Closed.
This community is closed. Don't know if it's going to be temporary or not. Will keep you updated.
Chinese river dolphin extinct
China's white dolphin called extinct after 20 million years
BEIJING, China (AP) -- An expedition searching for a rare Yangtze River dolphin ended Wednesday without a single sighting and with the team's leader saying one of the world's oldest species was effectively extinct.
The white dolphin known as baiji, shy and nearly blind, dates back some 20 million years. Its disappearance is believed to be the first time in a half-century, since hunting killed off the Caribbean monk seal, that a large aquatic mammal has been driven to extinction.
(read the rest of the article at: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/scien…)
BEIJING, China (AP) -- An expedition searching for a rare Yangtze River dolphin ended Wednesday without a single sighting and with the team's leader saying one of the world's oldest species was effectively extinct.
The white dolphin known as baiji, shy and nearly blind, dates back some 20 million years. Its disappearance is believed to be the first time in a half-century, since hunting killed off the Caribbean monk seal, that a large aquatic mammal has been driven to extinction.
(read the rest of the article at: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/scien…)
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Just two icons today! No hotlinking please, comments and credit are love!
Seeking Icons
I am looking for some additional dolphin icons. Any donations or pointers to a source would be much appreciated.
HOORAY!
I just found out my boss is sending me to Florida the week after Thanksgiving for business. What Im wondering is if any of you know some good places to spot some dolphins. Ive waited my whole life for an opportunity like this!
Salutations
Hello to all!
I am an aspiring marine biologist and I wanted you all to have access to my live journal. My live journal is fairly simple. It is made up of marine biology current events and some of my opinions about the articles. I always appreciate feedback. I also would eventually like to post a book list of texts that I have read and recommend on the topic of marine biology. In the upcoming months I will be organizing a beach clean up in my area and I will be posting pictures and entries about the event. So be sure to check back!
Sincerely,
Bluegill
Introducing ourselves
Hi,
Just thought I would introduce us!
Basically we are Sea Trust South and West Wales, we are based in Pembrokeshire, UK, and are concerned with the conservation of Cetaceans. Our work includes surveying, recording and awareness raising.
We've recently created this LiveJournal account for people to keep up do date with that we're doing and how everything is going. So feel free to add us as a friend!
Many Thanks,
Catherine
Just thought I would introduce us!
Basically we are Sea Trust South and West Wales, we are based in Pembrokeshire, UK, and are concerned with the conservation of Cetaceans. Our work includes surveying, recording and awareness raising.
We've recently created this LiveJournal account for people to keep up do date with that we're doing and how everything is going. So feel free to add us as a friend!
Many Thanks,
Catherine
Story from Yahoo
Hey, didn't know if you guys saw this or not, but I caught it on my Yahoo frontpage. Its about a dolphin who may be getting a prosthetic tail.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/2006092…
Thoughts/comments?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/2006092…
Thoughts/comments?
A story to share
While browsing for more dolphin pictures tonight, I came across this amazing story and thought I'd share with y'all.
Dolphins saved us from shark, lifeguards say
24.11.2004
By AINSLEY THOMSON
A pod of dolphins is being credited with saving a group of lifeguards from a circling great white shark.
Lifeguard Rob Howes, his daughter Niccy, 15, Karina Cooper, 15, and Helen Slade, 16, were swimming 100m out to sea at Ocean Beach, near Whangarei, when seven bottlenose dolphins sped towards them and herded them together.
"They were behaving really weird," Mr Howes said, "turning tight circles on us, and slapping the water with their tails."
Mr Howes and Helen Slade had drifted about 20m away from the others when a dolphin swam straight at them and dived a few metres in front of them.
"I turned in the water to see where it was going to come up, but instead I saw this great big grey fish swim around me," said Mr Howes.
The veteran lifeguard said it was undoubtedly a 3m-long great white shark.
"It glided around in an arc and headed for the other two girls. My heart went into my mouth, because one of them was my daughter. The dolphins were going ballistic."
The 47-year-old said the dolphins herded the swimmers - who are all members of the Whangarei Heads Surf Lifesaving Club - back together and circled protectively around them for another 40 minutes, fending off the shark.
"I swim with dolphins perhaps three or four times a year here at this beach and I have never in six years seen them behave like that."
Mr Howes decided not to tell the three girls a shark was sharing the water with them.
