Orcas News
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The Southern Resident orca pods of the Pacific Northwest are in a tough spot - literally. The orca's primary food source is disappearing, while pollution, oil tankers and marine ecosystem collapse are all factors.
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Killer whales do not tend to trouble humans much but they are ferocious hunter-killers of marine life. Even so, the discovery that orcas kill beaked whales and sevengill sharks has surprised marine biologists.
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Vancouver -
An encounter with northern resident orcas has given an amateur videographer a gift he will never forget.
He was able to capture rare footage of the strikingly marked marine mammals rubbing themselves on beach stones in B.C.'s Discovery Islands.
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For one female orca entangled in a cray pot line near the Northeastern coast of New Zealand, teamwork paid off.
Dian, a six-meter orca survived because five members of her pod — Including her calf — lifted her up, keeping her afloat.
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Friday Harbor -
There was welcome news yesterday for the Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) population after L86, also named 'Surprise' was spotted with a new calf at her side. With two pod members officially declared deceased this year, it was a much-needed boost.
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Friday Harbor -
Superpod Three concluded last Friday following a fabulous whirlwind five-day orca-fest, hosted by the cast of the documentary, ‘Blackfish’. The real stars of the show however, were undoubtedly, the killer whales themselves.
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Tobermory -
Believed to be the first event of its kind in Scotland, the inaugural Whale Week festival, highlighting the importance of Scotland’s west coast, peppered with islands and inlets, as a habitat for cetaceans, kicks off on Sunday, June 8.
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San Diego -
Several sources from within SeaWorld have now confirmed to Digital Journal that nine-year-old killer whale Kalia is pregnant.
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San Diego -
A newly-released YouTube video caused a stir over the weekend after it showed SeaWorld staff performing an ultrasound on an allegedly pregnant young female orca in San Diego.
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Los Angeles -
In another blow for SeaWorld, a state lawmaker introduced new legislation that would ban the use of killer whales during performances in California.
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The documentary Blackfish certainly made it the year of the orca, but there were several other notable achievements for cetaceans in 2013. These are the accomplishments voted on by advocates themselves.
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Antibes -
Marineland France celebrated the birth of a new orca on Nov. 20, or did they? While a 12-year-old female orca named Wikie definitely delivered a calf, there has been no big announcement of the birth.
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A killer whale called Springer is the first to have been captured and released and subsequently given birth in the wild. She was spotted with a calf on July 4 by biologist Graeme Ellis near Bella Bella on B.C.'s northern coast.
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With both David Kirby's book -- Death At SeaWorld debuting in paperback, and the documentary 'Blackfish' opening across US and UK theatres, July is looking to become Tilikum's month.
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Sydney -
Another day, another monster? Not quite, this time. A large aquatic animal, apparently carnivorous, has washed up in New Zealand. The body is badly decomposed, and suggests a crocodilian head with a twin fin tail.
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A recent photo expedition off Sri Lanka produced more than just photos of blue whales. Instead, there was a sighting of killer whales assaulting sperm whales.
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Quebec -
Residents of the small Canadian town of Inukjuak, Quebec are responding to the plight of eleven killer whales trapped under the ice in Hudson Bay.
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It's been 15 years since the documentary was first released in November 1997, but it is still considered one of the most telling exposures of the captive marine mammal industry.
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Seattle -
Killer whales, also known as Orca whales, are not doing very well in Puget Sound. In fact, in 2005 they were added to the endangered species list. There's hope however in the form of a black lab mix who's helping researchers try and save the whales.
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Aberdeen -
An international group of scientists is reporting that two types of killer whale on the verge of becoming separate species, are currently living in UK waters.
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Less than 90 individuals remain in this population of gentle fish-eating orcas. Low salmon supply and toxins are suspected as contributing causes, but the recent death of a young orca has raised questions of the safety of naval practice in a sanctuary.
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Monterey -
In what is probably the first time such an event has been witnessed and recorded, humpback whales appeared to try to intervene when a pod of killer whales attacked a baby gray whale.
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New York -
Pro-SeaWorld activists are engaging in censorship in an attempt to quell award-winning author David Kirby's new book, "Death at SeaWorld." What are they afraid of? Digital Journal talked to Kirby to find out.
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Many people label relationships and situations they dislike as "slavery." Communists call salaried workers "wage slaves"
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One of 3 pods of Puget Sound's endangered orcas has a new calf.
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Orcas Image
Orcas are trained to present themselves for the artificial insemination process. It involves extracting sperm from a male orca and placing it in the female. Voice of the Orcas
This pigmentation pattern was found in photographic data of killer whales from Norway, Iceland, Shetland and the North Sea and in photographs of eight stranded type 1 individuals sampled in this study. Dr. Andrew Foote
Tucker trying to pick up the scent of whale scat. Screen Capture
Orcas are rarely seen in Costa Rican waters, but for this unlucky tiger shark, even one time was too many. Vimeo screenshot
Protestors stood in formation for over an hour in silent remembrance of Europe's captive dolphins, past and present.
Belgium's Atomium made an impressive backdrop for the demonstration.
National Oceanic and Atmosphiric Agency
Killer whales (Orcinus orca), commonly called orcas, belong to the oceanic dolphin family. Kat Kellner (CC BY 2.0)
A spy hopping Southern Resident killer whale off San Juan Island, Washington. NOAA Public Library (CC BY 2.0)
Protestors from all over Europe gather to deliver the message, 'Close Europe's Dolphinaria'.
Watching orcas off the coast of Monetery, California. Yathin S Krishnappa
PETA activists demonstrate outside the Macy's Herald Square store protesting the plan for SeaWorld to have a float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York With permission by Reuters / Shannon Stapleton
PETA activists demonstrate outside the Macy's Herald Square store protesting the plan for SeaWorld to have a float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York With permission by Reuters / Shannon Stapleton
With permission by The Center for Whale Research
Keto, Tilikum and Taku exhibit dorsal fin collapse. Voice of the Orcas
Keto, on loan from SeaWorld, resides at Loro Parque in Tenerife. Alexis is on the far right, leaning on Keto. Voice of the Orcas
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