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Tag: whales

  • Smithsonian 3D Prints Whale Fossils Because Science

    It’s generally accepted that a lot of the earth was covered in water millions of years ago allowing all sorts of sea creatures to travel to places that are landlocked today. That’s why we can find fossils of sea creatures in the mid-West. Now scientists at the Smithsonian are trying to figure out how a bunch of whales ended up in the desert of Chile.

    3ders reports that the Smithsonian and Chilean scientists stumbled upon an enormous find when they found a bunch of whale fossils in the middle of the Chilean desert. Now, they have an idea of how they died, but it would require more research. The only problem is that the government was building the Pan-American Highway next to the dig site. The site would only be available for five more days so what were a bunch of scientists wanting to preserve this find going to do?

    That’s where 3D scanning and printing comes in.

    The Smithsonian used its state of the art 3D scanners to scan the entire dig site. This allowed them to create a 3D model of the fossils that could then be 3D printed for later research. It’s not the real thing, but it’s certainly close enough.

    As the Smithsonian notes, the prints of these Whale fossils, once completed, will be the largest 3D prints of their kind. I would assume that they will also be put on display for all to see as the 3D printers being used by the Smithsonian allow them to faithfully recreate the dig site and fossil as if it was still around.

    Oh, and as a bonus, the 3D model of the dig site is available online via Smithsonian’s X 3D service. That means you can download the CAD file and 3D print a miniature version of the dig site yourself.

    In short, science is awesome and 3D printers is making it even moreso.

    Image via Smithsonian X 3D

  • Conjoined Whale Calves Found In Lagoon

    Conjoined Whale Calves Found In Lagoon

    Every now and then nature produces something remarkable, something we’ve never seen before. When we encounter one of these creatures, we are often overwhelmed with questions and curious to learn more about it. A recent discovery of two conjoined whale calves has scientists excited and curious at the same time.

    The conjoined carcass washed up on the beaches of the Ojo de Liebre lagoon, in Baja California, Mexico a few days ago. The bodies were smaller than normal full term Gray whale fetuses and scientists are not sure if they were born prematurely or smaller because the mother was unable to provide enough nutrients for them both to grow to full size.

    Gray whales usually only have one calf, but other whale species are known to have Siamese twins or conjoined twins. Scientists say that whales are made to only have one baby and on rare occasions when conjoined babies are born, they do no survive.

    Researchers believe that the calves were delivered early by the mother and say that a smooth delivery of the pair would have been nearly impossible. They were unable to find the mother and are not sure if she survived the delivery or not.

    The whales calves measured between 7 and 10 feet tall and are likely the only documented case of conjoined Gray whale twins.

    Scientists are currently studying Siamese twin whales of various species and removed the newly found carcass from the water so it could be studied. They are hoping to learn more about the phenomenon and maybe someday find living conjoined twin whales.

    What do you think of this amazing discovery?

    Image via YouTube.

  • Conjoined Whales Discovered In California

    A rare discovery was found off of the shore of Mexico, in the Scammon’s Lagoon, on Sunday, January 5, when scientists discovered twin conjoined whale calves. Sadly, the calves did not survive, but their discovery is very important to the world of science, as they may be the first documented case of conjoined gray whale calves.

    Alisa Schulman-Janiger, with the American Cetacean Society, said that it is likely that the calves were miscarried and underdeveloped. She revealed that the normal length for a newborn grey whale is approximately twelve to sixteen feet, and the calves that the scientists discovered only measured seven feet.

    Scientists have removed the carcasses from the lagoon, and are planning on studying them further. Images of the whales were posted on the Guerrero Negro Verde Facebook page, with the translated statement: “Unfortunately, the specimen died. Its survival was very difficult.”

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    Image via YouTube, Facebook, Facebook

  • Engulfed in Controversy, SeaWorld Turns to Groupon

    It’s been a rough year for SeaWorld – at least in terms of press. Back in January, a documentary called Blackfish premiered at Sundance and caught fire. That documentary focused on Tilikum, an orca residing at SeaWorld, Orlando, and condemned the treatment of orcas in captivity.

    The film centers around the death of Dawn Brancheau, a SeaWorld trainer, who was killed by the 6-ton whale in 2010. Tilikum has been involved in the deaths of two trainers and one SeaWorld guest.

    Amid the controversy, SeaWorld has faced a slew of recent cancellations, with many musical acts backing out of the park’s “Bands, Brew and BBQ” concert series. Just today, a California school announced that they would be canceling their long-standing SeaWorld trip due to concerns unearthed in the Blackfish documentary.

