Monthly Archives: September 2017

Recent Mass Whale Strandings And What We Can Do To Help

September 27, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Whale Information beached whales, dolphin and whale stranding, mass whale strandings, stranded whales, why do whales strand

Mass Whale strandings are becoming a very frequent and unpleasant occurrence.

A Beached Sperm Whale. They Are Prone To Mass Whale Strandings

A Beached Sperm Whale. This Species Is Prone To Mass Whale Strandings

Whale strandings commonly known as beaching, is an unpleasant phenomenon in which these massive aquatic animals strand themselves on a beach. Beached whales, and dolphins, often die due to collapsing under their own weight, dehydration, or drowning during a high tide.

Several scientific explanations of strandings have been proposed in the past; however none have so far been widely accepted as a reason for this behavior. Actually, scientists have never really understood what drives whole

Whales Are Returning To South Atlantic Remote Islands

September 20, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Whale Information fin whale, Sandwich Islands, sei whale, South Georgia Island, whales returning to remote islands, whaling station

Whales and other wildlife are returning in large numbers to South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands.

60,000 Pairs Of King Penguins: Whales Return to South Georgia and Sandwich Islands

Colony Of About 60,000 Pairs Of King Penguins, Salisbury Plain, South Georgia (Photo: Pismire @ German language Wikipedia, cc by-sa 3.0)

The place that was once credited as one of the greatest whaling stations on Earth is once again making big headlines.

In the South Atlantic, South Georgia and the Sandwich islands may not have any human habitation, but they are now thriving with wildlife, thanks to the penguins, seals and whales making their way back to this once deserted place.

The south of Sandwich Islands and South Georgia is a favorite spot for mammals drawn by the abundant krill and fish in the waters. Wherever you look, you can easily spot a seal, a penguin or a whale – an incredible sight to watch.

Rescuing A Stranded Whale: 5 Safety Tips To Remember

September 17, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Whale Information rescuing a stranded whale, safety tips for rescuing stranded whales, whale stranding

Here’s what to do if you come across a Stranded Whale.

Sperm Whales Beached near Gibraltar Point in Skegness : Rescuing a stranded whale

Sperm Whales Stranded Near Gibraltar Point In Skegness (Photo: Reuters)

Whales are the largest mammals we have on Earth today. But though their natural habitat is in the water, they frequently beach themselves. Though scientists are still not completely clear on what causes this problem there are many factors that contribute to it.

For example, sea tides vary with time. Hence, a whale can be in a “high” tide only to get stranded when the waters recede. However, most studies indicate that whales swim to the shore themselves when they are sick or dying.

In addition, different species of whales are prone to stranding some more than others. Even very large ones like the sperm whale or even the blue whale are not exempted from this problem. But be that as it may, rescuing a

Species Profile: The Bowhead Whale

September 12, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile baleen whales, bowhead whale, right whale

The Bowhead Whale is one of the largest whales on Earth and it has the largest mouth of any creature on the Planet.

A Bowhead Whale Spy-Hopping In The Ulbansky Bay, Northwestern Okhotsk Sea (Author: Olga Shpak/Wikimedia Commons cc by-sa 3.0)

The Bowhead Whale is one of the biggest whales on earth and it’s a species belonging in the Balaenidae family. They live exclusively in the waters of the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of the Earth.

It has a dark, stocky body, with a white patch under its lower jaw and it lacks a dorsal fin. Their heads are large, triangular, and so strong that they use them to break through thick sheets of ice in order to breath. Some Inuit hunters have even reported seeing bowhead whales breaking through up to 60 cm (24 in) of solid ice.

This whale gets its common name from its strongly bowed lower jaw and narrow upper jaw. These are filter feeders: instead of teeth, they have baleen plates for filtering prey after gulping large amounts of water. Interestingly, the bowhead whale has the largest baleen plates of any whale: about 3 m (9.8 ft).

Species Profile: The North Atlantic Right Whale

September 7, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile critically endangered whales, endangered whales, north atlantic right whale

The North Atlantic Right Whale is the most endangered species among whales today.

North Atlantic Right Whale With A Calf (Photo: NMFS NOAA)

The North Atlantic Right Whale is one of three baleen right whale species in the Eubalaena genus. They are among the biggest whales on earth.

Their docile and easy to hunt nature made them a target for ruthless hunting in past decades. Today, they are easily the most endangered whales in the world.

These whales are easy to identify with the callosities on their heads (caused by whale lice infestation), and a broad back lacking any dorsal fin. Also, their mouths arcs deeply from just below the eye. The North Atlantic right whale has a very dark gray/black body and some individuals have white patches on the belly.