Special Idiots

(Artist credit: junefeier @ Deviant Art)

Yesterday was another dark day in Taiji, Japan.  25 striped dolphins were slaughtered mercilessly and without remorse.  While global awareness of this has increased at an amazing rate over the last few years, there are moments when I wonder if we'll ever see the end of this.  Not just in Taiji, but in the killing of pilot whales in Denmark, whaling in Japan, Norway, Iceland, etal, and other places too numerous to mention.

I recently learned about Diana Reiss, the author of The Dolphin in the Mirror and one of the founders of the website Act for Dolphins.  I've requested The Dolphin in the Mirror from my local library and based on what I've heard, it comes highly recommended among several of my dolphin friends.

I also found an article about her here:  Studying the Big-Brained Dolphin

I find it highly encouraging that more scientists are jumping on board in support of cetaceans and even supporting the notion that these mammals deserve human rights recognition. One such opinion piece I found is here:  Whales are People Too

Even some notable experts in Japan are speaking up more against whaling and one such example is this pdf pamphlet now available in English online that was published last June 2011.  You can find that here:  Research Whaling? 

One highly suspected culprit in why so many whales and dolphins around the world are stranding themselves lies in the military use of sonar.  Will suing the military make a difference?  I don't know.  But I'm heartened by the efforts of so many compassionate souls out there bringing this to every one's attention:  Groups Sue Over Navy Sonar Impacts on Marine Mammals

Another example of people coming together to speak up and to protect these mammals is A Voice of the Orcas.  This site was put together by a group of former Sea World trainers who are now making their voices heard on what really goes on at Sea World.  Please help spread the word on this.

Here's some good news!  As you know, Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has not only been active in helping to protect whales, sea turtles, sharks, and dolphins, he's also been instrumental in making people aware of the harp seal cull up in Canada.  Many other organizations and people who've been involved in this deserve all the kudos and credit in the world as well.  It's been a battle that's raged for over 40 years.  According to this article by Paul Watson, it appears these slaughters are finally coming to an end.  You can read his commentary on this here:  The Canadian Seal Hunt is Dead! 

It takes a special class and level of idiocy to not give a shit about what you're doing when you're out on the water in a boat or on a jet ski.  Some people thought it would be a great deal of fun to terrorize a pod of dolphins (with babies) with their jet skis down in Hobart, Australia.   Their self proclaimed ignorance that they were bothering a pod of dolphins is no excuse.  Boating requires one to be mindful and watchful of where you're going and to be careful to not disturb the wildlife.  That's just common sense.

Here's an interesting site that has a page full of varying whale and dolphin links dating back a few years.  Dolphin and Whale News

"It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment." ~ Ansel Adams ~

Free the Pod

(Artist credit:  Jim Warren)

Apparently the problem I've been experiencing with Blogger this week is a common one among many others.  And apparently it's going to take Blogger techies some time to fix the issues.   So I've been playing around with the new templates the last few days and think I have finally found one I like.  I did try to go outside of the choices here at Blogger and found some really nice looking beach scene ones, but the templates I would try were not sticking or coming up with errors. (Another common complaint at this time in Blogger.)  So this beachy sunset background one will do for now.

I do hope you find it much easier to read now. If you still find it difficult, I would suggest if you are not yet a subscriber, you do so and have the new entries automatically sent to your email box, or to Google reader, or however you wish.  Should be much easier to read that way.  Incidentally, the last post is unchangeable in terms of the font color.  (Yet another common issue with the latest upgrades at Blogger.)  I do hope this new entry comes through in the manner in which I am expecting lol ... as I had spent hours on that last one trying to figure out what the heck was suddenly going wrong with everything.

WDCS (Whale Dolphin Conservation Society) has teamed up with other conservation groups to challenge the Navy's decision to build an Undersea Warfare Training range.  Figures they'd do this adjacent to the only known calving ground for the endangered N. Atlantic right whale.   Of course, war is a priority.  Stupid me :: slapping forehead in shock ::

Seems that even though the Canada PM announced an approved culling quote of almost 300,000 seals, that due to warming the hunters can't hunt 'em.  Unfortunately, the seals are still dying due to the lack of ice floes.  Fortunately, it'll be by natural death or via nature, instead of via the clubbing of cowardly idiots.  But I digress.  Article here:  Despite Mild Winter and Few Hunters, Seals Still Face Threats

Remember in the last post I talked a little about  Chris Porter, aka the Darth Vader of dolphins? Check out more at Free the Pod.

