Founded 1977
Save The Whales' purpose is to educate children
and adults about marine mammals, their
environment and their preservation.
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Court Rules that Japan
Must Cease Whaling in Antarctica
Australia's Lawsuit is Victorious
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The International Court of Justice, by a 12-4 majority, stated that Japan can no longer continue its annual whale hunt in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary around Antarctica. Australia won their four-year international legal fight to stop Japan's whale slaughter. The ruling is binding and Japan cannot appeal. The sanctuary is a reserve established by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Japan said they would abide by the ruling. Despite a worldwide moratorium since 1986, Japan's whaling fleet has been carrying out an annual whale hunt. They did this by taking advantage of a loophole in the law that permits the killing of whales for scientific research. Whale meat is also available for consumption in Japan. The fight to protect the whales is not over because the ruling covers only the Southern Hemisphere. Japan continues to issue scientific permits for up to 200 minke whales, 100 sei whales, 50 Bryde's whales and 10 sperm whales in the northern Pacific Ocean. Minkes, the smallest baleen whales, were the main target of Japan's whaling. Australia's suit against Japan showed that since 2005, 3,600 minke whales have been killed, and only two peer-reviewed papers were produced based on research of nine killed whales. The court called Japan's killing what it is: commercial whaling. |
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International Save The Vaquita Day
July 12, 2014
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The vaquita is the most endangered marine mammal in the world. It is a small, shy porpoise that lives only in the Gulf of California, Baja California, Mexico. Save The Whales is working, along with others, to save this mammal from extinction. There are only 150 vaquitas remaining.
July 12, 2014 has been designated as International Save The Vaquita Day. Events are in the works in Europe, Mexico and many areas of the United States. We will list event sites as they are confirmed. Following are confirmed Save The Vaquita Day celebrations
Oregon Coast Aquarium - Newport, OR
*American Cetacean Society/Save The Whales,
Monterey, CA
Cabrillo Aquarium - San Pedro, CA
*Dr. Thomas A. Jefferson - San Diego, CA
Jorge Urban - La Paz, Mexico
Waikiki Aquarium - Honolulu, HI
*Sites to be announced
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Head of vaquita model, Hope. She travels to all vaquita events
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Save The Whales welcomes two new members to the ¡Viva Vaquita! coalition: the Muskwa Club and Aidan Bodeo-Lomicky's V-log, a vaquita blog site. VivaVaquita.org was conceived on September 9, 2009 by concerned researchers and educators from three nonprofit organizations: Cetos Research Organization, Save The Whales and American Cetacean Society, Monterey Bay Chapter. Later, we were joined by others with an interest in vaquita conservation: ACS National and other local chapters, Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans (CEDO), Oceanographic Environmental Research Society (OERS), in addition to the Muskwa Club and V-Log. We thank William Whittenbury, president of the Muskwa Club, for his work to bring cities and countries into the July 12, 2014 Save The Vaquita celebrations. Orca deaths, New Zealand The recent discovery of nine dead orcas on a rocky beach in New Zealand captured the world's attention. The cause of these deaths is unknown. When Orca Research Trust biologist Dr. Ingrid N. Visser arrived on the remote and desolate scene, she found the recently beached orcas were decomposed. Dr. Visser reported from the site that seismic testing was not indicated as the reason for the deaths, but the cause is a mystery.
Dr. Visser states that there was no bleeding from the eyes, ears or anus, but they recovered the heads and will endeavor to do more testing at a later stage.
In addition to Orca Research Trust, local Maori tribes and the Department of Conservation were involved, and they collaborated in removal of skin, blubber and muscle samples from the bodies. The bodies had multiple cookie cutter shark bites, all healed. Cookie cutter sharks are not found as far south as the stranding area. This indicates that these orcas have at some time journeyed outside the area where they were found. Dr. Visser did not recognize any of the orcas from the catalog Orca Trust has compiled. All this information indicates that they are not likely to be coastal New Zealand orcas, so where they are from remains unknown. She also stated that when the animals were living, they were in very good condition. When the samples have been analyzed, we will post the findings. Since everything had to be removed from the remote location by helicopter, it was an expensive undertaking for Orca Research Trust.
