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When Planet X entered the inner Solar System in late 2002 - early 2003, it was not just the Earth that reacted, as it did with an increase in earthquakes, volcanism and extreme weather, the animal life on Earth also started showing signs of the approaching monster.
The most noticeable symptoms were:
- Crazy Animal Behaviour: Reports of bizarre behaviour including animal attacks from normally passive creatures and spiders spinning webs over whole fields.
- Confused Animals: Whales and dolphins stranding themselves on beaches in droves or getting lost upstream in coastal rivers.
- Large fish and bird kills: Flocks of birds falling dead from the sky and shoals of fish dying and floating to the surface of lakes, rivers and washing up along coastlines.
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Crazy Animal Behaviour
Reports of crazy animal behaviour have included sheep that charged a farmer’s wife off a cliff, deer attacking a car and rabbits biting pedestrians. Spiders have spun webs over whole fields and caterpillar larvae have covered whole trees in silk.
As usual, the Zetas explain the true causes:
http://www.zetatalk.com/transfor/t154.htm (Jan 11th 2003)
Animal behavior also has been noted as almost crazed, where animals normally passive and seeking to avoid confrontation will attack with provocation, or fly in the wrong direction during migration. This is due to signals the animals or insects get from the core of the Earth, signals not known to man, but nonetheless there. [……] Spiders weaving webs to an extreme so that acres are covered under webs, get noted, but the base behavior is normal for a spider. EOZT
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Confused Animals
Other erratic behaviour among animals included a seeming loss of direction with whales and dolphins swimming inland and stranding themselves on beaches.
Unreliable Compasses (March 28th, 2009)
The compass is unreliable for the past few years, and lately has gotten very extreme in its variance. Many animals and insects have a biological compass, recording during migrations where that compass laid, and when taking a return trip relying on the recording to guide them back. If the Earth's N Pole swings away from the press of Planet X, which is increasingly pointing its N Pole at the Earth, then these animals are not given correct clues and aim for land or up a river. Sad to say, this will only get worse as the last weeks and the pole shift loom on the horizon. EOZT
Are due to the Magnetic Clash (July 1st, 2006)
The compass anomaly, swinging to the East, is indicative of the Earth adjusting to the approach of Planet X and the clash of their magnetic fields. The change is indicative of a clash in magnetic fields as Planet X comes ever closer to the Earth, their fields touching. It is the combined field that Earth must adjust to, and continue to adjust to, not the exact position of the N Pole of Planet X within these fields, and the Sun's magnetic field enters into the equation too. This dramatic change, noted by a conscientious tracker, checking dual compasses daily for years, indicates that the Earth is trying to align side-by-side with Planet X, bringing its magnetic N Pole to point toward the Sun, as Planet X is currently doing in the main. These adjustments are temporary, and change about, as magnets can make dramatic and swift changes in their alignment with each other. Put a number of small magnets on a glass, with iron ore dust, and move a large magnet about under them, and watch the jerking about they do. Are we saying the Earth's magnetic field is going to get more erratic in the future, dramatically so? There is no question that this will be one of the signs that will come, yet another not covered by the Global Warming excuse. EOZT
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Large fish and bird kills
Hundreds, if not thousands, of these events have taken place with the frequency increasing year on year. Poignant examples include the 20 tonnes of dead herring which washed ashore in Norway and 1200 pelicans found on a beach in Peru.
Earth Farts (January 9th, 2007)
We have explained, in great detail, that the stretch zone does not register great quakes when rock layers pull apart and sink, as this is a silent Earth change. Nancy has carefully documented breaking water and gas mains, derailing trains, dislocating bridge abutments, mining accidents, and outbreaks of factory explosions, showing that these have occurred in rashes on occasion, when the rock layers pulled apart. [……] In September-October of 2005, a smell of rotten eggs was sensed from LA to Thunder Bay on Lake Superior to the New England states and throughout the South-Eastern US. We explained at that time that this was due to rock layers being pulled apart, releasing gas from moldering vegetation trapped during prior pole shifts, when rock layers were jerked about, trapping vegetation. We explained in March of 2002 that black water off the coast of Florida was caused by this phenomena. Do these fumes cause people to sicken, and birds to die? Mining operations of old had what they called the canary in a birdcage, to warn the miners of methane gas leaks. Birds are very sensitive to these fumes, and die, and this is indeed what happened in Austin, TX. Were it not for the explosions associated with gas leaks, it would be common knowledge that gas leaks sicken, as the body was not structured to breathe such air for long. EOZT
Zetatalk Explanation (January 8th, 2011)
Dead fish and birds falling from the sky are being reported worldwide, suddenly. This is not a local affair, obviously. Dead birds have been reported in Sweden and N America, and dead fish in N America, Brazil, and New Zealand. Methane is known to cause bird dead, and as methane rises when released during Earth shifting, will float upward through the flocks of birds above. But can this be the cause of dead fish? If birds are more sensitive than humans to methane release, fish are likewise sensitive to changes in the water, as anyone with an aquarium will attest. Those schools of fish caught in rising methane bubbles during sifting of rock layers beneath them will inevitably be affected. Fish cannot, for instance, hold their breath until the emergency passes! Nor do birds have such a mechanism. EOZT
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Starr DiGiacomo
Tons of fish, shellfish and birds found dead in lake in Drava National Park, Hungary
The incident is just 20-30 with the first discovery of the body count, but now there are more than four tons of fish, shellfish and protected birds died, and estimates there are a lot of dead bodies sink to the bottom.
Environmental Protection Agency, Water Authority, food chain safety bureau, Disaster Management Authority and the Danube – Drava National Park staff several times in the past week extracted from the sample questions lake, although the analysis is still in progress, But experts believe that the reason for this incident but the rain many times in the past few weeks has led to waterlogging and Delaware Canal and how waves (Dombó-csatorna) Multi-level rise occurs, make certain toxic substances into the ponds being.
Somogyudvarhely total of 7.7 hectares belong water Fishing Association, the area is a municipal road is divided into two separate artificial lake, the fish deaths occurred in only where a. Mitigation and relief work currently being carried out by volunteers who work together with, Water Authority and Kaposvar’s “rope associations” volunteers who are trying to save, and Fishing Association has also requested the support of local government. It is understood that the Delaware River and what is yet to come in waves canals contaminated fish died.
The incident did not cause casualties, but more than four tons of animal carcasses classified as dangerous goods to be transported by the Fishing Association is responsible to pay the prescribed places, it will be no small expense. More serious than the loss of material is a direct result of this incident in the past 30 years Fishing Association’s efforts in vain, and the local tourist attraction will be greatly reduced.
The pollution caused by a large number of carp, carp, perch, pike and bream death, many of them for up to one meter, weighing 30-40 kg of fish.
The local government said the size of the problem has more than a small fishing associations and local governments within its power range, so they issued a rescue request to the State Government.
http://tinyurl.com/kopejck
http://yamkin.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/tons-of-fish-shellfish-and-b...
another link:
https://yamkin.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/hundreds-of-dead-fish-found...
Hundreds of dead fish found floating in a river in Thessaly, Greece
Common phenomenon tends to be longer for Penaeus image with dead fish.
In recent days hundreds of small fish, lying dead in the river, at the height of the Annunciation, creating a spectacle at least repulsive to passersby.
And the ugly scene of the image that comes to complement the black waters and natural smell diffused “richly” in the surrounding area.
The embarrassing spectacle saw who happened to spend the last hours of this point, observing a huge grid of fish, seeing them one from afar looked like seaweed.
Fish float to the surface and some of them have been out of their heads still, showing the desperate efforts, to breathe, to be saved.
Undoubtedly this is an ecological disaster, which occurred due to the general pollution of the river.
The appearance of dead fish along the bed of the Peneus, the National Road at the height of Tempe, is frequent in recent years and sample contamination of river waters in conjunction with the gain reduction.
However despite the controls at times of competent departments whenever identified dead fish in the river, solution has been given and the problem seems to be perpetuated.
http://tinyurl.com/pcufusq
Dec 2, 2014
SongStar101
Essex coast pilot whale died from starvation
The first long-finned pilot whale to beach in the southern North Sea for 22 years died from starvation, post-mortem tests have found.
The whale, among a 40-strong pod seen along the East Anglian coast, washed up near Goldhanger, Essex, on Thursday afternoon.
Marine experts successfully encouraged most of the whales from the shallow Blackwater Estuary into deeper waters.
But one - a 2.18m female - was found dead.
Rob Deaville, cetacean strandings programme manager at ZSL, said the whale was found on a beach with "partial rigor mortis".
"[This] indicates that the whale is likely to have died that morning, possibly around the time that the pod of whales was observed up the Blackwater River near Osea Island," he said.
"The whale had stranded alive before dying on the beach."
Tests showed the whale was in "very poor nutritional condition" with "no significant evidence of recent feeding".
He said: "The most likely cause of stranding and death at this stage is starvation, although we are waiting for the results from follow-up tests, including several to determine whether the animal had an underlying infection."
Rescue teams began their operation after the pod was spotted on Tuesday
Some 12,000 cetacean strandings have been recorded in the UK since 1990.
Mr Deaville said: "In that time, only one long-finned pilot whale has been recorded stranded on the UK coast in the southern North Sea - a single individual in Norfolk in 1992 - indicating how unusual this event is."
The pod of whales has been off the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex coastlines in recent weeks.
Dec 2, 2014
SongStar101
Whale found dead week after getting stranded on Anglesey beach, UK
Gwynedd Council worker Rhys Jones found the young pygmy sperm whale at Dinas Dinlle beach, a week after it had been refloated by rescuers.
A whale that was rescued and freed back into the sea last week has died.
The young pygmy sperm whale was spotted washed up on a beach at Dinas Dinlle today, opposite Newborough beach where it was originally found stranded and rescued, last Thursday, November 20.
