Monthly Archives: June 2009

Massive pod of short-beaked common dolphins in Moray Firth

A pod of around 400 short-beaked common dolphins have been seen in the Moray Firth, which is better known for bottlenose dolphins. This is much further north than they would normally be found. Scientists at EarthWatch are claiming that this … Continue reading

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Wader seen for first time in Hong Kong

According to the SCMP, a great thick-knee (Esacus recurvirostris) was seen at Mai Po last Wednesday. This bird is native to south and south-east Asia and is common in Vietnam but doesn’t normally travel long distances.  There is speculation that … Continue reading

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Whales vs seagulls

Whales off the coast of Argentina have a new persecutor to worry about. Not the Japanese whaling fleet, but flocks of seagulls. The gulls are landing on the whales and pecking away at their skin and blubber. This behaviour has … Continue reading

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One third of oceanic shark species in danger of extinction

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed 64 species on their first ever red list for oceanic sharks. These include hammerheads, giant devil rays and porbeagles. Overfishing is getting the blame, and it is particularly problematic for … Continue reading

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Cannibal Gobies

Sand goby males look after the eggs from multiple females, which then go off looking for more mates. The eggs are buried safely in the sand and the males keep a careful eye on them, however in some circumstances they … Continue reading

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Whaling talks to continue

Delegates at the International Whaling Commission annual meeting in Madeira have agreed to continue with reform talks that started a year ago, despite fundamental differences between pro and anit-whaling countries. Animal welfare groups have recently issued a report claiming that … Continue reading

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Auckland orcas feeding on stingrays

A pod of orca are hunting near Auckland’s Tamaki Drive, attracting crowds of onlookers. Two adult orcas and 3 – 4 juveniles are believed to be hunting stingrays, which they are throwing into the air and eating. New Zealand orcas … Continue reading

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Great white sharks’ seal hunting strategy

The BBC have an article on the strategies that great whites use when hunting seals. The sharks identify a location, an anchor point, and then search the surrounding area for prey. Researchers found that this anchor point did not necessarily … Continue reading

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Mekong dolphins almost extinct

WWF are saying that pollution has pushed the freshwater dolphins of the Mekong to the brink of extinction, with only 64-76 Irrawaddy dolphins left.  The Mekong flows through China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam and the pollutants that are affecting … Continue reading

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Octopus and squid might be able to hear

Fish apparently use their gas-filled swim bladders to sense the pressure changes associated with sound waves, so can hear relatively well. Cephalopods don’t have gas-filled chambers, which has tended to suggest that they could not hear or at least not … Continue reading

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Diving NE corner of Beaufort Island, Hong Kong.

With a forecast of heavy rain and squally thunderstorms following on from a week of heavy rain, I wasn’t expecting a great deal from Saturday’s dive. In fact the Underwater Club had cancelled their Sunday dive because of the weather … Continue reading

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More BBC shark videos

In addition to the basking shark video, the BBC has a few others that are worth a look. Specifically: Shark tagging off the west coast of Scotland Rare prickly shark captured off California. This is only the second time one … Continue reading

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