Cuvier's Beaked Whale Strandings in Greece Associated with Naval Sonar Testing
During the first week of April the U.S. Navy, along with other navies, practiced war games off the southern coast of the island of Crete. Immediately, Cuvier's beaked whales began stranding. Many knew immediately what was happening because it was only the most recent in a line of similar tragedies, and they are attributed to naval operations. Three Cuvier's came ashore in one area of the Cretan coast, two beached 17 kilometers further west and two turned up nearby. All of the whales were alive when they stranded.
There is a long history of stranding in this area, and they all occurred when navies were training with high-powered sonar. According to the Smithsonian Institution and International Whaling Commission, every recorded beaked whale mass stranding has occurred when navies were testing, usually with sonar. The beaked whale populations in these areas are being wiped out.
Last year, the Scientific Committee of Agreement of the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS) drew up an agreement for the conservation of whales and dolphins in the Mediterranean and Black Sea areas and included a map where sonar training should be avoided. One area of the map is exactly where the new mass stranding occurred. Greece fought the recommendation and it wasn't adopted.
More information on Cuvier's at Cuvier's Beaked Whales
and Save The Whales' Cuvier's YouTube video
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The whales had some impressive victories recently, from the cessation of whaling in the Southern Ocean to the release of one young pilot whale tied to a dock in Jamaica. Unfortunately, sonar and seismic testing are killing whales and there is no end to this slaughter. It doesn't have the impact of bloody whale bodies being hauled onto ships. Yet, it is one of the biggest threats to cetacean survival. Untold numbers of deaths go unseen because the animals sink after dying. The U.S. Government is one of those responsible.
Thank you for your continuing support.
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Sincerely,
Maris Sidenstecker I
Executive Director, Save The Whales
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Voted Top-Rated NonProfit 2013
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No Decision Yet
for Morgan?
The High Court in the Netherlands has still not announced its decision that was due February 19, 2014 for the orca, Morgan.
When it is announced, Save The Whales will post the decision on Facebook.
Morgan was taken from the Wadden Sea off the northwest coast of the Netherlands in June 2010 and transported to a facility called Loro Parque in the Canary Islands. Suffering from emaciation and dehy- dration, she was to be released after recovery. She recovered but was not released.
At issue in the High Court decision is whether the export license to transport Morgan from Spain to the Netherlands was legal.
Morgan remains in terrible living conditions at Loro Parque.
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Social Media
Helping Animal Rights Causes
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© 2007 Sally Bartel
Short-Finned Pilot Whales, Sea of Cortez
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Maris Sidenstecker II, co-founder of Save The Whales and marine biologist, was quoted in National Geographic Daily News on the effect of social media (scroll down to Big Reach) helping animal rights groups.
A young pilot whale was tied to a dock by its tail at a Jamaican resort. Maris talked to the owner of the resort, and by using the threat of exposure on Facebook, the young whale was freed.
Maris said,
"The Internet gives you leverage, something we never really had before."
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Singing for Vaquita
Two kindergarden teachers wrote the following words for a vaquita song, sung to Frére Jacques, for their classes. They stress the importance of saving the critically endangered vaquita. Their classroom has adopted several Save The Vaquita kits.
Vaquita (Tune of Frére Jacques) Vaquita, Vaquita Small and shy, hard to spy You're from Mexico, Odontoceti , don't you know Please don't go, Please don't go. Vaquita, Vaquita Small and rare, It's not fair That you're disappearing, Extinction is nearing. Please don't go, Please don't go. ©2014 Noelle Carter & Susan Stoll Auburn Discovery Montessori School Auburn California |
Major Whale Fossil Site Found
in Chile
More than 40 skeletons, most of them baleen whales, were found across a small area in four distinct areas along the Pan-American Highway in Chile.
Workers building the highway discovered the fossils and called a nearby museum.
The finding suggests four separate mass strandings over a 10,000 year period.
The discovery has turned out to be one of the most amazing marine mammal fossil sites on the planet.
Read about it in
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