It was discovered by Gwynedd council worker Rhys Jones.
A post-mortem will be carried out by the government’s Marine Environmental Monitoring body to try to find out what caused the animal’s death.
Dr Peter Evans, Director of the Seawatch Foundation, said it was not surprising that the whale had died.
He said: “The waters on the Menai Straits are very shallow. Pygmy sperm whales are more common in the warmer waters off west Africa.
“They have been found increasingly in European waters in the past few years because of climate change.
“It’s probably come across from deeper waters into shallower waters.
“It’s very sad news as it’s only the second strand in Wales of such a rare species.”
Last week, the Daily Post reported how volunteers from Sea Watch Foundation found the male mammal stranded at Newborough beach.
They were joined by members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), coastguards and RSPCA who carried the male mammal from the sand and back into the sea.
There had been fears the whale would strand itself again.
Dec 2, 2014
SongStar101
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2854155/Walkers-discover-hu...
Walkers discover huge 20ft-long Minke whale washed up on popular Cornish beach, UK
This was the scene at a Cornish beauty spot this morning after walkers discovered a 20ft long whale washed up on a beach.
The decomposed carcass of the huge mammal was found at the popular holiday destination of Pentewan Sands near Mevagissey in Cornwall.
Stunned dog walkers could be seen stopping to take pictures of what is believed to be a dead juvenile Minke whale.
Although it was in an advanced state of decay, it was a rare opportunity to witness the size of the seagoing giants up close.
A spokesman from Falmouth Coastguard said it was alerted to the discovery about 3pm today.
Their colleagues at Mevagissey dispatched a team to the beach this afternoon to take measurements and a report is due to be sent to the Receiver of Wreck.
The spokesman said it was the responsibility of the owner of the beach to dispose of the carcass, adding that it was not yet clear what kind of whale had been washed up.
Although it is relatively rare for them to be washed up on British beaches, Cornwall is no stranger to whale sightings.
Two years ago, a full size adult Fin whale weighing 65 tonnes washed up alive just along the coast at Carlyon Bay.
Sadly however, despite the efforts of volunteers the mammal had to be humanely destroyed.
According to the whaledolphintrust.co.uk, Minke are the smallest of the baleen whales found in UK waters, measuring between seven and ten metres when fully grown.
They can be found in seas across the Northern hemisphere, except in the Arctic Ocean, and are often seen off the coasts of Ireland and Scotland.
Dec 2, 2014
SongStar101
Black mussels cover a South African beach
Thousands of mollusks wash ashore
http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/black-mussels-cover-sout...
The beach in Plettenberg Bay was covered with the black mussels over a 325-yard section. Some believed it was caused by a red tide, a harmful algal bloom, but marine experts dismissed that possibility.
Dr. Mark Brown of Nature’s Valley Trust told The Herald of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, that the massive beaching is not linked “to red tide or anything sinister at this stage.”
Instead, Brown believes the black mussels were dislodged by heavy seas.
“A similar event happened in November last year in the same spot,” Brown told The Herald. “Essentially large swells and currents break beds of mussels off the reef and they wash up.”
Earth Touch has a video report showing the massive black mussel beaching:
Marine ecologist Kyle Smith of SA National Parks told The Herald that along with heavy swells, a large amount of sand movement might also have been a contributing factor.
“Most of the mussels were still alive when they washed up, which lowers the possibility that it is related to some form of toxin from either a red algal bloom or other source,” Smith said.
As a precautionary measure, officials warned people not to eat the black mussels, tempting as it might be.
Dec 5, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://yamkin.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/hundreds-of-dead-fish-found-...
Hundreds of dead fish found in a reservoir in Castilblanco, Spain
Neighbors alerted the appearance of hundreds dead in the reservoir of La Marciega in Castilblanco de los Arroyos, who promptly supplies the municipality fish.
A sheet of dead fish covers the waters of the reservoir of La Marciega of Castilblanco. The alert the neighbors have given themselves when the weekend came to the farm where this reservoir of limited capacity with which promptly has been supplied to households in the municipality. In networks, the photographs showing dead fish, published in the Collective page Viar, are the subject of debate among neighbors, who demand an explanation of what is happening in these municipal facilities.
In November 2009 the shortage of water resources Reservoir Los Molinos left a stamp that explained the smell and taste of the liquid coming out of their taps, and made an impression on the imagination of the neighbors: a cow decomposed with ponds where accumulated between silt and fish remains, low liquid element of place that should supply the population. Forced by circumstances, from the city of Castilblanco purification systems Reservoir The Marciega were activated that until 23 years had been supplying the population, in order to guarantee the service until the arrival of the rains.
The water supply problems are cyclical in this county where 80% of the population does not consume water from the tap, as recognized from the government team in February 2011, when the last crisis occurred. The City Council decreed “the prohibition of drinking and using water from the mains supply for meals” because of the “high aluminum concentration” which focused on water from the reservoir of Los Molinos. What happened in 2011 what unknown neighbors, because the local government did not make public the reports Emasesa technical staff and the Provincial Delegation of Environment did the water, and therefore the grounds of that water pollution from local supply network three years are unknown.
The Marciega is a dam built in 1972 that failed to solve the water problems Castilblanco. In recent years, it has hosted the Club de Pesca, thanks to an agreement with the City. After the drought in 1983, the efforts to build a new dam began, Los Molinos, in the Ribera de Cala, to meet the needs of the growing population of the municipality. The water from the new dam with a capacity of 0.8 cubic are, finally arrived in 1986. This took place c on an impromptu water fight in the Yellow Square: thus arose the first Water Festival which opens each year the summer festivities in this town in the Sierra Norte de Sevilla.
http://tinyurl.com/pwseb2m
Dec 6, 2014
SongStar101
Cape Cod turtle deaths confound researchers
A mystery is unfolding on the beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Hundreds of endangered sea turtles have been washing up on the shore, sick and stunned by the cold ocean water. Biologists and volunteers are mounting an unprecedented rescue response to save as many turtles as possible before it’s too late.
Most of the turtles are juvenile Kemp’s ridleys (Lepidochelys kempii) measuring less than a foot long. They are being trapped on their southbound fall migration to warmer climes by the arm of the cape, which protrudes into the Atlantic Ocean. Many wash up not only incapacitated by the cold, but also with life-threatening conditions like dehydration, pneumonia, infections, or off-kilter blood chemistry. Their skin is often discolored, and early on many were overgrown with algae.
“They’re terrible looking” when they first wash up, says Bob Prescott, director of the conservation group Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in South Wellfleet, Massachusetts, who is coordinating the recovery of stranded turtles from the beaches. Fortunately, they respond well to treatment. His crews of volunteers and staff members have picked up more than 1070 turtles so far, about 20% of them already dead. That’s far above the average of 200 turtles that have washed up each fall for the past decade. The number of arrivals has declined, Prescott says, but it is still higher than normal and won’t likely reach zero until the end of the year, when the annual cold-stun season comes to a close. With water temperatures dropping, more of the turtles are showing up dead, and bigger species that can withstand the cold longer, like loggerheads (Caretta caretta), are starting to wash up.
Prescott’s team sends the living turtles, often packed in banana boxes, to a sea turtle hospital in Quincy, Massachusetts, run by the New England Aquarium. Six hundred and fifty turtles have been admitted so far—approaching triple the hospital’s previous record of 240, set in 2012. Workers at the hospital have been putting in 12- to 14-hour days, with extra volunteers and staff from out-of-state aquariums pitching in, says Charles Innis, the aquarium’s director of animal health, who oversees the sea turtles’ care.
Innis’s team has been stabilizing the turtles and then shipping as many as possible to other animal hospitals for further treatment and eventual release. This morning, a private plane flew 50 of the turtles to Houston. Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard airlifted 193 to Florida. Innis says the Cape Cod turtles have filled just about every facility along the U.S. East Coast, and aquarium staff members are now trying to place them in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. “We just simply don't have tank space available to handle 600 turtles here. And nobody does, really,” Innis says. “It’s really a national effort at this point.”
The healthiest turtles typically require a month or two of care before they can be released, but the sicker ones may have to stay for up to 8 months, Innis says, adding that he expects at least 70% of his patients to survive.
Many juvenile Kemp’s ridleys never foray north of Cape Cod, but the ones that do and make it out before the water turns deadly cold don’t seem to return, Prescott says. Instead, they join other East Coast turtles in warmer waters farther south, where they spend a decade or so maturing before returning to nest on their home beaches in Texas and Mexico.
The reasons for this year’s remarkable stranding remain unknown. Some observers have suggested that there may be more juvenile Kemp’s ridleys thanks to recent hatching success resulting from conservation efforts. But Donna Shaver, chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore in Corpus Christi, Texas, where most U.S.-born Kemp’s ridleys hatch, says it may be more complicated than that. The number of hatchlings in the Gulf of Mexico has increased substantially since the mid-1980s, but it has varied quite a bit in recent years, suggesting that oceanographic conditions may also be behind this year’s large crop of stranded turtles.
Another hypothesis is that rapidly warming water in the Gulf of Maine, which includes Cape Cod Bay and waters north to Nova Scotia, could be luring turtles farther north than they once ventured, causing more to become trapped on their southbound journey when the water cools in the fall. But biologists are putting serious investigation into the causes of the record strandings on hold until January, after the rush to save turtles ends.
From Shaver’s vantage point, the Cape Cod rescue work—which she is not directly involved in—is very important. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists Kemp’s ridley sea turtles as “Critically Endangered,” and the species is thought to have been harmed by the BP oil spill in 2010, which killed hundreds of turtles and may have contributed to subsequent declines in nests. Only about 5500 females nest each year, the best available proxy for their total population. “We’re really hoping for great success for those folks that are working so hard to try to find these turtles and bring them back around to health,” Shaver says.
