Dolphin News

Activists petition court to halt Japan dolphin hunt By AFP Apo - Campaigners on Friday urged a court in Japan to halt so-called "drive hunting" of dolphins in the country as part of an unprecedented lawsuit that argues the practice violates Japanese law.

World sailing 'disappointed' over Japan dolphin show By AFP Apo - The world sailing federation voiced disappointment on Tuesday after a dolphin show was held at an Olympic test event near Tokyo, sparking criticism.

Death of baby dolphin triggers outrage in Spain By AFP Madrid - Spanish animal lovers reacted with fury on Wednesday after a baby dolphin approached a holiday beach, where it died as bathers played with it and took pictures.

IWC demands action on rare New Zealand dolphin By AFP Wellington - The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has called on New Zealand to take urgent action to save the world's rarest dolphin from extinction, voicing "grave concern" about its future.

Japanese town's controversial dolphin hunt begins By AFP Toukyo - A small Japanese town began its controversial dolphin hunt on Thursday after bad weather delayed the start, according to a local fisheries official, while a separate whaling hunt was due to start at the weekend.

Japan releases 'Flipper' dolphin trainer after arrest By AFP Toukyo - Japanese police said Wednesday that they have released US animal rights activist Ric O'Barry, who trained dolphins for the TV show "Flipper", after he was arrested near the infamous whaling town of Taiji.

Japan arrests 'Flipper' trainer as dolphin hunt starts By AFP Toukyo - Japanese police said Tuesday they had arrested US animal rights activist Ric O'Barry, who trained dolphins for the TV show "Flipper", near the town of Taiji as it kicked off its controversial dolphin hunt.

Japanese aquariums rely on controversial dolphin hunt: Report By AFP Toukyo - Nearly half the dolphins in Japan's aquariums are caught using a controversial fishing method that sees dozens more slaughtered every year, a newspaper reported Saturday.

Op-Ed: How I relate to the dolphin and whale killers in Taiji, Japan By Richard Smith I have taken part in the killing of approximately 156,000 pigs. It is not something I am proud of, but it is something in my past I cannot change. To say I can remember each pig's face as they looked at me would be a lie.

'Dolphin Tale 2' swims into theaters with 'No Good Deed' By Tim O'Brien This is the weekend when Hollywood wouldn't mind a pleasant surprise. That would be in the form of "Dolphin Tale 2." The family-friendly film is out and simply because of the theater count, it could end on top.

Dolphin hunting season kicks off in Japan By AFP Tokyo - The controversial six-month dolphin hunting season began on Monday in the infamous town of Taiji, but bad weather would delay any killing, a local official told AFP.

Oldest dolphin gets a new name By Tim Sandle A dolphin, first described from a fossil skull discovered in the 1970s, has been given a new name. However, the mammal retains the title of oldest true dolphin species identified to date.

Dolphin watch: How social behavior affects genetic makeup By Tim Sandle Scientists studying bottlenose dolphins that use sponges as tools to protect their sensitive beaks has shown that social behavior can shape the genetic makeup of an animal population in the wild.

New species of river dolphin discovered By Tim Sandle This week scientists revealed the results of a DNA sequencing study. The study showed that a new river dolphin species resides in the rivers of South America.

Fishermen kill 30 more dolphins in Taiji By AFP Tokyo - Fishermen in the small Japanese town of Taiji killed more than two dozen striped dolphins on Thursday, campaigners said, as global outrage over the slaughter grows.

Japan dolphin hunt goes on after slaughter: campaigners By AFP Tokyo - Japanese fishermen were out at sea attempting to trap more dolphins on Wednesday, campaigners said, after the bloody slaughter of dozens of the animals the previous day was hidden from view behind screens.

US envoy asked to visit Taiji to see 'humane' dolphin hunt By AFP Tokyo - The US ambassador to Japan should visit Taiji to see the "humane" killing methods used in the dolphin hunt, a local fisheries official said Tuesday, days after Caroline Kennedy tweeted her disapproval of the slaughter.

US envoy Kennedy tweets concern at Japanese dolphin hunt By AFP Tokyo - US ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy has tweeted her concern at the "inhumaneness" of a Japanese village's traditional dolphin hunt."Deeply concerned by inhumaneness of drive hunt dolphin killing.

Olympic flame carried underwater in world's deepest lake By Mike White Russia has taken Olympic flame into the world's deepest body of fresh water, scenic Lake Baikal. The action was the latest dramatic action in the torch relay before the Sochi Winter Games.

TopFinds: Obama and Boehner continue talks, Dr. Who shows found By David Silverberg US President Barack Obama and Speaker Boehner still at an impasse over the spending bill and ending the government shutdown. Why humans are responsible for shocking dolphin deaths. Missing episodes of Doctor Who found. Welcome to this week's TopFinds.

Dolphins use vocal labels to call each other 'by name' By Eko Armunanto Vocal labeling refers to incidents in which an animal consistently uses a specific acoustic signal when presented with a specific object or class of objects. Research found dolphins use distinctive whistles in much the same way that humans use names.

Stranded dolphin killed by new virus By Tim Sandle San Diego - Researchers have isolated a new virus which was associated with the death of a short-beaked dolphin found stranded on a beach in San Diego.

Photo: Outrage over Chinese tourists' abuse of dying dolphin By JohnThomas Didymus Chinese netizens have expressed outrage at photos which emerged on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo, showing tourists posing with and manhandling a stranded and dying dolphin at a beach in the southern city of Sanya in Hainan Province.

Watch dolphins race US Navy nuclear submarine USS Minnesota By JohnThomas Didymus Watch this enchanting video showing dolphins, playful as ever, racing alongside the US Navy USS Minnesota (SSN 783) Nuclear Submarine at its first sea trials.

Dolphin awaiting rescue from heavily polluted NY canal dies By Greta McClain New York - What officials are calling a short-beaked common dolphin found himself trapped after accidently wandering into a Brooklyn, New York canal on Friday.

Rescue of bottlenose dolphin off the coast of Hawaii (video) By Anne Sewell This amazing video, taken during a manta ray dive off the Kona coast of Hawaii, shows a bottlenose dolphin, tied up in fishing line, asking a human diver for help, and the diver carefully freeing him.

Sperm whales adopt dolphin with spinal deformity By Abigail Prendergast A group of sperm whales took in a deformed dolphin when observed by biologists in 2011. While there is a good amount of evidence as to why the dolphin was affectionate toward the whales, it is unclear why the cetaceans took it in.

Video: It's a girl - birth of dolphin calf caught on film By Greta McClain Waikoloa - The miracle of birth is always a joyous thing to witness, and the 50 lucky people at Dolphin Quest Hawaii who where present as Keo gave birth to her calf last week would tend to agree.

Premature dolphin calf dies at Indianapolis Zoo Special By Elizabeth Batt Indianapolis - The Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens announced the arrival of two new dolphin calves on the evening of July 12, but according to the zoo, one of the calves was premature and did not survive.

Japanese town Taiji plans marine wildlife park By JohnThomas Didymus Taiji - The Japanese town that acquired notoriety after it was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove" that showed scenes of local anglers killing dolphins will soon open a marine park where visitors will be able to swim and play with marine mammals.

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