Hundreds of Whales Die after Mass Stranding on NZ Coast

Third-worst whale stranding on record leaves hundreds of Cetacea dead in NZ

At least 340 pilot whales have died after a mass stranding on Farewell Spit (Golden Bay, NZ), and about 80 were still alive tonight.

The stranding may have been due to old age, sickness, or the  whales inability to keep up with the pod. Underwater explosions caused by sonar, seismic testing or underwater sea quakes could also have an impact on them,” said a report.

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Haiku for the New Year

Sent anonymously…

Dolphins, Whales, Broken Scales

One for the Dolphins:
Sounded blue, majestic whales;
Healing, broken scales.

Oh, PLEEZE!

Not the Arctic Ocean, it’s already too crowded!

China to deploy first mooring system in the Arctic

Xinhua – China will install its first annual deep-sea subsurface mooring system in the Arctic Ocean to monitor the long-term marine changes in the Arctic ocean, members of China’s third Arctic expedition said Sunday.

The system will collect data on the temperature, salinity and speed of currents at various depth in the coming year in the Arctic Ocean, thus facilitating studies of the impacts of environmental changes in Arctic Ocean on global climate, especially on China’s climate, they said.

‘A trap, as part of the system, will catch marine lives regularly for scientific research, said the members of the expedition team aboard the Xuelong ice-breaker.’ [O RLY?]

China’s ice breaker Xuelong or “Snow Dragon” is blocked by thick ice around the Antarctica during her 25th expedition to Antarctica, on November 24, 2008. An ice detection team was formed on Tuesday to search for new routes due to the thick and condensed ice that stopped the ice breaker. [Photo: Xinhua.] Image may be subject to copyright.

Isn’t that what Japan says about catching whales?

Arctic Ocean may become ice-free for part of each year, bringing devastation to Arctic inhabitants. Photo credit: Jeanne M. Bowles