Dec 7, 2014
Derrick Johnson
7 Sperm Whales Die In Rare, 'Horrific' Mass Beaching
Several sperm whales have been found dead near Ardrossan, Australia, in a rare mass beaching, according to reports.
Six were discovered on shore Monday, and a seventh was spotted several kilometers away. According to the Advertiser in Adelaide, an eighth whale was at risk of being stranded but was ushered into deeper waters by marine officials.
Dr. Deborah Kelly, an animal welfare manager on the case, called the beaching "rare" and "horrific," the outlet notes. She theorized that the whales either were feeding too close to shore and couldn't return out to sea or came to the aid of a sick whale in shallow water and got stuck there. "We'll probably never know," she said.
Sperm whales can measure between 49 and 59 feet long and weigh between 35 and 45 tons, according to National Geographic.
The spectacle of the leviathans on the sand attracted the curious -- and the larcenous. Some of the whales' valuable teeth were stolen overnight, prompting government officials to announce a fine of up to $100,000 for anyone coming within 50 meters of the carcasses, the Advertiser reported in a follow-up piece. Disease and the possibility of the carcasses exploding were also noted as reasons to keep onlookers away.
Authorities are pondering what to do with the whales before they badly decompose, the Australian Associated Press reports.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/09/sperm-whales-australia_n_6...
Dec 10, 2014
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2871250/Taken-wrong-turn-Mi...
Taken a wrong turn somewhere? Migrating flamingos head north rather than south... and end up in SIBERIA
By TED THORNHILL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 09:36 GMT, 12 December 2014 | UPDATED: 10:43 GMT, 12 December 2014
It could be a severe case of bird-bird, or strange patterns causing confusion, but at the moment scientists remain baffled about instances of flamingos flying north to bitterly cold Siberia for the winter, instead of south.
Four flamingos recently touched down in various parts of Siberia, to the astonishment of locals, in temperatures as low as -30C.
One landed in the Evenkia district of vast Krasnoyarsk region, which is just 310 miles south of the Arctic circle.
Chilly: One flamingo was spotted ambling along the snowy bank of the Usa River in Mezhdurechensk, Kemerovo region
Four flamingos recently touched down in various parts of Siberia, at the locations indicated on the map, to the astonishment of locals
Dec 12, 2014
KM
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/thousands-fish-dead-popular-mar...
Thousands of fish dead in popular Marion County lake - See more at:
MARION COUNTY, Fla. —
wildlife officials say thousands of fish in a popular Marion County lake are dead, and more could die in the next few days.
Residents say the dead fish in Lake Bryant near Levy Hammock Road are creating a terrible smell.
"About three days ago fish started washing up on shore," said Angela Rivers. "It was pretty sad though, all of the fish were at the top of the water, and you could see they were trying to get air.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials estimate more than 400,000 fish have died so far. Unusually large numbers of birds are showing up at the lake, eager to feed on the dead fish.
"The whole entire lake, including the canal, just looked like it was raining, but it was fish coming to the top," said Rivera.
Tuesday afternoon, Channel 9's Myrt Price was at Lake Bryant as fisherman, unaware of the problem, showed up to fish.
"There is no sense in going fishing, the fish are dying already. (I) can't take them home to or anything like that," said fisherman Larry Godfrey.
Some residents told Price that they were concerned that there might be an issue with the water, but they said wildlife officials showed up and put those fears to rest.
"They told us it was low oxygen levels, and that it is uncommon for this time of year, but it does happen," said Rivera.
Wildlife biologists took samples of the water and are conducting tests.
People who spoke to Price are convinced the fish population in the lake will bounce back.
"Nature will straighten this back out," said Rivera.
While there are still fish alive in the lake, wildlife officials said they expect more fish to die over the next few day.
Dec 12, 2014
SongStar101
Experts baffled at huge number of seals washing up dead in Cornwall, UK
http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/11655155.Experts_baffled_at_hu...
Huge numbers of dead seals have been found stranded on Cornish beaches recently, and wildlife experts admit they are baffled.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust says it has attended almost twice as many strandings of seals as would normally be expected for this time of year adding that, throughout October and November, 35 dead seals have washed up along the Cornish coastline, and over the same period a further 37 seals have been rescued alive from Cornish beaches by British Divers Marine Life Rescue.
Caz Waddell, from Cornwall Wildlife Trust said: “While bad weather will undoubtedly have been the cause of some of these strandings, the sheer number of cases has left us slightly baffled. We don’t yet have any answers as to why this is happening, but it shows just how important it is for people to tell us about any stranded marine animal they see. The more animals we can study, the more we can try to get to the bottom of what might be going on.”
“Although it would be easy to assume that large numbers of stranded seals might mean we have large populations of seals in our waters, this is simply not the case. Many people don’t realise that grey seals are actually an endangered species worldwide, and we are incredibly lucky to have them around our shores. Britain currently has over a third of the entire world’s population, and this of course means that we have an international responsibility to help in their protection and conservation.”
Sue Sayer from the Cornwall Seal Group added that while surveys by the group have shown that overall seal numbers in Cornwall have been relatively stable over the last eight years, recent strandings have included young adults in their prime.
“If we are losing breeding age adults from the population the implications for future generations could be huge. Whilst it is sadly quite common to find dead pups at this time of year, deaths of adult seals are more serious and we are concerned about the numbers that are dying around our coast”, said Sue
“Grey seals in Cornwall are highly mobile, moving internationally around the Celtic Seas. At least two individuals found dead in Cornwall were known to have been breeding seals from the island of Skomer in West Wales, an important Special Area of Conservation for seals. This highlights how important it is to remember the bigger picture. The large numbers of strandings occurring in Cornwall is of concern not just to us locally, but nationally as well.”
The Marine Strandings Network coordinates the investigation and recording of all dead stranded animals in Cornwall. Volunteers are sent to each animal in order to gather data about the individual, as well as the state of our marine environment such as incidents of pollution, entanglement in storm-damaged or discarded net, evidence of bycatch, and disease. Where possible animals are sent on to post-mortem to establish how they died.
Niki Clear from the Marine Strandings Network said that at the moment the spike in deaths remains a mystery.
“Further down the line these present trends may be nothing more than anomalies and the situation may return to normal. It’s only by gathering information about each case that we can build up a true picture of what is happening. We need to collect as much information as possible from these seals – and in fact from any dead marine animal we find”, said Niki.
“It’s not just seals that wash up dead along the Cornish coastline. The Marine Strandings Network has also attended over 80 strandings of dead dolphins, porpoises and whales, as well as three turtles, and one basking shark in the last year. In addition almost 2,000 stranded seabirds have been reported, plus thousands of fish and jellyfish.
Dec 13, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
https://yamkin.wordpress.com/2014/12/14/thousands-of-dead-fish-appe...
Thousands of dead fish appearing in various parts of Spain and Mexico
December 14 2014
Hundreds of fish found dead in Spain and Mexico – A strange phenomenon is common these days in Spain and Mexico. The presence of thousands of dead fish in Seville, Valencia and Veracruz. Were found in the last hours by residents in the area of the basin of La Marciega, Seville, in Lake La Devesa del Saler, in Valencia, Spain, and in the lagoon El Paraiso in Veracruz, Mexico, died in large numbers for reasons unexplained and stacked on the banks. according to experts at the origin of the death of so many fish in two different places of the world there may be a sudden change in climate, in this case a rapid change of temperature at which the fish would not be able to get used to and that would leave them without oxygen.
Another reason could be linked to the fact that the intense heat of the last days would have caused a high evaporation, leading to the death of many fish. In any case, the fish were removed from the three laghie will proceed to a thorough analysis of the water, to see if there have been poured potentially harmful substances. Also because, in the case of the lagoon of Veracruz in Mexico, is not the first time that such an episode occurs.
Dec 16, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/fish-deaths-a-smelly-shoc...
Fish deaths a smelly shock for Rockhampton resident
WHEN Alex Glover took his dog for an afternoon walk to the Rockhampton Ski Gardens on Wednesday, he stumbled upon something fishy.
Alex and his two friends saw what appeared to be hundreds of "white dots" floating on the waters of the Fitzroy River.
When they went closer to check it out, he realised those white dots were hundreds of dead fish.
Alex, 22, said the place smelt "a bit off" when he made his way towards water's edge but he never expected to see the river full of dead fish.
"When I walked towards the Ski Gardens I thought the bad smell was floodwater," he said.
"But when I got closer to the water I realised the white dots on the water were fish. I saw them all at once and instantly thought something in the water had poisoned them due to the amount of dead fish.
"I took some photos on my phone and posted them to Facebook. Heaps of people commented on the photos and said it might have been from the floodwater and from all of the rain."
A spokesperson from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) released a statement to the Bulletin yesterday.
The spokesperson said EHP had not received any reports of fish deaths in the vicinity of the Ski Gardens section of the Fitzroy River.
However, they had received a report of dead fish in Rockhampton's Yeppen Lagoon on Wednesday. EHP officers had inspected the area and took water samples for analysis.
"Initial results found low dissolved oxygen levels in the water," the spokesperson said.
"Other samples have been sent to a laboratory for further analysis. Recent high temperatures and a significantly increased in-flow to the lagoon may have contributed to the low oxygen levels.
"EHP will investigate the fish deaths in the vicinity of the Ski Gardens in the Fitzroy River."
Members of the public are encouraged to report further fish deaths to the department's pollution hotline on 1300 130 372.
Dec 19, 2014
SongStar101
Mystery as pigeons die in flocks
DOLAKHA, DEC 21 - Mystery surrounds the death of thousands of pigeons on the Bhimeshwor temple premises in the past week.
According to the people in Dolakha Bazaar, dead pigeons are lying on the streets, rooftops, gardens and paddy fields. The stench from dead birds pollutes the atmosphere.
“Approximately 5,000 pigeons have died in a week,” said Bharat Shrestha, treasurer of the Bhimeshwor temple prayer and trust management committee.