Check out the rarely seen account of a North Atlantic Right Whale giving birth.  According to NRDC, there are only about 300-400 of these whales left and unfortunately, this birth took place right outside a planned site for a Navy installation that will have year round sonar testing :-(

Related:  It's Not If, but HOW Military Sonar Kills

This is very cool:   Beyond Telepathy, Wild Dolphins in Egypt

A 9 year old boy out of  Virginia Beach USA is one of ten finalists for the National Geographic Kids Ocean Flag Contest.  Check it out:  Beach Boy is Finalist

He said: 

“The love of ocean life triggers the inspiration of my design,” he stated in his entry. “I believe all ocean creatures just like human beings should have the rights to live well.”

The world needs more voices like his :-)

Have a great weekend everyone ... and please let me know if you like, dislike, don't care for the new look :-)  As always, I appreciate you taking time in your life to be part of my journey here ... 

Mahalo!

IWC Debates Legalizing Murder

(Artist credit:  Jeff Wilkie)

How does anyone or any country compromise on the murdering of sentient beings?   Such is the situation at the IWC talks currently taking place down in Florida.  The two countries battling it out the most are, to no one's surprise, Australia and Japan.

Japan is basically still whining that whaling is part of their culture and they want a return to unlimited whaling.  

Australia wants ZERO whales killed.

Neither is willing to compromise nor meet each other half way.

Meanwhile, the coward in this game?  The good ole U.S.A. for abstaining, so far, on any decisions.

Politics - ain't it grand?  

Meanwhile, whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, manatees, etc do not play the game of politics.  They are simply trying to live their lives in their rightful homes - the ocean, and to have the right to be free of human egoism and greed.  

Links to articles discussing the latest IWC talks on the fate of our planet's whales:

Whaling Compromise Reaches a Dead End

PM Set on Suing Over Whaling

IWC Draft Document Promotes Regulated Whaling

Danish Whaling Request Postponed

Lots of articles out there on the IWC talks, just put "IWC" in your favorite search engine.

If you're against whaling, you may want to send a message to President Obama and let him know how you feel.  I've personally sent an email a couple days ago.  Does this sort of action work?  I don't know, but at least I'm speaking up for a species that has no voice.  What are you doing?  :-)     Contact President Obama at the White House.

There's still a lot of talk out there about the Sea World incident and about keeping wild animals in captivity and/or for the purpose of entertaining us dumb humans.  This one article is short, sweet, and right to the point:  Best to Allow Wild Animals to Stay Wild

Another related and just as short and sweet:  Skip the Zoo, and Sea World

Sea World doesn't give a crap about their whales and dolphins.  They do give a crap about money.  Money talks people.  Please do NOT support Sea World in any way and any other park like it.  Imagine the power of people NOT buying tickets to see the shows and NOT buying the merchandise?  People fail to realize just how much power they have over corporations.  The common language we have with the greedy corporations is MONEY.  They want it, you don't have to give it to them.

The battle between the whales and the military rages on and looks like it will continue to do so for some time to come.  As with any battle, there are victories and there are defeats.  This article gives us a mixture of both:  Whales vs Navy: NOAA May Limit Sonar Tests

Are you planning to tune into the Academy Awards?  As you know, The Cove has been nominated for best documentary.  I normally do not watch awards shows, but will be checking for updates on the internet to see if they've won :-)

If you live in Australia, you may be interested in this site:  Save Our Marine Life    Having less than 1% of the marine life protected is a pretty sorry number wouldn't you say?  Get involved!

Site spotlight:  Earth Island Institute

Be sure to check out Sea Shepherd for their latest updates.

As new age'y and hippie'ish as this sounds, we are all connected on this planet.  This isn't about being a tree hugging environmentalist.  This is about caring about your world and all that live on it and in it.  Saving the whales and the dolphins, etal, and caring about the fate of our oceans could result in you saving your own life.  Otherwise, we're all just committing a slow and agonizing suicide.

The choice is ours.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Whale Wisdom

(Artist credit: Eva M. Sakmar-Sullivan)

Scott over at Dolphin Smile has an update about dolphin swims.  Do check it out if it interests you.

The Cove is officially nominated for an Oscar!