Lifeguard Matt Fleet was patrolling out from the surf beach in a rescue boat and saw the dolphins' unusual behaviour.
He dived out of the boat to join the group and also saw the great white.
Mr Fleet said the water was clear and he had a good view.
The encounter occurred on October 30, but Mr Howes has spoken publicly about it only this week.
"I sat on it for three weeks, purely because I did not know quite how to handle it.
The only reason he went public was "I didn't want anyone to get chomped [by the shark], so I couldn't be accused of not having made people aware there was a shark out there".
Dr Rochelle Constantine, from the Auckland University School of Biological Science, said it was a rare event, but she had heard of similar things happening overseas.
She said sharks were not normally a threat to New Zealand's bottlenose dolphins, but the dolphins would attack them if they felt at risk.
"From my understanding of the behaviour of these dolphins they certainly were acting in a way which indicated the shark posed a threat to something. Dolphins are known for helping helpless things. It is an altruistic response and bottlenose dolphins in particular are known for it."
Ingrid Visser, who has studied marine mammals for 14 years, said there had been reports from around the world of dolphins protecting swimmers.
"[The dolphins] could have sensed the danger to the swimmers and taken action to protect them."
Dolphins saved us from shark, lifeguards say
24.11.2004
By AINSLEY THOMSON
A pod of dolphins is being credited with saving a group of lifeguards from a circling great white shark.
Lifeguard Rob Howes, his daughter Niccy, 15, Karina Cooper, 15, and Helen Slade, 16, were swimming 100m out to sea at Ocean Beach, near Whangarei, when seven bottlenose dolphins sped towards them and herded them together.
"They were behaving really weird," Mr Howes said, "turning tight circles on us, and slapping the water with their tails."
Mr Howes and Helen Slade had drifted about 20m away from the others when a dolphin swam straight at them and dived a few metres in front of them.
"I turned in the water to see where it was going to come up, but instead I saw this great big grey fish swim around me," said Mr Howes.
The veteran lifeguard said it was undoubtedly a 3m-long great white shark.
"It glided around in an arc and headed for the other two girls. My heart went into my mouth, because one of them was my daughter. The dolphins were going ballistic."
The 47-year-old said the dolphins herded the swimmers - who are all members of the Whangarei Heads Surf Lifesaving Club - back together and circled protectively around them for another 40 minutes, fending off the shark.
"I swim with dolphins perhaps three or four times a year here at this beach and I have never in six years seen them behave like that."
Mr Howes decided not to tell the three girls a shark was sharing the water with them.
Lifeguard Matt Fleet was patrolling out from the surf beach in a rescue boat and saw the dolphins' unusual behaviour.
He dived out of the boat to join the group and also saw the great white.
Mr Fleet said the water was clear and he had a good view.
The encounter occurred on October 30, but Mr Howes has spoken publicly about it only this week.
"I sat on it for three weeks, purely because I did not know quite how to handle it.
The only reason he went public was "I didn't want anyone to get chomped [by the shark], so I couldn't be accused of not having made people aware there was a shark out there".
Dr Rochelle Constantine, from the Auckland University School of Biological Science, said it was a rare event, but she had heard of similar things happening overseas.
She said sharks were not normally a threat to New Zealand's bottlenose dolphins, but the dolphins would attack them if they felt at risk.
"From my understanding of the behaviour of these dolphins they certainly were acting in a way which indicated the shark posed a threat to something. Dolphins are known for helping helpless things. It is an altruistic response and bottlenose dolphins in particular are known for it."
Ingrid Visser, who has studied marine mammals for 14 years, said there had been reports from around the world of dolphins protecting swimmers.
"[The dolphins] could have sensed the danger to the swimmers and taken action to protect them."
My apologies
I am sorry about my last post. If I upset anyone please accept this apology.
I'm bored tonight, and I've been trying to find a new picture to put on my computer as my wallpaper. Does anyone have any good ones? I did find this picture, and fell in love with it so I thought maybe I'd share it with you all? As a make-up gift?
Has anyone here been lucky enough to swim with one of these guys? That's one of my dreams!
I'm bored tonight, and I've been trying to find a new picture to put on my computer as my wallpaper. Does anyone have any good ones? I did find this picture, and fell in love with it so I thought maybe I'd share it with you all? As a make-up gift?
Has anyone here been lucky enough to swim with one of these guys? That's one of my dreams!