Authorities are yet to respond to the situation. Vets said an unidentified virus may be responsible for the menace while the locals have got into a panic fearing a disease outbreak in humans.
“Such cases happened in the past but the damage this time is terrible,” said temple caretaker Kashi Narayan Shrestha. He added that rooftops and areas surrounding the temple had yet to be cleared of dead pigeons.
Dec 22, 2014
sourabh kale
Seal found 20 miles inland near St Helens, UK
Mon, 22 Dec 2014
Seal washed up in a field in Newton-le-Willows near Warrington, Cheshire
The seal, which was discovered in Newton-le-Willows, near St Helens in Merseyside on Monday morning, was likely to have swum up to 50 miles away from its home before clambering into the fenced-off field from a nearby brook, experts said.
It was found in a "distressed" state by a dog-walker at about 9.45am, sparking a rescue operation involving the emergency services and the RSPCA as police warned locals to stay away from the "potentially dangerous" animal.
The creature, believed to be a juvenile male grey seal, was eventually coaxed into a trailer using mackerel as bait and taken to a wildlife centre for checks.
Farm owner Gary Watkinson, who owns the field where the seal was found, said: "We woke up this morning and found a seal in our field, which is quite unusual to say the least.
"We usually have a few ponies and a couple of sheep but never any seals. We're about 20 miles away from the coast.
"It's definitely come up from the brook near here. I tracked its movements and you can see the marks in the soil."
Rachael Fraser of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, told the Liverpool Echo the seal seemed "very stressed" and "a little dehydrated".
"There's a grey seal colony near Hilbre Island and that's where we think he's come from - but he's got very, very lost," she said.
From Hilbre Island at the mouth of the Dee Estuary the seal would have had to swim an estimated 50 miles, around the Wirral into the Mersey Estuary and then up a series of brooks to reach the field.
A seal was spotted by a member of the public in a field outside the Red Bank Farm Shop
"We've got traffic piled up with people looking at it, and there's lots of police here.
"They are trying to get near it but it's not very friendly."
A woman who lives nearby said she saw the seal when she opened her curtains - and assumed it was a pony which had collapsed.
She said: "I thought it must have been hurt. It was right up against next door's fence.
"The poor thing must be so scared."
Dec 22, 2014
sourabh kale
Wrong place, wrong time: European robin turns up thousands of miles...
Daily Express, UK
Sun, 21 Dec 2014 14:51
Photographers were awestruck by the sighting of a European robin in the Temple of Heaven
Take a peek at this week's photo and while the robin looks very much like your common-orgarden favourite, the way it was pictured in all its flame-toned glory has become the talk of the birdwatching world.
However this delightful individual has been holding court in Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park, creating the kind of scenes reminiscent of a rarity arrival on the Isles of Scilly or the north Norfolk coast.
How this robin arrived in the Chinese capital thousands of miles from its European home is open to conjecture. There is increasing evidence that small populations of migratory birds often take a "left-hand turn" and fly in the reverse direction in autumn as a survival technique against a possible disaster on their normal wintering ranges.
Whatever the reason for the robin's arrival in Beijing, its presence has been headline news and the talk among China's burgeoning birding community or, to be more accurate, bird photographers who have turned up in huge numbers to get the kind of close up that epitomises the festive season in the UK.
Beijing-based British birder Terry Townshend says that besides providing a fascinating subject for the photographers, the robin has also proven to be an exceptional diplomat for advancing the cause of bird conservation. "It's been a great chance to raise awareness among Beijingers about the importance of the city's parks for wild birds as well as highlighting the dangers they face from poachers," Terry tells me.
"Bird trappers are commonly encountered in the Temple of Heaven, even though taking any bird from the wild is illegal without a permit."
Terry, an independent consultant on environmental law who is aiding the development of Chinese legislation, also gave an exciting account of how a bird so common back home in Britain got his pulse thumping.
News of the robin broke when a Beijing photographer posted pictures of a "mystery bird" on a Chinese internet forum.
Sharp-eyed birders Huang Hanchen and Li Xiaomai raised the alarm and the following morning Terry and three young Chinese birdwatchers were in the Temple of Heaven Park.
"After a three-hour search, there was no sign of the robin until... I decided to walk one more circuit around an area of shrubs that looked the most likely spot for a robin," explained Terry.
"Along the last line of shrubs I suddenly heard a call, one that I immediately recognised. It was hard to believe and I almost felt embarrassed but my heart leapt.
"Little did we know what a fuss this bird would cause. On a single day that week there were more than 150 photographers."
Dec 23, 2014
SongStar101
500 crows found dead in Tarn Taran village, (Punjab, in northern India)
Dec 21
Nearly 500 crows have been found dead in the past four days at Baghiari village near Tarn Taran, which is close to a bird sanctuary at Sarai Amanat Khan. With bird flu causing deaths of geese at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh, senior officials of the Animal Husbandry Department have responded quickly to take preventive measures in the area. The district administration is also on alert. “The reasons for the birds’ deaths could be the use of pesticide in fields, contaminated water or the cold wave. However, we have sent the carcasses of birds to Regional Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalandhar to know the exact cause of the deaths,” said Dr Raminder Monga, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department. He added that it would take six days to know the reason for such a high bird mortality,” said Dr Monga. Deputy Commissioner Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal met officials of various departments and constituted response teams. Amarinder Singh Tiwana, a PCS officer, has been made the point person to coordinate with all teams. Dhaliwal urged people in the area to stay alert and do not panic. “We are keeping a close watch on the areas where migratory birds land in a big number. We have collected blood samples of migratory birds from Harike Wildlife Sanctuary,” he said. Wildlife officials at the Harike sanctuary, spread over about 90 km, have gone into overdrive following the reports of avian influenza at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh. Harike Divisional Forest Officer Neeraj Gupta said the bird droppings had been sent for investigation to ascertain their health status. “We have also banned the entry of visitors to the lake. All steps are being taken as a precautionary measure following the bird flu scare,” Gupta said.
Dec 26, 2014
SongStar101
Two rare sea turtles found washed up on Britain's shores
Critically-endangered Kemp’s ridley turtles were found in Cumbria and Merseyside, 5,000 miles from their home
Two rare sea turtles have washed ashore on beaches in the North West, some 5,000 miles from their home in the Gulf of Mexico.
The critically-endangered Kemp’s ridley turtles were found in Cumbria and Merseyside, and it is feared that more could yet appear.
Rod Penrose, a Marine mammal expert, said that they could have been “cold-stunned” by a drop in ocean temperatures in the US, which would leave them unable to feed or swim against strong currents.
Rob Archer, who was walking with his girlfriend on Saturday when he found one of the turtles on Sefton Beach, near Formby, told the Liverpool Echo: “At first I thought it was a crab.
“It seemed in a stupor as if there wasn’t much life left in it.
“My first thought was to put it back in the sea so I walked out into some deeper water and it swam away.”
However, the turtle washed ashore again nearby on Monday afternoon and is now being cared for at RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire.
The turtle which washed ashore in Cumbria’s Walney Island on Sunday has been taken to the Lake District Coast Aquarium in Maryport.
Expert warn that the anyone who finds a turtle should call the RSPCA and not put it back in the sea.
Mr Penrose, who warned that there was likely more turtles struggling of the coast of Britain, told the BBC: “The sea temperatures on the east coast of the USA recently dropped causing large numbers of Kemp's ridleys to become cold-stunned.
"This condition leaves the turtles in a lethargic condition unable to feed or swim against strong currents.
"The two turtles currently in rehab are very likely as a result of this event."
The discoveries emerge just a day after a seal had to be rescued from a field more than 20 miles inland, also in Merseyside.
The adult seal, who is believed to have got lost, has now been transported almost 200 miles across the country from where he was found to the charity's specialist facility in East Winch, Norfolk. Centre manager Alison Charles said: "At the moment we are keeping him under close observation.
Dec 26, 2014
KM
http://www.thestate.com/2014/12/27/3895515_mass-starfish-stranding-...
Mass starfish stranding reported on Fripp Island, South Carolina.
BY REBECCA LURYE December 27, 2014
SUBMITTED PHOTO — Rick Stein
FRIPP ISLAND, SC — Thousands of starfish were stranded on Fripp Island on Christmas Eve, likely because of the day's stormy weather, according to a marine veterinarian.
Al Segars of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources said he had not looked into the stranding, but said strong winds could have caused the creatures, also known as sea stars, to wash ashore. Christmas Day beachgoers estimated that roughly 100,000 sea stars were on the beach.
The Sea Islands experienced the same thing last year, Segars said.
"I wouldn't say it's anything out of the ordinary," he said. "These guys are just sitting on the bottom, so if you've got a strong wave action, they can't fight the current."
George Sedberry, a science coordinator in national Office of Marine Sanctuaries, said he has not studied this stranding but offered other possible explanations for the sea stars' deaths.
The creatures have poor tolerance for water with low dissolved oxygen, which can wreck a population, Sedberry said. Those events are commonly reported in the Myrtle Beach area, but a dip in oxygen levels is unlikely to occur in the winter or as far south as Fripp, Sedberry said.
Some of the sea stars could also have been unintentionally caught by shrimp trawlers and then discarded, Sedberry said. He noted there may have been increased fishing to meet seafood demand for the holidays, as well as to prepare for the upcoming end of commercial shrimping season.
Segars said it's possible fishing played a role in the stranding, though he's seen similar events before when no trawling was occurring.
"I don't know how you would differentiate between the two (causes)," he added.
A wasting disease has decimated Pacific starfish populations in recent years, but Segars said he is confident a virus is not to blame.
"We haven't seen any evidence of that" in this area, he said.
Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/12/27/3895515_mass-starfish-stranding-...
Dec 30, 2014
SongStar101
One more Dead Whale found in Odisha Coast within a few days
http://www.bhubaneswarbuzz.com/updates/odisha-news/one-dead-whale-f...
