Tag: whale

Whale of a tail: Scientists track unique humpback ‘fingerprint’

By Juan RESTREPO, Juan BARRETO ON BOARD THE ARC SIMON BOLIVAR , Antarctica, March 15, 2024 (AFP) – In Antarctica, a scientist waits patiently for two frolicking humpback whales to poke their tails out of the icy waters so she can take a photographic “fingerprint” of the unique colors and patterns that allow researchers to identify individuals of the species. Andrea Bonilla, a Colombian scientist at Cornell University in the United States, has been working […]

Five dead after NZ boat reportedly collides with whale

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Five people are dead after a boat flipped over in waters off of New Zealand’s South Island on Saturday, with “indications” the vessel capsized after colliding with a whale. The boat, which had 11 people on board, mostly from a bird-watching group, overturned in calm waters soon after 10am at Goose Bay, about 15 kilometres (nine miles) south of Kaikoura, according to local officials. A rescue operation that spanned nearly […]

Humpback whale washes up on Channel beach in France

CALAIS, France (AFP) – A female humpback whale nearly 10 metres long (31 feet) was found dead after washing up on a beach near Calais in northern France early Thursday, a rare occurrence on the Channel coastline according to specialists. “It’s an exceptional event for the region,” said Jacky Karpouzopoulos, president of the CMNF mammal preservation association and head of its “marine stranding” team. He said tractors would pull the massive animal, weighing 20 to […]

Wounded whale found dead on Greek island

ATHENS, Greece (AFP) – A young whale that washed up near Athens last week was found dead on a nearby island Wednesday despite “superhuman” efforts to save the wounded animal, the Greek government said. The male Cuvier’s beaked whale was first found on a beach south of the Greek capital late last week. Experts quickly gave it hydration and antibiotics before returning it to the sea on Friday evening. The dolphin-like whale had a badly […]

Ailing whale found near Athens returns to deeper waters

ATHENS, Greece (AFP) – An ailing young whale found near the coast of Athens in a rare sighting has returned to deeper waters after receiving medication, Greek officials said on Saturday. The male Cuvier’s beaked whale is now swimming near the southern island of Salamis, deputy environment minister Georgios Amyras told state TV ERT, adding that its condition remained precarious. The dolphin-like whale, which normally lives in waters more than 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) deep, […]

Giant rubber whale helps Kiwi rescuers battle beachings

by Neil SANDS Agence France-Presse WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) – A two-tonne rubber whale can take on a life of its own in the frigid shallows of a windswept New Zealand beach, particularly when a bedraggled group of would-be rescuers is trying to wrestle it into a harness. “Keep the blowhole clear… you’re too close to the tail, one swipe can do a serious injury to yourself and the whale,” an instructor yells as the […]

Massive whale beaches itself in northern France

CALAIS, France (AFP) – French animal experts said on Sunday they were preparing to conduct an autopsy on a 19-metre-long whale that died after getting stranded at the northern port of Calais. The fin whale, weighing around 15 tonnes, apparently beached itself after getting injured, a rare phenomenon in the area. “It is a female, about 30 years old, who ran aground on Saturday,” Jacky Karpouzopoulos of the CMNF animal protection group told AFP. “She […]

Two stranded humpback whales rescued in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AFP) — Rescue teams saved two stranded whales along the Atlantic coast of Argentina Tuesday, the World Marine Foundation said. The animals were stranded on the beach of the seaside resort town of La Lucila del Mar, 220 miles (360 kilometers) south of Buenos Aires, just as spring arrives to the southern hemisphere. “The first, which was stranded on Sunday, was a juvenile female humpback whale, 32 feet (9.8 meters) long and […]

Whale that won Canadian hearts believed to be dead

SOREL, Canada (AFP) — A young humpback whale that swam up one of Canada’s major rivers, delighting Montrealers who packed the shores for a glimpse of the first of the species in local waters, is believed to have died, wildlife officials said Tuesday. The pilot of a passing commercial ship early in the morning spotted a “whale carcass” near Varennes in the Monteregie region of the Canadian province, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of […]

Wayward whale takes city break in Montreal

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — A young humpback whale that swam up one of Canada’s major rivers and has been exploring the waters off Montreal for a few days was likely led astray while on a hunting trip, authorities have said. Since Saturday, the giant creature has been swimming in the St Lawrence river against the backdrop of the Montreal skyline — hundreds of kilometres (miles) from the waters it usually calls home. The humpback is […]

For some whales, sonar may provoke suicidal behaviour: study

by Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Scientists have long known that some beaked whales beach themselves and die in agony after exposure to naval sonar, and now they know why: the giant sea mammals suffer decompression sickness, just like scuba divers. At first blush, the explanation laid out Wednesday by 21 experts in the Royal Society journal Proceedings B seems implausible. Millions of years of evolution have turned whales into perfectly […]