Good article:  Harvesting Meat that Few Will Eat

This blog post is a few months old, but worth reading:  The Politics of Whaling vs The Politics of Food Safety

Instead of appealing to the emotional side of appreciating nature, the wildlife, and our seas, this writer suggests we appeal to the economical side of it to get more people paying attention.  Would that work?  It's certainly an interesting premise.  You can read that here:  Saving Endangered Species - It's the Economy

It's been a tough season so far for the Sea Shepherd crew.  Paul Watson has his latest update here:  The Final Assault on the Cetacean Death Star

On the harp seal hunt front, Critics Accuse Canada of Using Inuit as a Political Tool

If you believe our cetacean friends have messages and lessons for us, you might be interested in this:  Wisdom From the Whales

Can DNA help to protect the whales & dolphins from poachers?  Links:

Taiwan to Use DNA to Protect Whales, Dolphins

DNA to Protect Marine Life

DNA to Help Catch Whale & Dolphin Poachers

Back on the sonar front, it's always good news and bad news.  For the moment, this is good news:  Whales Get Support on Sonar Ban

Another:  Researchers Warn of Drilling Dangers

I mentioned this book in a previous post written by Leah Lemieux. ((  Rekindling the Waters: The Truth about Swimming with Dolphins )) In that post,  the author dropped by here to leave a comment :-)   I wanted to share that she also has a website:  Rekindling the Waters   Please do check it out!

Website worth repeating, worth your while, worth your support - just worth it :-)

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Basketball and Whales

Artist credit:  Howie Long

Brrrrr.  Dang cold out here.  No snow yet but it's a near certainty we'll have a white Christmas :-)

Watched the Laker game tonight on TV.  Despite being the champions, they are not on TV all that much in my area so when they are, it's a gift for me.  I'm sick of seeing the Cavaliers and the Pistons dominate the airwaves, no offense to the likes of Lebron James.

I was admiring the sellout crowd at the Staples Center and wishing it could be like that for the WNBA games.  Personally, I don't understand why the people who are fanatics about the men's basketball aren't supporting the women. So many people say it's not the same.  Well DUH.  Maybe the women can't dunk like the men do, but they play a pretty damn good game if people would just give them a chance.  Others say the women are boring.   You know what I say?  I say the media has done a great job of brainwashing society into viewing things a certain way.  

I enjoy watching both genders play and appreciate the differences and the talents both sides bring to the sports world.  If one is truly a basketball fan, then they ought to be a women's hoops fan too.  Just sayin'.

Check out the WNBA if you are so inclined.  Their season may be over for now, but they'll be back next May.  Until then, the women's college hoops are always a lot of fun to watch too.  

Japan, ever the hypocrites they love to be, filed a complaint with the Dutch government to disallow the Sea Shepherd to carry the Dutch flag.  You can read that here.

The good news: (Excerpt from the above linked article)

The Mainichi Daily News of Japan asked this question this weekend:With it's modus operandi becoming ever more violent in recent years, could the group bring about the end of whaling in Japan?

Their activities have caused catches in the past two years to drop to just 60-75 percent of expected figures, and this year Watson says he wants to get this figure down to at least half.

 Great articles:  Whales Save Seal from Orcas

Whales, Dolphins, and Good Will to all Cetaceans

Japan's new Consumer Affairs & Food Safety Minister, Ms.Fukushima has agreed to investigate the dolphin meat / mercury issue.  You can read up on it at Mercury Poisoning in Japan

Blog post about Sea Shepherd at the Ecorazzi.  Check out the comments after the article.  Paul Watson has posted there.  Whale Wars:  Why This Season Might Be the Most Dangerous Yet

On December 7th, the Steve Irwin will depart Australia and start hunting down the Japanese fleets.  I wish them God Speed.

Turns out that the mid-frequency range sonar sounds may NOT be causing harm or the beaching of whales and dolphins:  Whales Can't Even Hear Naval Sonar

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday :-)  Till next time ...

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Polar Bears Fall out of the Sky

Artist credit: Eva M. Sakmar

I've previously stated a few times that I am against our marine mammals being held in captivity. This story out of Turkey reinforces my view.

Excerpts:

“Confined in an unnatural environment, these wide-ranging, social animals are forced to live a life of severe deprivation, suffering lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality than in the wild,”

and

In the wild, whale and dolphin habitats range very long distances. For example, bottlenose dolphins off the coast of Cornwall, U.K., have been recorded to range up to 1,076 kilometers in 20 days. The animals are almost always in motion, even when resting and spend less than 20 percent of their time at the water’s surface.

