First, just to be clear in case anyone missed my post yesterday, renaming the false killer whale is just an idea at this point, not a real opportunity. But for the sake of discussion I thought it would be fun to brainstorm some new names. Remember this is brainstorming, so all ideas are acceptable at… [read more]
Update on Hawaii’s false killer whales
For anyone who wants to submit comments to help add Hawaii’s false killer whales to the endangered species list, it’s easy to do, but not obvious to find when you go to the website. So I just wanted to add a few pointers for visiting www.regulations.gov. When you get to the home page there are… [read more]
Help Hawaii’s false killer whales
False killer whales or Pseudorca crassidens are amazing animals that prefer living out in the open ocean in tropical and warm temperate waters. But some populations of false killer whales hang tight near oceanic islands and Hawaii’s false killer whales are one example. One super cool fact that I learned at the American Cetacean Society… [read more]
The history of fishy thinking
I finally just read an article I’ve been saving from the New Yorker, published on August 2, 2010. It’s a book review titled “The Scales Fall” by Elizabeth Kolbert or rather a book review summing up the problems discussed in four books: “Saved by the Sea: A Love Story with Fish” by David Helvarg; “Managed… [read more]
Injured blue whale
After ranting about the importance of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) two posts ago, I wanted to share this photo of an injured blue whale. I took this photo on a whale watching trip out of Redondo Beach on the Voyager. You can see the big white gash down the left side of the… [read more]
Remember the Marine Mammal Protection Act
Blue whale watching off the coast of Los Angeles has brought much excitement, but also much craziness. As with all things where humans get into the mix, some whale watching off the coast of Southern California has gotten out of control. I was appalled to learn from Captain Brad Sawyer, who expertly steers the Voyager… [read more]
Blue whale poop is red
I know what you are thinking, why on earth would anyone want to capture blue whale poop? But when it comes to science and knowing more about whales, anything goes. The blue whale poop in the photo was scooped up by Eric Martin, Facility Director & Educational Co-Director at the Roundhouse Aquarium. He then threw… [read more]
Blue whales everywhere off Los Angeles
If you have never seen a blue whale and you happen to live in the Los Angeles area, then it’s time to go whale watching! There are blue whales everywhere off the coast right now feeding on mass amounts of krill. On Sunday I went whale watching on the Spirit based in San Pedro and… [read more]
Sushi lovers beware
Thankfully I never acquired a taste for sushi, it wasn’t common in the Midwest when I was growing up. Because if I actually enjoyed eating it, that would make it much harder to give up now. I’m just trying to be honest that when I say I gave up eating sushi long ago, it really… [read more]
Climate change near the equator
Climate change in warmer parts of the globe could also mean a loss of habit. It’s the reverse of losing ice habitat because where is all that excess water going to go? Three words…sea level rise. All that excess water has to go somewhere and it’s quite possible that it could end up flooding crucial… [read more]