Blue Whales Sing Near NYC Coast

Whales have been saved, IWC policymakers argue

(NEWSER) - Whale populations have rebounded so strongly since the 1986 global ban on commercial whaling that the International Whaling Commission is considering loosening it. The IWC is mulling a compromise proposal that would condone whaling by ban-defying nations Norway, Iceland, and Japan in return for a reduction in the number of whales killed. More»

Depleted ozone may be risk for already-endangered animals

(NEWSER) - Whales off the coast of Mexico seem to be getting bad sunburns, and scientists say ozone damage may be why. To survive, whales have to spend long periods on the ocean’s surface, and without clothes, fur, or feathers, they’re basically “sunbathing naked,” the AP notes. The result: skin lesions and dead cell patterns that are linked to sun exposure, a study finds. More»

Humpback is enmeshed in hundreds of feet of fishing line

(NEWSER) - Rescue teams are battling rough seas in an effort to save a young humpback whale tangled in hundreds of feet of heavy rope off the coast of Hawaii. A transmitter was attached to the rope after earlier efforts to free the whale failed, and the whale's position is being tracked by satellite. Marine experts have been working to rescue the whale since they were alerted to its plight by a tour boat on Tuesday. More»

(NEWSER) - A beluga whale came to the rescue of a woman who got into trouble during a free-diving contest at a Chinese aquarium, the Telegraph reports. The woman, who wasn't wearing breathing equipment, suffered cramps near the bottom of the aquarium's Arctic pool and found herself unable to rise. The whale, sensing she was in trouble, took her leg and guided her to the surface. More»

Marine experts say refloating causes suffering and rarely works

(NEWSER) - Whales who get stuck on British shores will now get a lethal injection instead of a lift back to the ocean, the Independent reports. The policy is backed by marine experts and animal welfare groups as the more humane option, based on new research showing that refloated whales usually die painfully from dehydration and kidney failure before they can make it back to deep sea. More»