But once confined, dolphins are separated from their natural habitat and enclosed in a totally alien environment. They have to put up with an artificial diet, unusual noise, strange odors and the proximity of people and other unfamiliar captive animals.

and

“No aquarium, no tank in a marine land, however spacious it may be, can begin to duplicate the conditions of the sea. And no dolphin that inhabits one of those aquariums or one of those marine lands can be considered normal,” said Jacques Yves Cousteau, the world’s most famous sea explorer.

The article also states that 12 of the bottlenose dolphins at this marine park were imported directly from the Japanese "drive hunts." Isn't that special?

You can read more here: Tour Operator Cancels Trips to Captive Dolphin Aquarium


"The Cove" documentary has yet to to gain a commercial release in Japan. Shocking, isn't it? It's amazing to me that many people from Japan still claim to not be aware of the dolphin drives. Fortunately, this important film is gaining more of a toe-hold in the public and some fishermen who spent years killing dolphins, have now become tour operators to take people to see dolphins in the wild. Interesting article for more information on this: U.S. Film Puts Spotlight on Dolphin Hunt in Japan


Our greed for oil continues unabated. There are now surveys being done off of Florida's east coast to establish oil wells. Given how deep they may have to drill:

The airguns shoot compressed air bubbles creating sound at up to 260 decibels, blasting 60 or more impulses per mile. They can penetrate several thousand feet into the Earth. Hydrophones on streamer cables towed behind the survey vessel at about 20 feet deep receive the sound reflected back to create the images.

Marine mammal advocates worry those early surveys could harm whales and dolphins.

Federal law requires surveying companies to take steps to avoid affecting whales and other marine life, such as having whale spotters aboard during seismic surveys.

It does not comfort nor inspire me one iota that they will claim to take steps to minimize the impact on the local marine life. You can read more here: Offshore Oil Drillers Now Looking at Florida's East Coast

Good article about the Blue Whales (Don't let the title fool you LOL) How Long is a Blue Whale's Penis

Awesome! -->> Seven Canoes to Fight Ocean Pollution

Yes, drilling for oil is good for us. Disasters never happen and oil spills are a fluke - really! Australian Oil Spill Leaks for Over Two Months

This is, in my humble opinion, an advertisement in very, very poor taste. It's manipulative, insulting, and only serves, in my eyes, to further discount the Global Warming Movement. Not to mention it brings up unpleasant visual memories of 9/11.

While no polar bears were actually killed or harmed in the video, it's still disturbing and quite the sick piece of propaganda. Check out the comments after the video. I'm amazed that some people actually found this video funny, and then there are other comments that do not exactly inspire faith for me towards certain human beings. I guess my sense of humor is out of whack.

If the likes of Al Gore want us to believe their Global Warming alarmist messages, I would first suggest they stop using private jets. But that's just me.

See video here -> Polar Bear

Interesting blog post: Show Me the Money

"A SUNSHINE Coast company is believed to hold the key to stop whales being caught in shark nets." Read more here: Pingers to Save the Whales

Organization spotlight: WDCS (Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society)

Another organization spotlight not related to Marine Mammals ... please check out the Joyful Heart Foundation.

"The mission of the Joyful Heart Foundation is to heal, educate, and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse and shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues."

As always, thank you for being here and for allowing me to share my views with you :-)

Dolphin

Sea Shepherd Making a "Splash"

(Artist/Image credit: Howie Cooke)

I've been battling either the flu or a very bad chest cold :-( I am recovering though and doing much better than the past couple of days. I don't get sick often and usually when I do, I've been likely to get over it within a day or two ... but this time around it's really kicked my butt.

Seems yesterday (or was it the day before yesterday, Australia time?) the Sea Shepherd departed Brisbane for the Antarctica. Many of the crew from last season are back along with a number of new members as well.

Among the new members is actress Daryl Hannah. She's long been involved in environmentalism and is well known for roles in movies such as Splash and Roxanne.

You can read more in the latest update at Sea Shepherd.

In my opinion, Japan is hypocrisy personified. They have stated they will arrest anti-whaling activists if they interfere with their hunts this year.

For all their talk about killing whales for "research," Japan has resumed importing whale meat. Uh huh.

Interesting commentary here: Bad Deals for Whales

This part disturbs me a great deal:

The Japanese are working out an unsavoury deal with the outgoing George W Bush administration of the United States that might not only give them what they want, but also shed them of any need for Caribbean support.