    Now, the company is turning to Groupon.

    SeaWorld Orlando is currently running a 40% deal with groupon – offering tickets for $59 each (down from nearly $100). The deal is running until the end of 2013, and tickets purchased will be valid until March 31st, 2014.

    They’re also running sponsored posts for the deal on Facebook.

    Apparently, SeaWorld is looking to expand the deals but isn’t banking on Groupon to play a huge role in future revenue. From the Orlando Sentinel:

    A SeaWorld spokesman said Wednesday that the company is “testing” Groupon at SeaWorld Orlando with some “limited-time offers.” The company has also used Groupon at several of its 10 other parks around the country, including SeaWorld San Antonio and Busch Gardens theme parks in Tampa and Williamsburg, Va.

    “We don’t see it playing a meaningful role in our current or future distribution strategy,” SeaWorld spokesman Nick Gollattscheck said.

    SeaWorld has faced immense backlash following the release of Blackfish. In a public response a couple of months ago, the company called the film “inaccurate and misleading.”

    “Blackfish is billed as a documentary, but instead of a fair and balanced treatment of a complex subject, the film is inaccurate and misleading and, regrettably, exploits a tragedy that remains a source of deep pain for Dawn Brancheau’s family, friends and colleagues.

    To promote its bias that killer whales should not be maintained in a zoological setting, the film paints a distorted picture that withholds from viewers key facts about SeaWorld — among them, that SeaWorld is one of the world’s most respected zoological institutions, that SeaWorld rescues, rehabilitates and returns to the wild hundreds of wild animals every year, and that SeaWorld commits millions of dollars annually to conservation and scientific research.

    Perhaps most important, the film fails to mention SeaWorld’s commitment to the safety of its team members and guests and to the care and welfare of its animals, as demonstrated by the company’s continual refinement and improvement to its killer whale facilities, equipment and procedures both before and after the death of Dawn Brancheau,” said a SeaWorld spokesperson.

    The Groupon deal will be valid for tickets during the Bands, Brew & BBQ festival – assuming there are any musical acts left. SeaWorld says that they are continuing to book replacements.

    Images via Groupon, Wikimedia Commons

  • Martina McBride, .38 Special Cancel SeaWorld Performances

    Following suit with six others that have also been scheduled to perform and recently cancelled, Martin McBride and 38 Special have refused to perform at SeaWorld.

    Since the release of the buzzed about documentary Blackfish, many people have become more aware of the some of the unsafe and inhumane practices that are done involving the whales at SeaWorld.

    Over the weekend, REO Speedwagon became the latest musical act to cancel their performance at the theme park. Shortly after, Martina McBride joined in, and then 38 Special.

    The Blackfish documentary has created a huge backlash against the Orlando theme park, and several celebrities have made a point to recommend Blackfish, and avoid SeaWorld since then, advising others to do the same.

    In a concert series that originally had 10 acts scheduled to play in a series called “Bands, BBQ and Brew,” with the latest two cancellations, only two artists remain. Justin Moore and Scotty McCreery are the two remaining artists, and while fans continue to put the pressure on, their representatives have not responded to CNN’s repeated requests for comment.

    Martina Mcbride announced the news of her cancellation via her facebook page, while 38 Special did the same days after.

    Post by Martina McBride.

    Post by .38 Special.

    For those that have not had the opportunity to see the chilling film yet, Blackfish tells the story of SeaWorld’s inhumane treatment of the whales, and the news has been brought to the attention of people all over in the past year. After the documentary came out, it has been covered on RealTime With Bill Maher, CNN, and several other news outlets, in addition to being called one of the best documentaries of the year.

    Martina McBride and .38 Special join a list which before this weekend included Trisha Yearwood, Willie Nelson, Cheap Trick, Heart and Barenaked Ladies, with Barenaked Ladies being the first act to drop out.

    In what was once an anticipated series of well-known musical acts, the lineup has almost completely dissapeared. According to CNN, the park’s six-week concert schedule has disappeared from SeaWorld’s website. It now simply promises “incredible concerts with top artists in classic rock and country music.”

