Spate of Recent Stories Hard To Ignore
On the USIA blog, I try to keep it light and entertaining. Not a lot of politics. Not a lot of controversy. Everything is here to inspire you to get outside and enjoy the wonders of nature. I don’t like to bog you down with sad stories. The news is already too full of sorrow, and that’s not why you come here. But sometimes nature is tough. Sometimes things happen, things that are unavoidable.
Yesterday I noticed a preponderance of stories about dolphins in the news, and none of them were good. We all love dolphins, don’t we? Who doesn’t? Because of that, these stories might be tough to swallow. Proceed with caution.
IMMS director raises questions about dolphin deaths study
Did the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill kill record numbers of dolphins? A recent NOAA report is saying so, but some researchers still aren’t sure. The one thing they are sure of is that too many of the marine mammals have perished since the spill
Japan town ‘will not stop’ dolphin hunting
The name Taiji has become synonymous with dolphin slaughter. Despite international pressure, and despite the fact that Japanese aquariums have announced they will no longer keep dolphins in captivity, the small fishing village refuses to stop killing them. To them, eating the intelligent and self-aware animals is the same as eating chicken or beef.
Video Shows Dolphins Swimming In Oil Spill Area Near Santa Barbara
Another oil spill, another massive ecological disaster. This time it was in southern California, and this time there is video proof that dolphins are being adversely affected. In this heartbreaking video, we can see the marine mammals swimming in circles, trying to evade and avoid an oil slick in the water.
Vancouver Aquarium dolphin Hana dies after surgery
In a first of its kind procedure, a rescued dolphin named Hana had emergency bowel surgery. Despite experts from around the country working on her, Hana succumbed to the procedure. Hopefully her death will not be in vain. Hopefully, since it was the first time a dolphin was every operated on, scientists will learn from the failed attempt and do better next time.
Photos of couple manhandling beached dolphin ‘which later died’ cause outrage
The internet is currently on the search for two people who seem to have lost every ounce of common sense, if they ever had any. A couple found a baby dolphin on a beach, and instead of helping it back to the ocean, they took a bunch of stupid “selfies” with it. It had been reported that the dolphin later died, but that’s unconfirmed. What is confirmed is that these jokers need to be tracked down and prosecuted.
‘Loud wakeup call’ over Maui’s dolphins
Pop quiz: where do Maui dolphins live? Not in Hawaii. They live in New Zealand’s waters, and they are the smallest and most endangered in the world. They are so endangered, it is estimated that less than fifty are alive today. Scientists hope this wakeup call will force New Zealand to start focusing on conservation instead of commercial fishing.
While these stories are indeed depressing, we don’t have to give in to the sadness. We can act. That’s one of the greatest things about this new age of information and connectivity. We are all a part of this world, and with the internet, there is almost no place a poacher, abuser, or killer of dolphins can hide.