In the second incident of its kind this month, the carcass of a large whale was found at the Gouda Nuagaon beach under Krushnaprasad block near Brahmagiri in Odisha’s Puri district today.
The dead whale measuring around 30 feet in length, 12-15 feet in girth and weighing approximately 10 tonnes was sighted by villagers at about 2 pm today.
Curious villagers have gathered in huge numbers on the beach to have a glimpse of the large aquatic mammal. Awestruck by the size of the dead creature, the villagers said they had never seen anything like in their lifetime.
Dec 31, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-society/scores-of-...
Scores of dead fish washed ashore
CHENNAI, January 1, 2015
Updated: January 1, 2015 03:14 IST
A large quantity of dead fish was washed ashore along the coastline from Srinivasapuram up to Ashtalakshmi temple in Besant Nagar on Wednesday.
Fisherfolk, dependent on the Adyar estuary for their livelihood, were shocked by this sudden surge of dead fish.
R. Suresh, a fisherman from Nadukkuppam, said release of untreated hazardous wastewater from a couple of hospitals could have caused the death of the aquatic life. “Since yesterday, we have been sensing a stench and then, this morning, saw the huge quantity of dead fish on the shore,” he said.
S. Palayam, president, Oorurkuppam Fishermen Cooperative Society, said he, along with five other fishermen, could earn nearly Rs, 2,000 by spreading their nets at the mouth of the estuary. Similarly, a good quantity of prawn was also caught in the bay, he said, adding that the release of untreated hazardous waste into the Adyar River had led to the death of fish.
“It not only affects the fish, but even the prawn fingerlings get wiped out due to contamination by polluted waste. So far, we have not had such a large-scale death of fish in our area,” he said. Mullet, sardine and milk fish were the three species found in abundance in the area, he added.
Pooja Kumar, of Coastal Resource Centre, Besant Nagar, said they got the call from fishermen around 3 a.m. on Wednesday about the dead fish washed ashore. A drainage pipe on the old Adyar bridge had got damaged in some portions, from which the sewage seems to have leaked into the river. Thus, the water passing through Adyar Creek before reaching the Bay of Bengal could have become contaminated, resulting in the mass death of fish, she explained.
Nearly five lorry loads of dead fish were collected by unidentified persons, who said they would sell them to units manufacturing poultry feed.
Mr. Palayam said that, on several occasions, the fishermen had complained to authorities about the release of untreated raw sewage into Adyar River. But, so far, no action had been taken. The rise of new hotels and residential apartments near the coast along Foreshore Estate exacerbated the issue, he said.
Sources with the fisheries department said eutrophication (presence of excessive nutrients due to increased presence of algae) could have caused the death.
Jan 1, 2015
Howard
Rare Ocean Sunfish Caught Off Pakistan (Dec 31)
According to WWF Pakistan, it was caught in a net by fishermen in Ormara town in Gwadar District of Balochistan.
They are commonly observed off the southern coasts of Africa, but never before in the northern Arabian Sea.
This particular fish was measured to be about 1.8 meters in length and weighed about 450Kg.
The fishermen released it back into the sea after 20 minutes.
Sources
http://www.geo.tv/article-170357-Rare-Ocean-Sunfish-discovered-for-...
http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mola_mola/
Jan 2, 2015
SongStar101
Dead whale washed ashore in island, India
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/dead-whale-washed-...
A giant Blue Whale was found washed ashore on Valai island, one of the 21 islands in the Gu
lf of Mannar region.
Wildlife Warden, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, Deepak Bilgi said the marine mammal was found dead near the shore of the island two days back and initial studies revealed that it had died long back.
As the whale was found away from the shore, post-mortem could not be conducted immediately, he said, adding the whale was expected to hit the shore on Friday. A veterinary surgeon would be taken to the island, situated six km off Devipattinam near here, for conducting the post-mortem, he said.
The whale, measuring about 50 feet length, could weigh about six tonnes. The cause of the death would be known only after the post-mortem, he added.
Fishermen from Vedalai alerted the forest officials on Tuesday about ‘some giant black object’ floating near Valai island. Anti-poaching watchers swam close to the “object” and found it to be a whale, sources in the forest department said.
The carcass was found stuck in sand, the sources said. Anti-poaching watchers and guards were posted at the island for security.
They were constantly sending reports about the ‘movement’ of the dead whale to the higher officials, the sources added.
Jan 4, 2015
SongStar101
Beaches closed as sharks feed on whale carcass near shoreline on NSW South Coast,Australia
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-07/beaches-closed-sharks-spotted...
The young humpback whale was spotted off the rocks at the popular swimming beach on Wednesday morning, according to Stan Wall from Lifeguard Services Australia.
A 100m exclusion zone was set up around the whale and at one point a crowd of more than 300 people gathered to watch.
However, Mr Wall said, after some time, lifeguards in the area were unable to see any spray or air bubbles coming from the animal and it was presumed dead.
"We think it might have come into collision with a boat or maybe even hurt itself on the rocks that we saw it on this morning," Mr Wall said.
Jan 8, 2015
SongStar101
Spate of beaked whale deaths puzzle Scots experts
http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/spate-of-beaked-whale-deat...
A SPATE of deaths of the world’s deepest-diving mammal around the west coast of Scotland has left marine experts baffled.
Scientists at the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) and Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) say an unusually large number of Cuvier’s beaked whales have been found dead over the past couple of weeks.
The species, also known as the goose-beaked whale, is rarely seen due to its hunting grounds being around 80 miles offshore, but five carcasses were found washed up on Scottish shores in December.
This amounts to a five-fold increase in the number of annual strandings reported for the species in each of the previous three years.
Last month’s “weather bomb”, an unidentified disease or even interference from sonar operations at sea have all been considered as potential causes, but scientists say evidence is conflicting since only a single species appears to have been affected. The badly decomposed state of the corpses has meant post-mortem examinations have also failed to provide any pointers.
“There are no obvious clues as to what is causing such a sudden increase in strandings of this species,” said Dr Conor Ryan, sightings and strandings officer for HWDT.
“While the very intense storms of mid-December may be partly to blame, this does not explain why we are finding just one deep-diving species in such high numbers.”
There was a similar unexplained spike in strandings during 2008, although there was a mix of deep-diving species among the 57 fatalities.
SMASS director Dr Andrew Brownlow said: “We don’t receive many reports of them and to receive so many over the western seaboard is unusual.
“First of all, do these have a single origin? Is there something that has happened at a single place that has cause a lot of deaths, and the bodies have gradually been moved by tides and currents and are now washing up on beaches?
“The recent massive storm surge and huge swell will have scoured the eastern Atlantic and brought things from a long way out to sea and dumped them on western shores.
“However, if it was simply a question of weather and we happened to be a catchment area because a westerly was pushing dead animals on to the beaches when normally they would sink, we would expect lots of other whales as well.
“This is making us believe that perhaps there is something specifically affecting this species.”
Dr Ryan said an Irish whale and dolphin group had also recorded similarly high deaths of Cuvier’s beaked whales, which can grow up to 23 feet long.
Five were found dead along the west and north coast in December, accounting for almost 10 per cent of all known strandings of the species since records began.
The SMASS has only recorded 37 strandings of the species in Scotland in the past 25 years – 17 of these during the 2008 spike.
Recent beachings were on the Isle of Mull, the coast of Sutherland and Borve Point on Benbecula, in the Outer Hebrides.
The Cuvier’s whale holds the world record for the longest and deepest dive for a mammal – down to 2,992 metres for a staggering two hours and 17 minutes. The pressure at this depth is 300kg per square centimetre.
There are no global population estimates for the species, although they are generally thought to be one of the most abundant of the beaked whales.
Deepest diver can live for up to 40 years
Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) is the only member of the genus Ziphius and is the most widely distributed of the beaked whales.
One animal has been recorded diving down to 9,816ft (2,992 metres) below the waves, which is around 6.75 times the height of the Empire State Building.
The creature has a robust, cigar-shaped body similar to other beaked whales.
It can grow up to 23ft (7 metres) long and can weigh 5,500lb (2,500kg).
The whale has a small dorsal fin and flippers to prevent drag while swimming.
It lives for around 40 years and feeds on different species of squid and deep sea fish.
Cuvier’s whales can be found in a number of different deep offshore waters from the tropics to cool seas.
It is thought there may be over 100,000 of the creatures in seas across the world.
The whale gets its name from the anatomist George Cuvier – who first described its imperfect skull, in 1804.
Jan 8, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2914141/There-s-jellyfishy-...
There's something jellyfishy going on: Thousands of Blue Blubbers spectacularly invade the Gold Coast waters
PUBLISHED: 00:13 GMT, 17 January 2015 | UPDATED: 00:46 GMT, 17 January 2015
A giant swarm of blue jellyfish has invaded the pristine waters of the Gold Coast, forming a spectacular display as the mass of creatures congregated in Queensland's iconic Surfer's Paradise.
Spotted just off Narrowneck, near the northern end of Surfer's Paradise beach, the school of jellyfish extended for 50 metres in circumference.
Photographer and lifesaver Grahame Long captured footage of the blue jellyfish as he patrolled the beach, about 400 metres offshore.
“I’ve seen plenty of jellyfish around before but this was certainly the thickest I’ve ever seen, Mr Long told The Gold Coast Bulletin.
'They were congregated in one area.'
Local residents have reported sightings of the jellyfish for several weeks, after the swarm blew in just after Christmas.
One Twitter user labelled it a 'jellyfish explosion', while others found the idea of the swarm either 'terrifying' or 'incredible'.
Local residents have reported sightings of the jellyfish for several weeks
source
Jan 17, 2015
SongStar101
14 whales and 16 turtles found dead in Baja California Sur
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/in-english/2015/14-whales-and-16-turt...
14 gray whales and 16 sea turtles were found dead in the Baja California Sur coast, according to the Federal Attorney's Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa).