If I was a whale or a dolphin, or any other marine mammal species, I would feel like there's a war being waged against my very survival. Between noise pollution and increased acidification, I'd wonder if my days on this planet were severely numbered. I'd also wonder if the majority of humanity really cared. Because if they did, there'd be a helluva lot more people standing up and fighting for my right to survive and my right to continue to live in this planets' oceans and to be a part of its' future.

Will this help?

The UN conference is considering a resolution that would require countries to mitigate noise pollution by mandating quieter engines and banning seismic surveys in areas where marine mammals are known to gather.

One can only hope. Because I, for one, would rather see a future of whales, dolphins, seals, sharks, turtles, manatees, etc. frolicking in our oceans than to see military ships, harpoons, and missiles, etc. waging battles against one another with our planet and humanity ultimately being the losers.


If you recall, earlier this year in mid February, I wrote a bit about Dolphins & Whales in 3D. It appears that this film has grossed over 10 million. Over 1.6 million tickets have been sold thus far and the film is continuing to make the rounds at theatres around the world. Read more here.

Be sure to check out their site at: Dolphins & Whales in 3D

Have a good weekend everyone!

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Whale Hunts About to Begin Again

In briefly continuing the spirit of my last post about Proposition 8 .... We've certainly come a long way in the past 48 years, haven't we?

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

Did you know that Greenpeace, just two weeks before the Japan whale hunt is slated to begin, has surrendered their fight out in the Southern Ocean?

Sea Shepherd's Captain Paul Watson said:

"As a Greenpeace co-founder, I am deeply offended that Greenpeace has been raising millions of dollars in the name of defending whales all year and now two weeks before the Japanese whaling fleet is scheduled to depart, they announce they will not be going," said Captain Paul Watson. "In my opinion they collected funds under false pretenses and now they have abandoned the whales. Shame on them."

You can read Sea Shepherd's version of this here: Greenpeace Surrenders


However, Greenpeace claims they are taking the fight directly to Japan this time.

Greenpeace also claims credit for one of Japan's ships, the Oriental Bluebird, being shut down by the Panamanian authorities. If you recall, the Oriental Bluebird was not only used to help the Japan fleets to refuel, they were also transporting whale meat - illegally. This particular ship was not authorized or licensed for this purpose.

Regardless, these two organizations, in my opinion, need to stop fighting each other and just keep on fighting the battle to save the whales. They may take different routes to achieve their results, but both have collectively accomplished a great deal in bringing the whale slaughter issue to greater awareness globally.

In other news, I'm saddened to report that the Supreme Court has little to no sympathy for the plight of our marine mammals and the effect that Navy sonar has on them.

"I thought the whole point of the armed forces was to hurt the environment," Associate Justice Stephen Breyer said, half-jokingly. "Of course they're going to do harm."

Kidding or not, I find this statement just appalling. It's comments like this that encourage the continuing raping and pillaging of our planet and it's sentient beings, without any regard to the consequences.

Till next time,

Dolphin

Whale Politics

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

Yesterday, Greenpeace got between the Nisshin Maru and the refueling ship, Oriental Bluebird and for a time, prevented the refueling from happening. They were in their smaller boats running between these two big ships and the whalers were hosing them down with cold water, trying to prevent Greenpeace from interfering. The two ships eventually came side by side and it became too dangerous for the Greenpeace protesters to stay between them, so they had to give up and the Nisshin Maru was refueled.

Greenpeace alleges that the Oriental Bluebird ship did not have permits to be part of the whaling fleet. They radioed the Oriental Bluebird to inform them that they were violating an Antarctic treaty and also in violation of environmental law. That did nothing to dissuade them and they continued about their business in refueling the Japanese whaling ship.

Also as of yesterday, the Sea Shepherd crew stated they were about "a day's sail" from the whalers but given the fact that the refueling would take up to approximately eight hours, they were making good time.

There have been reports that the Japanese whalers might suspend whaling until both Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace leave the area since they'd have to leave within the next two weeks to refuel. But both organizations say that despite that, as long as they are able to stop the whaling, however temporarily, it cuts into Japan's whaling season as well as greatly diminishes how many whales Japan will kill. They expect Japan will not reach their goal to kill approximately 950 whales altogether.

On Monday, Greenpeace Japan sent a letter to two Japanese economic organizations, pointing out that whaling was hurting the Japanese economy.

