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Ocean Wild Things

Humpback whale: the ocean’s motivational leapers

June 14, 2010 by Carolyn Kraft 2 Comments

If you have been feeling down or have lost touch with the fun side of life, then it’s time to purchase a ticket to see the famous motivational speakers, I mean the famous motivational leapers…humpback whales. The ocean’s merriment masters, thrill seekers and acrobatic all-stars. Humpback whales or Megaptera novaeangliae are easy to spot with… [read more]

Filed Under: Easy Reader columns, Marine mammals, Whales Tagged With: body language, cetacean, krill, migration, whale, whale watching, whaling

Aggressive Behavior in Marine Mammals: can’t we all just get along

November 7, 2009 by Carolyn Kraft Leave a Comment

Reading the article on aggressive behavior in the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals is a serious downer. Don’t get me wrong, most of the information is standard wild animal behavior, which the author, Claudio Campagna, nicely summarizes in the introduction. “Aggressive or agonistic behaviors represent a conglomerate of social responses, including male disputes over territorial boundaries, female fights to protect… [read more]

Filed Under: Marine mammals, Seals, sea lions Tagged With: body language, cetacean, elephant seal, pinniped, sea lion, seal, sexual dimorphism

Aerial Behavior of Marine Mammals: breaching whales and leaping dolphins

November 4, 2009 by Carolyn Kraft 1 Comment

Whale watching is thrilling, a mini-adventure where you get to experience the open ocean, feel the wind on your face and on a very good day, see whales and dolphins perform astonishing aerial behavior such as breaching and leaping. Breaching is when a whale leaps out of the water giving whale watchers the show of a lifetime,… [read more]

Filed Under: Dolphins, Marine mammals, Whales Tagged With: body language, cetacean, dolphin, porpoise, whale

California Sea Lions: size doesn’t always matter

September 29, 2009 by Carolyn Kraft 2 Comments

Imagine the challenges of dating someone four times your size, especially during the intimate times. This is the reality of a female California sea lion. Well-known residents of the South Bay, California sea lions, officially named Zalophus californianus, are frequently seen swimming near shore, chasing fish or lounging on buoys. But what goes on behind… [read more]

Filed Under: Easy Reader columns, Marine mammals, Seals, sea lions Tagged With: body language, courtship, pinniped, sea lion, sex, sexual dimorphism

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