According to specialists, the death of cetaceans could be due to natural causes, as this is a breeding area for the mammals, so it is common the whale calves get lost or are abandoned by the mother, so they do not receive adequate nutrition and die.
Jan 19, 2015
SongStar101
314 turtles wash ashore dead on Chennai beaches in 20 days, India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/314-turtles-wash-as...
CHENNAI: The nesting season for Olive Ridley turtles is barely 20 days old and already 314 turtles have washed ashore dead on the city's beaches. Conservationists say the turtles die after getting stuck in trawlers' fishing nets.
On Saturday morning, 60 turtles were found dead on the stretch between Neelankarai beach and Alamparai village in Kancheepuram district, according to Tree Foundation that patrols the stretch every year during the nesting season. "The numbers are alarmingly high this year and we are just into the second week of the season that will continue till March-end," said Tree Foundation founder-chairperson Supraja Dharini. Tree Foundation volunteers buried the dead turtles near the shore later in the night.
Members and volunteers of the Students' Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN), a group that patrols the coastline from Neelankarai to Napier's Bridge, including Marina and Elliot's beaches, reported 70 dead turtles were washed ashore. SSTCN coordinator V Arun said, "Considering that only 5-6% of the dead turtles are washed ashore, the real death toll could be many times higher."
According to turtle conservation groups, most of the deaths are caused due to the failure in implementing the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1983, which prohibits fishing trawlers from operating within 5 km of the shore.
"Female turtles on their way to the shore to lay eggs are trapped in fishing nets of mechanised boats, gill nets or ray fishing nets. Most fishermen who find dead turtles in their nets throw them back into the sea," said Dharini.
On Pattipulam beach, between Mamallapuram and Nemmeli, more than 20 dead turtles were found. Kodandapani, who found the carcasses, alerted the local turtle conservationist group.
"Most of the bodies were bloated. Eggs were falling out of a dead female turtle that had died after making it to the shore. I spotted dead turtles every 50 feet," said Kodandapani.
The state fisheries department now plans to conduct demonstrations of the Turtle Excluder Device (TED). "When fitted in fishing nets, it can facilitate escape of a captured turtle. Fishermen will be educated on using the device," said an official.
Turtles that need to breathe fresh air every 45 minutes die when trapped underwater in fishing nets.
The department, along with Tree Foundation, held a demonstration for Kasimedu fishermen on January 13, and another two-day session is planned on January 20 and 21.
On January 13, the fishermen agreed to not fish within 5 km of the shore and also promised to stay away from estuaries that teem with turtles during the season.
Jan 19, 2015
SongStar101
Another whale washes ashore on Broulee beach
http://www.batemansbaypost.com.au/story/2825214/another-whale-washe...
The dead whale was first spotted 300 metres out to see off North Head Beach, forcing lifeguards to close to beach for swimmers safety.
Around mid-day on Saturday the whale was found washed ashore on South Broulee Beach, which was then also closed.
Police attended the scene and taped off a 100-metre exclusion zone around the whale to keep onlookers away.
The whale looked as though it may have been dead for some time and had large chunks missing from its body.
A council spokeswoman said it was not the same whale that was towed out to sea by a fisherman after it washed onto the rocks at South Broulee Beach on January 7.
The spokeswoman said council staff buried the dead whale carcass on Saturday afternoon.
“Council staff buried the carcass in the dunes well away from Broulee Surf Club,” she said.
“The hole was dug with an excavator and the carcass was secured with chains and pulled up from the beach.”
It took the council staff six hours to move and bury the dead whale.
"It (burying the whale) was complete by 10pm," the spokeswoman said.
Both beaches were reopened on Sunday.
This is the third dead whale to be found on Eurbodalla beaches this summer.
Jan 20, 2015
SongStar101
Whale carcass washes up underneath busy Seattle,WA ferry dock
http://news.yahoo.com/whale-carcass-washes-underneath-busy-seattle-...
Transportation officials had wanted to move the carcass away from the ferry terminal before the busy evening rush hour.
"It's the smell," said Susan Harris, a spokeswoman with Washington State Ferries. "More than anything, it's upsetting for people to see."
Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would soon move the body again to a more remote pier to perform a necropsy and determine cause of death, she said.
The whale's body, discovered late on Wednesday, was estimated at between 25 and 35 feet (7.6 and 10.6 meters) long and apparently drifted in from open waters, lodging under the busy Colman Dock in Seattle.
There has been no impact on ferry service, used by thousands of commuters each day to reach jobs in Seattle.
The gray whale gets its name from its mottled gray skin, according to local whale research group, the Orca Network.
The whales live in the Pacific Ocean, traveling from Baja to the Pacific Northwest, and generally arrive in the Washington state area in late winter or early spring, the group said.
The population is protected under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act, and because of their migration pattern along the busy West Coast, gray whales are vulnerable to collisions with boats, entanglement in fishing gear and pollution, NOAA said.
Gray whales were removed from the U.S. List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in 1994 after it was determined their once dwindling population had recovered to near its original size, NOAA said.
Jan 23, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/about-fish-die-outside-lace...
About 4,500 fish die outside Lacey power plant
Posted: Thursday, January 22, 2015 6:07 pm
About 4,500 bunker fish have died this week in a small pool of water outside the Oyster Creek Power Plant in Lacey, a spokesman from the state Department of Environmental Protection said Thursday.
For unknown reasons, a few hundred thousand bunker fish left the Barnegat Bay and swam up a channel to the nuclear power plant. The water there is warm — which is why the fish are staying — but the pool is too small for all of them. Larry Ragonese, press director for the DEP, said there is too much oxygen and nitrogen in the water, resulting in a few hundred of the fish dying each day.
Ragonese said the nuclear plant is operating properly and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is aware of the situation.
Exelon Generation, which owns and operates the Oyster Creek Power Plant, said in a statement that it was working closely with the DEP and an independent fish pathologist to better understand what caused the death of the fish.
“There is no indication that this environmental anomaly is the result of plant operations,” the statement said.
Ragonese said there is not much the DEP can do about moving the fish out of the pool of water. Normally the fish would leave on their own, but Ragonese speculated they are comfortable in the warm water, even if it’s bad for their health.
“What we have is a strange seasonal anomaly,” Ragonese said. “There’s no rhyme or reason to it.”
Ragonese described the canal to the plant as a “one-way street” and said turning the fish around may be difficult because the water outside the pool is colder.
There is no way of knowing what moved the fish toward the plant. Ragonese said bunker fish swim in huge schools and tend to be skittish, so it’s possible a predator may have scared the fish and diverted them toward the plant.
Jan 23, 2015
Poli
The frilled shark is often termed a 'living fossil', being one of two remaining species of an ancient family dating back 80 million years.
Rarely sighted by humans, the shark is truly a creature of the deep - it has been caught as deep as 1,570m but is uncommon below 1,200m. This specimen, however, was caught at 700m.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/01/21/frilled-sh...
http://www.skynews.com.au/news/offbeat/2015/01/21/aussie-trawler-ca...
Jan 24, 2015
SongStar101
Dead whale washed ashore at Fairy Meadow,AU
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/2838628/dead-whale-washed-...
A FIVE metre long whale carcass has been found washed ashore between Fairy Meadow and Towradgi beaches this morning.
The female adult pilot whale died at sea from natural causes according to the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA).
‘‘The whale was showing clear signs of illness, it was underweight and excessive lice was found in its mouth,’’ said ORRCA spokeswoman Shona Lorigan.
ORRCA members reported the whale's condition to the National Parks and Wildlife Service before working with Wollongong City Council to remove the body.
While there have been numerous recent reports of deceased marine life found ashore on the South Coast, there was nothing unusual about the beached carcass, according to ORRCA.
‘‘It’s actually quite common for whales to die of natural causes such as disease at sea and to be washed ashore,’’ Ms Lorigan said.
‘‘It’s important for people to let us know in these cases so we can get members down there and get information quickly through to the National Parks service.’’
The carcass is in the process of being buried.
Jan 26, 2015
SongStar101
Hundreds of Dead Birds in North Iceland
http://icelandreview.com/news/2015/01/25/hundreds-dead-birds-north-...
Hundreds of dead guillemots were recently found by farmer Gunnar Óli Hákonarson at Sandur in Aðaldalur, North Iceland. The birds, which were found on a beach east of the mouth of Skjálfandafljót river, are believed to have died from starvation due to bad weather in December. Foxes and ravens have been scavenging on the bird carcasses.
Böðvar Þórisson at the Natural Institute of the West Fjords told mbl.is this week that a large number of seabirds were found dead in Ísafjörður earlier this month. An increase in seagulls, which are more aggressive in their feeding habits, may be to blame, he said.
According to Róbert Á. Stefánsson at the Natural Institute of West Iceland, even seagulls have been hungry this winter.
Jan 26, 2015
SongStar101
Rare megamouth shark washes up in the Philippines
January 27 2015
http://www.earthtouchnews.com/oceans/sharks/rare-megamouth-shark-wa...
shark ever seen washed ashore this morning in Marigondon, a port in the Albay province of the Philippines. Initial reports suggest the shark (Megachasma pelagios) was approximately five metres (16 ft.) in length, but until a necropsy can be performed, the finer details about the animal (including the cause of death) will remain a mystery. Sightings like this are rare ... so rare, in fact, that when the first megamouth was spotted in 1976, a new shark family, genus and species had to be created!
These bizarre deep-diving animals are characterised by their bulbous snouts, loose skin, poorly calcified skeletons and (of course) their mega-mouths, which extend upward beyond the eyes. Only two living specimens have ever been studied by researchers, so every find is a big deal for science.
"The 6th shark offered the most important insights into the behaviour of this species," notes Florida Museum of Natural History's Carol Martins. Scientists were able to tag and follow the shark for two days – something that had never been done before! "One of the conclusions of these observations is that megamouth probably [spends] the daytime in deep waters and [ascends] to mid-water depths at night," she says, adding that this may have to do with the krill that make up the megamouth's diet, which migrate from deep to shallow water.