The letter basically pointed out that global opinion of Japan's whaling is hurting them and has the potential to hurt further economic ties they have in addition to possibly spurring boycotts of Japan products that are sold around the world.

However, it's not clear if all of what has been done to this date, will have an impact on changing Japan's stance on whaling. Especially in light of the fact that Japan plans to build a new ship that will pretty much enable them to continue whaling for another 40 years.

There does continue to be consumer, media, and political pressure on Japan to do something about this issue. Unfortunately, Japan is pretty much standing their ground and has not made any concessions that they'll be changing their minds on this issue any time soon. Doesn't matter that their whaling has a very small and insignificant impact on their economy as a whole. And personally, that amazes me. Why push an issue that is widely unpopular around the globe, that is a very small portion of Japan's overall economy, but one that could very well have a negative influence on the rest of their country?

Meanwhile, Humane Society International hand delivered the rule of the law to the Japan whaling company yesterday. Not surprisingly, the company refused to accept it and said they were aware of the orders and are not abiding by them.

Humane Society Int'l had to leave the package at their feet instead and were told as they were leaving, that the package would be thrown out. If the whaling continues, Japan could be found in contempt of court. But somehow, I doubt anything will really happen. Call me a cynic.

The reason I am not optimistic at this point, that anything will be done within the rule of this law, is due to the economic relationship between Australia and Japan.

Both have stated that despite their differences on the whaling issue, they are in good shape and plan to continue their mutually beneficial partnership. You know what they say, money talks and bullshit walks.

Japan is pressuring Australia to press charges against the two Sea Shepherd crew members who boarded their ship last week and were detained. Australia claims that they'll be looking into the matter but otherwise, are not saying much else on the issue.

Despite all this bickering, the tensions, the protests, etc., it's now been over twelve days since any whales have been killed by Japan.

Elsewhere around the globe, there are at least other places that DO care about the marine mammals that live off their shores. Costa Rica is one.

Excerpt:

Over the weekend the Costa Rican President Oscar Arias along with Environmental Minister Robert Dobles signed a decree that would protect whales and dolphins from being hunted in the large Costa Rican waters.

The decree details that any pursuit, capture, injury, netting or commercialization of any whale and dolphin groups in the Costa Rican sea boundaries is forbidden, and now against the law.

More here: Costa Rica Bans Whale and Dolphin Hunting

Is a Whale safe ship in the works to be designed? One whale researcher is strongly encouraging it.

Back to the issue of the Navy sonar court case in California, the state has filed another challenge to their sonar training off the California coast.

California officials argue that "Bush's waiver violates the separation-of-powers doctrine of the U.S. Constitution." It's possible this will go to a higher court of appeals.

I am unclear if, while this is being argued in court, if the Navy is required to suspend their sonar training. They are scheduled to begin sonar training this week and have nine more scheduled exercises throughout the remainder of the year. Let's hope the appeals court overrules President Bush on this matter.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Bush Gives Whales the Bird

(Artist credit: David Penfound)

Captain Paul Watson, of the Sea Shepherd organization, certainly has a flair for the dramatic when writing commentaries.

Nevertheless, it's an interesting read so I'm going to lead you directly to his updated post:

The Cold War at the Bottom of the Planet to Save the Whales

Meanwhile, in London yesterday, a group of people demonstrated outside the Japanese Embassy for the release of the two Sea Shepherd crew members.

If you are interested in expressing your concern regarding this situation, Sea Shepherd has set up a page listing full addresses, phone numbers, and email address for the people you can contact directly:

-->> Take Action Now <<--


In other news, President Bush has trumped the Central California District Court's decision a few weeks ago ordering the Navy to cease with the usage of sonar off the California coast. Bush has decided to exempt the Navy and basically flipped the middle finger to the court's ruling.

Excerpts:

As California gray whales swam past San Diego County's shores, President Bush announced that he would allow the Navy to continue using sonar in anti-submarine warfare training off Southern California.

Environmental groups vowed to block the waivers that Bush signed Tuesday to overrule a judge's restriction on sonar testing off California's coast, saying the powerful underwater sound waves threaten marine mammals such as whales.

==

The White House announced Bush signed the exemption Tuesday while traveling in the Middle East. In his memorandum, Bush said the Navy training exercises "are in the paramount interest of the United States" and national security.

Peter Douglas, executive director of the California Coastal Commission, which had joined the lawsuit to provide the mammals greater protections from sonar, called the exemption unprecedented in California.