    With eight out of 10 acts already gone from the lineup including country star Martina McBride, and as more fans and celebrities continue to urge people to stay away from SeaWorld, is a full boycott in the near future? SeaWorld, once a park of famliy fun, has now turned into a place that nobody wants to go because of the way that the whales are being treated.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Everglades Whales Stranded and Beached

    The Everglades has been described to this writer as “the Australia of America,” in that most of the things inhabiting it, including many of the plants, would like nothing more than to kill you. A rugged, muggy wilderness, mentions of the Everglades do not tend to also bring to mind whales, often thought of as docile giants of the sea. The combination, however, is much more common than one might initially believe; pods of Pilot whales are common in the waters near the Everglade forests. This combination has proved harmful, however; a pod of the whales found themselves about 20 miles off course of their typical stomping ground, and many have been beached and stranded as a result.

    Pods of short-finned Pilot whales tend to consist of about twenty five to thirty mammals, but the pod that has found itself in the thick of this trouble has nearly four dozen members in it, not including the ten whales that beached themselves and have been confirmed dead. The unlucky pod somehow stumbled into Highland Beach, the Western boundary of the Everglades and a particularly difficult area to navigate. Groups of rescuers spent hours on Wednesday working to shepherd the giants away from the shallow water and back towards the more suitable ocean.

    These efforts have proved rather fruitless, however. Pilot whales are very social, tight-knit creatures, and will often beach or strand themselves if one of their pod mates has done so. Linda Friar, a spokesperson, says, “Pilot whales are common stranders. [Even after being rescued] they tend to rebeach themselves.” Friar went on to say that this particular pod was “not cooperating” with rescuer’s efforts to herd them back into the safety of deeper water. Rescuers face an extra set of troubles, however, since shallow water near the shore is not the only problem; even if the whales do turn back, they then face a maze of sand bars and shallow patches that could ensnare them even further.

    Rescue efforts were called off on Wednesday evening, and are expected to continue as needed on Thursday morning.

    [Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.]

  • Baby Beluga Dies: The Whale Who Inspired the Song Passes at Age 46

    Kavna, the whale who inspired the popular children’s tune “Baby Beluga” passed away this week. The Vancouver Aquarium, where the Kavna lived, revealed that preliminary results from a necropsy suggest the most likely cause of the whale’s death is cancer. The aquarium stated that at age 46, Kavna was the oldest beluga whale in any accredited aquarium in North America. From a Vancouver Aquarium statement:

    Beluga whales in the wild are believed to live to about 25 to 30 years old. At approximately 46 years old, Kavna was considered to be at the end of her natural life, and had lived a long and healthy life in the care of the Aquarium’s marine mammal care team. The Aquarium’s staff and volunteers, especially its marine mammal care team who had been caring for Kavna since 1975, are saddened by this loss but share in the many fond memories experienced with her over the past 36 years.

    Kavna, who has enchanted the hearts and admiration of millions of visitors, will be greatly missed by Aquarium staff, volunteers, members and visitors.

    “Baby Beluga” was written by Raffi Cavoukian, a popular children’s music composer and performer. The song has become a classic recognized by children around the world.

    CTV was able to interview Raffi about his feelings on Kavna’s passing:

    Raffi is active on Twitter and has taken up the cause of distancing the Baby Beluga in his song from Kavna. The singer is adamant that Baby Beluga, as an imaginary whale in a song, is not, and never will be, dead. Several of Raffi’s tweets include pictures of the singer and Kavna:

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    (Lead Photo courtesy the Vancouver Aquarium)

  • Whale Hits Boat: California Man Rescued After Bizarre Accident

    Whale hits boat, boat takes on water. Man is in the boat. Our man. Chances are, he’s going to need a bigger boat. All apologies to Steven Spielberg.

    That was an impossibly lame joke, I know, but it was the first thing that popped into my head upon reading about veteran sailor Max Young’s close encounter with a large whale. According to the Associated Press, Young, 67, was about 40 miles off the coast of Mexico when the incident took place. In addition to knocking out the sailboat’s steering, the collision also caused the boat to take on water. Young attempted to plug the hole by stuffing a mattress into the opening, though it was pretty clear that nothing was going to prevent the vessel from sinking.

    After alerting the Coast Guard to his perilous predicament, a merchant ship, which was about 60 miles from Young’s location, embarked on an impromptu rescue mission.

    “His EPIRB delivered an exact position to us, contact information that allowed us to quickly discern the sail plan of and number of persons on the vessel, and really took a lot of the search out of the search and rescue,” Coast Guard Lt. Charles Kelly explained.

    Fortunately for Young, the merchant ship arrived before the poor guy found himself submerged in the dangerous oceanic waters. His wife, Debra Young, told the Associated Press that she’s been able to speak with her husband since the accident. Presently, he isn’t expected to certain home to Sacramento until sometime next week.