Now with fifteen sightings, the Philippines has recorded the second-highest number of megamouths of any country in the world (next to Japan), including this incredible 5.5-metre (18 ft), 900-pound behemoth, which has been carefully preserved at D' Bone Collector Museum by the museum's owner Darrell Blatchley.
Feb 1, 2015
SongStar101
Sick Sea Lions Wash Ashore at Alarming Rate
Already, 2015 is shaping up to be a dire year for sick sea lions.
http://patch.com/california/lagunaniguel-danapoint/sick-sea-lions-w...
The Pacific Marine Mammal Center will release a recently nursed-back-to-health sea lion back into the ocean at Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach Tuesday.
The center usually doesn’t see any ill sea lions washing ashore this time of the year, but already more than two dozen have needed treatment by the only licensed agency in the county.
At most, two or three might end up on the beach and need a rescue, but the center has taken in 28 this month while 13 sea lion pups washed ashore in December, Executive Director Keith Matassa said.
Further alarming the center’s experts is an influx of varying species, Matassa added.
“The difference this year is we’re also seeing different species we don’t normally see down here,” Matassa said.
For instance, there have been sightings of fur seals who are usually seen further north, Matassa said.
The center’s officials are also concerned that adult sea lions are washing up ashore ill -- usually it’s only the young who require rescues, Matassa said.
In 2013, a record-setting year, the problem of sea lions coming ashore was limited mostly to Southern California, but now the entire coast is being affected, Matassa said.
One theory is that the fish the sea lions feed on have moved due to changing currents and temperatures. Sea lion mothers are “working double time to produce milk to nurse pups... and the milk’s not as nutritious,” Matassa said.
Most experts pin the problem on climate change affecting the habitat, creating a domino effect of problems, Matassa said.
Research has shown radiation from the meltdown of a nuclear power plant in Japan did not pose any issues for the sea lions, Matassa added.
The experts have also ruled out any diseases plaguing the sea lions, Matassa said.
“There just isn’t one smoking gun,” he said.
The influx of sick sea lions has put a heavy burden on the center, which doesn’t usually have to start ramping up services until the spring, Matassa said. The center expects it could be just as bad as 2013 because it’s an El Nino year, he added.
“This is even busier now than it was in 2013,” Matassa said. “All of this is putting a strain on our budget because we’re 100 percent donor funded.”
The center will receive a $10,000 donation Tuesday from a restaurant group -- The Deck on Laguna Beach, the Bungalows at Pacific Edge Hotel and Driftwood Kitchen.
Feb 1, 2015
SongStar101
Female killer whale washed up on beach in Co Waterford, Ireland
Biologists say 5 metre carcass is so large it must be cut up on beach before being removed
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/female-killer-whale-wash...
Marine biologists are working to remove the body of a killer whale which washed up on a beach near Tramore in Waterford on Friday morning.
The five metre whale was spotted by a passerby who alerted members of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG).
It is believed the predatory mammal may have died of malnutrition and was dead before it washed up on shore.
“It’s probably a youngish female, but its teeth are worn down which is kind of surprising. Looking at the teeth you’d think it’s a very old animal,” said Andrew Malcolm of the IWDG.
“When you see the teeth as worn down as that you would speculate that it could be malnourished, and that it wasn’t getting enough to eat.
“It doesn’t look particularly malnourished to me compared to some I’ve seen washed up, but we won’t be able to tell for sure until after the postmortem,” he added.
The large size of the creature means that it will have to be removed from the beach on a phased basis.
Members of the marine biology unit at Galway Mayo IT are currently working on extracting vital organs and blubber from the stricken animal. It is hoped its skeleton can be preserved and mounted in the local area following the postmortem.
“The cutting up of the animal would be done on the beach. If it was a smaller animal they’d probably stick it on a trailer and take it back, but because it’s such a big animal stranded on the beach means that it will have to be done on-site,” said Mr Malcolm.
Sightings of orca whales in Irish waters are rare and just 15 carcasses have been recovered from these shores over the course of the last century.
The last such record was at Tullaghan Bay, Co Mayo in 2010.
The whale’s location has perplexed some, given that virtually all killer whale sightings occur along the west and south west coast. Indeed, the last sighting in the Dunmore East area was recorded four decades ago, according to Mr Malcolm.
He says that although a pod of nine whales regularly visits the waters off Ireland’s west coast it is not thought the Tramore whale belongs to that group.
Saleen beach has been busy since the discovery was made with people visiting the site to look at the deceased animal.
“It’s pretty mad down here, there’s just a constant stream of people coming, taking selfies of themselves with the whale,” said Mr Malcolm.
He also cautioned against any physical contact with the whale’s remains, as it is not yet certain as to whether it died of some kind of contractible illness or disease.
Members of the IWDG are on site to protect the scene from vandals.
This follows the carving of names and initials into the body of a sperm whale which washed up in nearby Dungarvan two years ago.
Feb 1, 2015
Howard
Birds Mysteriously Dying in Oklahoma (Jan 30)
Friday morning, there were hundreds of dead grackle and starlings.
Some of the dead birds were stuck in the trees, others fell to the ground.
“I've lived in Oklahoma all my life and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Joel Seymour, a truck driver, who stopped in the Walmart parking lot.
“Just strikes you as odd. I don’t know what is going on,” Seymour said.
Source
http://www.koco.com/crime/Birds-mysteriously-dying-in-El-Reno/31019254
Feb 3, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://autimes.com.au/australia/western-australia/thousands-of-dead...
Feb 03, 2015 09:45:49
Thousands of passed fish found in WA’s Collie River
Photo:
Cobbler and redfin roost were among a class found passed in a Collie River.(Supplied: Department of Water)
Authorities are questioning either new complicated rainfall caused thousands of fish to die in a Collie River, in WA’s South West.
About 3,000 fish, including cobbler and redfin perch, have been found passed in a eastern bend of a river, about 7 kilometres from a Collie townsite.
People have been warned not to eat or hoop a fish.
Department of Water orator Adam Maskew pronounced initial exam formula were approaching after on Tuesday.
“At a moment, we’ve collected samples of a passed fish and marron and we’re endeavour pathology tests,” he said.
“Water samples have also been taken for research as well.”
Feb 3, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Wildlife-officials-probing-de...
Mass pigeon deaths alarm biologists; public asked for help
Updated 9:09 pm, Monday, February 2, 2015
An alarming increase in the number of dead and dying band-tailed pigeons along the California coast has prompted wildlife biologists to ask the public for help documenting the apparent decline of the only native pigeon left in the state.
At least 1,000 of the pigeons, which winter in Central and Southern California, have been found dead in Santa Clara and Santa Barbara counties since December, the apparent victims of a parasite spread by the common rock pigeon, said Krysta Rogers, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The sudden increase in mortality is disturbing, Rogers said, because the closest living relative to the extinct passenger pigeon has been struggling for decades to recover from rampant hunting, habitat loss and other environmental problems.
“The potential death of a thousand pigeons is very concerning, especially since they have a relatively low reproductive rate. A pair produces about one chick per year,” Rogers said. “When there is really high mortality like this, it can take the population years to recover. In addition to that, these mortality events with band-tailed pigeons have been reported with increasing frequency over the past 10 years.”
Feb 3, 2015
SongStar101
150 Sea Turtles Found Dead In A Lagoon Of Mexico
http://www.ecanadanow.com/science/2015/02/01/150-sea-turtles-found-...
According to Mexico News Daily, investigators with the federal environmental protection agency said Saturday the green sea turtles were found in the Ojo de Liebre lagoon, on the Pacific side of Baja California Sur state. The agency said it would be difficult to determine the exact cause of death due to the advanced state of decomposition of the remains.
The agency said a cold front that lowered temperatures in the region may have caused the deaths but investigators also would try to determine whether some sort of contamination might have played a role.
Green sea turtles move across three habitat types, depending on their life stage. They lay eggs on beaches. Mature turtles spend most of their time in shallow, coastal waters with lush seagrass beds. Adults frequent inshore bays, lagoons and shoals with lush seagrass meadows. Entire generations often migrate between one pair of feeding and nesting areas
It was the third time this year that dead marine life has been encountered in the area. On January 13, 14 dead gray whales were found but their deaths were not considered out of the ordinary in comparison with other
Feb 4, 2015
SongStar101
Scientists alarmed by rise in dolphin strandings on Irish shores
Nearly 20 dolphins have been found stranded on beaches since the start of the year
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/scientists-alarmed-by-ri...
The number of common dolphins stranded throughout the country since October is close to the amount that should be expected for an entire year, according to marine biologist Dr Simon Berrow.
“The number of dolphins we’ve had washed up in the last few weeks is shocking in terms of conservation and management,” said Dr Berrow, a member of the Marine Biodiversity Research Group at Galway Mayo IT (GMIT).
“Last year it wasn’t such a big issue, but this year we’re back up to a big peak in strandings. A lot of them have ropes around their tails, they have marks that are consistent with being caught in fishing nets,” added the marine expert, who was part of a team that performed an autopsy on the carcass of a female killer whale found in Tramore on Saturday.
“We’ve had 10 strandings of the Cuvier’s beaked whale which is really, really rare. We usually get one every few years, but we’ve had 10 over the last few weeks, and they’ve had six or seven in Scotland as well,” he said.
The discovery of the orca whale’s remains was regarded as an intriguing novelty by researchers, but the alarming increase in dolphin and Cuvier’s whale strandings – where the animals found are usually dead – has caused some consternation in the scientific community.
Figures compiled by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) illustrate a marked increase in common dolphin strandings since 2010, when just five were reported here. There were around 100 sightings of stranded common dolphins in 2013, and following a lull early last year the numbers now appear to be on the rise.
