The 58-year-old, from Osaka, is the only person outside the aquarium who is allowed to dive with the belugas.

He said: 'This beluga started making bubble rings when she was seven. And a couple of years ago she developed her technique.

'Now she blows the water from her mouth to make a current, which is not visible for us underwater. She then blows air from her blow hole into the current and that makes a ring shape.

'I believe it is just a lot of fun for her. Since she developed this new game she often performs it for visitors.' He added: 'I am the only person outside of the aquarium who can dive with the belugas so this kind of photograph is very rare.'


source:dailymail

Beached 15-ton baby whale is saved and returned to its mother after gruelling EIGHT-hour rescue

By Jessica Satherley


Stuck in the mud: The 30ft baby Minke whale became beached in a shallow dock near Grimsby, Lincolnshire, but rescuers managed to save it after an eight-hour mission


A 15-ton Minke whale calf has been successfully saved by rescuers after becoming beached in a shallow dock this morning.

The 30ft mammal became beached in Immingham Docks, near Grimsby, Lincolnshire, after it became startled and lost its mother.

The distressed whale was spotted by a passing ship, which alerted authorities at 8am this morning and kick started the eight-hour rescue mission.


Over 50 emergency personnel descended on Immingham Docks, including the RSPCA, Coastguard, RNLI, fire services and British Marine Rescue, to try and free the trapped marine mammal.

Rescuers believe it was swimming with its mother when it was startled and went off course - becoming trapped in the shallow dock.

Fire services desperately dug a trench to help create a path deep enough to secure the whale’s safe passage back to sea once the next high tide came in.

Meanwhile, the baby whale’s distressed mother was frantically circling the Humber waiting for its return.

Successful mission: Over 50 emergency personnel descended on Immingham Docks, including the RSPCA, Coastguard, RNLI, fire services and British Marine Rescue


But as fears grew that the whale may have had to be put down, the eight-hour rescue attempt came to an end as the distressed creature was finally freed.

It is now heading back out into the North Sea to be reunited with his mother.

A spokesman for British Divers Marine Life Rescue: ‘We got a call at 8am this morning to say there was a Minke whale beached at Immingham Docks.

'At that moment in time it was facing towards the sea, but we successfully helped rotate it.

'Fire services began digging a trench to allow water underneath the whale and support it. The concern was that the tide would continue to drop and it would not be able to support its large weight, so we obviously needed to get it back to sea as soon as possible.

Rescue plan: Fire services dug a trench to help create a path deep enough to secure the whale's safe passage back to sea once the next high tide came in


'Thankfully, Minke whales can survive a bit longer than other whales. With good first aid and animal care the animal can survive for 12 hours.

'We have had our local co-ordinator there and a team of British Marine Life medics who worked very closely with the RSPCA, vets, Coastguard, fire services and Humber rescue to ensure the safe return of the whale to its mother.

'We are all just relieved the whale has been successfully reunited with his mother.'

A spokeswoman for Humber Coastguard said: 'The larger whale has not been seen for a while, so we believe that is also heading back out to sea.'



source:dailymail

The death of one of nature's giants: 55ft-long fin whale dies after lying stranded on beach

By Daily Mail Reporter


A giant rare whale has washed up on a beach at a British beauty spot.

The 55ft fin whale - the world's second largest animal and a globally-endangered species - washed ashore at Lynmouth, Devon.

Swansea Coastguard received a call around 8.30am today saying the animal had been marooned on the pebble beach at Lynmouth, close to the Cliff Railway.

Tragic ending: A giant fin whale washed ashore at Lynmouth, Devon, and is believed to have been dead for a day or two


A Lynmouth coastguard source told the Journal the animal had been dead for a day or two.

Lynmouth coastguards are currently in talks with Swansea coastguards about how best to remove the animal.

The fin whale is the second largest animal after the blue whale. It can grow to lengths of up to 85ft and weigh up to 80 tonnes.

Fin whales are most common in the southern hemisphere but smaller populations have been known to inhabit the North Atlantic.

Friendly giant: The 55ft fin whale is the world's second largest animal and a globally-endangered species


Visitor Peter Osborne, from Wimborne in Dorset, discovered the whale when he arrived at the resort's seafront car park, under Holladay Hill, to do some early morning fishing.

He contacted the Lynmouth Coastguard Station but when staff arrived, the whale was found to be dead.

Among the first people on the scene were Andy Cleverdon, former Station Officer at Lynmouth Coastguard Station and Heidi Fargher-Harding, wife of the current station officer David Harding, are both medics with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue organisation.

Weighty: The fin whale (one pictured here in Alaska) can grow to lengths of up to 85ft and weigh up to 80 tonnes when fully grown

Andy said: ‘I have looked at the records over the years and I am pretty sure that this is the first stranding of a whale for more than 20 years on the Lynmouth beaches and rocks.

‘It is difficult to tell whether the whale was still alive or already dead when it became stranded.

‘We were able to identify it through certain characteristics and the first thoughts were that it was a female, but it was fairly battered through the contact with the rocks.

‘It was a sad sight.~ Andy Cleverdon added that contact had been made with the National History Museum and there was a possibility of a post-mortem being carried out on the spot if a team had been able to reach the site before the morning tide.

There were some fears that the tide and the prevailing wind might carry the dead whale onto the section of beach close to Lynmouth's harbour and jetty.

A spokesman for British Marine Life Divers Rescue, which attended the fin whale stranding, said efforts would be made to find the cause of death.

He said: ‘High tide is around 5pm so it doesn't leave too much time for an investigation.

‘It will be down to the local council to dispose of the carcass.

‘It must be removed from or tethered to the beach as it could be a hazard to shipping it floats out to sea.

‘There's a sizeable population of fin whales that live off the coast of Pembrokeshire - it could have been a member of that group.’


source:dailymail