Approximately 30 such incidents have been recorded since last October, according to Dr Berrow, but a lack of expertise means researchers can’t definitively say why the situation appears to be deteriorating once again.
Ireland is one of the few coastal EU countries which does not have a dedicated post-mortem system for deceased marine animals, despite it having one of the largest whale and dolphin populations on the continent.
“The big problem is that there’s no official post-mortem programme in Ireland, so when these things happen we don’t know the cause of death.
“These things get washed up and we say ‘wow, this is really, really unusual, something’s happened offshore’ but we can’t then follow up and say this is caused by fisheries interaction, pollution or anything else because we don’t know ... We need to address it to be honest because these animals are dying,” he said.
Latest estimates by the IUCN conservation red list puts the number of common dolphins on European continental shelf waters at just under 64,000. Conservationists have cautioned against the use of purse-seine nets by fishing trawlers, which can accidentally entangle and injure the animals.
Elsewhere, the body of a killer whale which appeared on a beach in Tramore on Friday has been removed, and its organs are now being examined by specialist researchers from GMIT and University College Cork.
It is now believed that the specimen was one of a mature rather than a young female but uncertainty remains over the cause of death, which was initially thought to be malnourishment.
Studies will be carried out on its intestines and blubber over the next few weeks, and it is hoped that the results will provide a rare insight into the marine environment in which the whales reside.
Feb 4, 2015
KM
http://www.newsnorthwales.co.uk/news/143785/video-thousands-of-dead...
VIDEO: Thousands of dead starfish wash up on Pensarn beach
THOUSANDS of dead starfish have washed up on a beach in Abergele after a period of stormy weather.
Shocked amateur photographer, Gordon McGookin, initially thought that Pensarn beach was covered in rubbish when he went out for a walk on Sunday.
On a closer inspection, he discovered thousands of starfish and razor clams out across 500 metres of sand.
Mr McGookin, aged 39 who lives in Pensarn, said: “I try to get out each day usually walking on the beach. It was Sunday when I spied them, just after the tide had gone out.
by Gordon McGookin
“There was thousands of them. I have never seen anything like it before. I was a bit concerned but I guess the recent rough sea and high tides over the last or two was probably the cause.”
Mr McGookin, who enjoys photography as a hobby, took some pictures and a video.
Charlie Lindenbaum, marine monitoring ecologist for Natural Resources Wales, said: “Unfortunately, this kind of event is relatively common along the coast of Wales. The recent stormy weather and strong, northerly winds will cause creatures like this to be washed on the shore so it is most likely a natural occurrence.
“We would ask that if people do see things like this to report it to us. We can then investigate to there is nothing else to blame for the event and it also gives us an opportunity to learn more about the fantastic species we have along our coast and does show the diverse and rich wildlife we have in Wales.”
Feb 4, 2015
SongStar101
Thousands of healthy starfish mysteriously wash up on South Padre Island, TX
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/Thousands-of-...
It's thought that high winds and strong currents coincided exactly to wash up the creatures that had been close to shore feeding.
It's only the third time a case like this has ever been reported, the last being in 2009.
At first it was thought they were victims of the polar vortex, which swept the country during January but then investigators realised it was something else.
"These were healthy starfish," said Tony Reisinger, Cameron County Extension Agent for Coastal & Marine Resources with Texas Sea Grant at Texas A&M University. "Some of them were still alive when they were washed onto the sand. Once they are out of the water though, they pretty much die."
Reisinger credits Dr. David Hicks, chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Brownsville, for figuring out what really caused it. "Now we have to check back for the weather and sea conditions the last time this happened and see if it matches up."
Grey sea stars are plentiful in the Gulf of Mexico and can also be found all along the coast of the Americas, from Virginia to Brazil.
"I wondered if this was nature's way of controlling the population," said Reisinger. "I knew we had them but I didn't realise there were so many out there," he said.
Feb 9, 2015
SongStar101
Dead whale washes ashore in Hulhumale’
http://www.vnews.mv/36454
A dead whale, approximately 70 feet in length, has washed ashore, in the beach area connecting Hulhumale’ and Hulhule.
Of a species of found in Maldivian waters, the corpse was rotten and damaged.
While it measures approximately 70-75 feet, discussions are now underway by HDC and the Police whether to bury the corpse or to take it out to open waters, as it lies at the East of Hulhumale’.
Some elderly people who have gathered to witness the event said that this is a sperm whale (the type of whale that produces ambergris). A number of people are now gathering at the beach to take a look at the whale.
Although the area where the whale has been washed ashore is not inhabited, the odor of the rotten corpse is now strong in the area.
Feb 9, 2015
SongStar101
Humpback whale found stranded on Outer Banks
http://hamptonroads.com/2015/02/humpback-whale-found-stranded-outer...
COROLLA, N.C.
Scientists today examined a dead female humpback whale that washed ashore Tuesday afternoon.
The juvenile was found near the Lighthouse Road beach access in Corolla with entanglement scars from fishing nets.
The whale, which was about 30 feet long and weighed 25,000 pounds, otherwise appeared healthy and had recently eaten menhaden, said William McLellan, the North Carolina State Stranding Coordinator.
Whale strandings -- especially this time of year -- are not uncommon and happen frequently on the Outer Banks, moreso than anywhere else on the East Coast, he said. There have been 100 whale strandings in 15 years, he said.
Humpback whales are an endangered species.
Scientists collected the head and tissue samples to find out how it died. They will also examine whether it was affected by cetacean morbillivirus -- which affects the lungs and brain -- suspected of killing dozens of dolphins in Virginia and North Carolina in 2013.
Feb 9, 2015
Derrick Johnson
Lock up your picnic baskets! Yellowstone says warm weather has caused bears to emerge from hibernation a MONTH early
Grizzly bears have emerged from hibernation far earlier than expected in Yellowstone.
The first confirmed report of grizzly bear activity in Yellowstone occurred on February 9, rangers confirmed today.
They usually emerge in first few weeks of March, prompting ranger to issue emergency warnings to visitors.
They blame the relatively mild winter weather for the early emergence of bears in the Greater Yellowstone area.
A grizzly bear was observed late in the afternoon, scavenging on a bison carcass in the central portion of the park.
'With bears emerging from hibernation hikers, skiers, and snowshoers are advised to stay in groups of three of more, make noise on the trail and carry bear spray,' the park said.
The same advice goes for those taking guided snowmobile trips in Yellowstone.
Bears begin looking for food soon after they emerge from their dens.
They are attracted to elk and bison that have died during the winter.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2949791/Lock-picnic-...
Feb 12, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://endtimeheadlines.org/2015/02/hundreds-dead-fish-birds-found-...
Hundreds of dead fish and birds found in a lagoon in General Baldissera, Argentina
GENERAL BALDISSERA – A resident of this town on social media published a series of images of the nearby lagoon General Baldissera in which hundreds of dead fish and birds observed in moribund state. By the time the reason that generated this slaughter of animals in one of the most visited natural sites in the area is unknown. Photographs published in the dead fish floating on the surface, a large amount of algae, and other dead birds dying observed. The scenario is worrying and generated an alert among the residents of the rural area. The affected lagoon is located in the southeast of Cordoba, a few kilometers south of the town of General Baldissera. While it is not exploited the sheet of water for fishing, usually go for the activity groups informally. Since last week the lagoon shows part of his dead fauna. Witnesses thought the situation would be temporary motivated by some climatological question. However, as of last Monday a greater number of animals are observed lifeless. The journalist Ivan Ghi, FM Urban Monte Corn, published the photographs that reflect the situation in social networks. In the same dead fish and birds, and the surface of the fully enclosed lagoon vegetation are observed. This is the first time the lake has this problem, so some neighbors and regular fishermen agree that they could have thrown some chemical liquid in place that affected animals. Note that the gap is in the middle of a purely agricultural area in which soybean performed. A daily performing fumigation by region or ground equipment applied in seed lots planes are observed. At the moment, were not found in drums or containers of chemicals dumped area, although a complaint may be done for Environment of the Province to investigate the incident. From Prevention Network Monte Corn, developers tasks awareness of the health of people, they regretted what happened and alerted those who usually consumed in fishing and fish. May generate health problem in those taking these animals as they present an advanced state of putrefaction
Feb 13, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/66143584/Whale-pod-stranded...
Whale pod stranded on Farewell Spit
Up to 200 pilot whales are stranded on Farewell Spit at Golden Bay, near Nelson.
The Department of Conservation confirmed the number following earlier reports that up to 50 pilot whales became stranded earlier in the day.
DOC conservation services manager for Golden Bay Andrew Lamason said he had received a call notifying him that 24 of the whales had already died.
Due to the conditions, he said: "I expect that number to keep going up."
Members of DOC and the marine mammal rescue organisation, Project Jonah are assisting at the scene.
An attempt would be made to refloat the whales on the next high tide at 5.24pm.
Lamason said DOC would be looking for volunteers to assist them from tomorrow morning.
He said those keen to help with rescue efforts should meet at Triangle Flat at the base of the spit from 8am tomorrow.
If possible, volunteers should bring old sheets and a bucket and spade.
He stressed that those wanting to help needed to be fully independent and come equipped with their own food and water, warm clothing, sun protection and a raincoat.
Lamason warned that there was no guarantee there would be whales to rescue by tomorrow morning.
Feb 13, 2015
Poli
Almost 200 whales stranded on New Zealand shore:
“We’ve had plenty times in the past where the pods have gone out to sea and turned around and come back again,” said Andrew Lamason, the area’s Department of Conservation manager.
Why do whales and other cetaceans strand themselves? It turns out scientists aren’t totally sure ... Some strandings have been speculated to be related to anomalies in the magnetic field.
http://www.salon.com/2015/02/13/almost_200_whales_stranded_on_new_z...
Update: (german News) 140 whales are now dead.
Feb 14, 2015