"I'm not surprised at all," he said. "It's typical for this Republican administration to ignore environmental protections under the banner of fear."

==

The Navy likes to train in Southern California's shallow waters and underwater canyons, as they teach sailors how to detect submarines in an environment where enemies love to hide. Because of the canyons and shallow ground, and because of the thick concentration of animals, there are many sounds and they tend to ricochet in all directions, Navy officials say. It is much easier for a submarine to blend in there than in the open sea.

Read the full article here: Bush Grants Navy Waiver

While Bush and the so-called Military are spouting off their bullshit about national security and all that crap, things like this ensure that not too far into the future, we're going to be a planet devoid of beautiful creatures, such as whales, dolphins, polar bears, etc. All in the name of national security or economic feasibility (IE: oil drilling in Alaska.)

Someday into the future, and may it not ever happen, the whole world is going to wake up, look around their lands ... dive into their oceans ... hike their mountain trails ... and find nothing. Landscapes and seascapes devoid of life. Everything raped and pillaged in the name of power and greed. People are going to ask "What the hell happened? Why didn't anyone do something about this?"

Dramatic perhaps, but let's not kid ourselves. This could very well become a reality in the future if we don't start respecting our planet and every living thing on it.

People like Bush need to be subjected to the sonar testing the Military uses and see how he likes blood coming out of his ears, internal bleeding, and his brain turning to mush from disorientation (never mind that his brain has been mush forever.)

Blech. What a world we live in with the priorities governments like ours have.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Pulling the Race Card in Whaling

(Artist credit: Jeff Wilkie)

There are a number of Japanese citizens who are vehemently opposed to their country's whaling. They speak for a vocal majority who disagree with Japan's assertions that this is all in the interest of scientific research and/or national pride.

Good for them. You can read this in more detail here: Japanese Citizens Demand End to Japan's Whaling Atrocities

There's an uproar over a YouTube video that's received well over 100,000 hits, that basically states anti-whaling groups are racist. That's the nutshell version. I'm not going to bother getting into it nor am I going to dignify the issue with a link. I haven't seen the video but I hear it's rather graphic in displaying certain images.

Personally, I find it abhorrent that anytime there's an issue brought up that many people are passionate about, either for or against it, someone pulls the race card.

This isn't about race. This is about whaling. If there are those that can't get the distinction here, then to put it nicely, they're the ones who are being racist.

Just my ever so humble opinion of course.

The Foreign Affairs Minister of Australia states that they will begin surveillance of the Japanese whalers this week.

The ship, Oceanic Viking, will set sail for 20 days. An Airbus A-319 plane will also be dispatched to conduct surveillance flights.

Better late than never. Let's hope for some good news from these surveillance's.

On the flip side, Sea Shepherd alleges that Australia is working closely with Japan to prevent both Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace from interfering with the whaling. Is Australia being a two-faced bitch here?

Read Sea Shepherd's update here: Australian Government Assisting Whalers?

A few days ago, I shared that a Judge in California ruled against the Navy on the use of sonar within a certain area and distance, off the California coast.

There are still other areas of the world that need protection and while this order from the California Judge is a step in the right direction, the Navy still needs to hear our protests on this issue.

Sign the petition here: Whales in Danger

And while you're there, take a look at the video. It explains how military sonar affects marine mammals and how devastating and potentially fatal it can be.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Less Talk, More Action Needed

(Artist credit: Jim Warren)

Want to know who is behind the financing of those Japanese whalers? Want to know who "has the blood of 10,000 whales on his hands?"

Kazuo Yamamura is his name, and eating and killing whales is his game.

His firm claims it's a non-profit organization that funds the "scientific research" into whales. However, documents indicate that " balance sheets show profits from the sale of whale have nearly quadrupled in the past 10 years."

Read more here: Firm Dines Out on Slaughter

Could the end of whaling occur via a private military? Australian artist Anthony White hopes so, and is striving for that.

He has contacted Blackwater Worldwide, the same company that the USA contracts with for security services in Iraq.

Mr. White is still awaiting a response. But one thing disturbs me. He states he wants Blackwater to sink these illegal whaling ships.

Okay. Sinking them while they're in port with no one on board is one thing. But out in the middle of the Southern Ocean is quite another.

If Blackwater agrees to do this, I can only hope that this is done without casualties. I am not a believer in solutions being achieved via violence.

I am a believer that if it takes extreme measures to end the whaling when it's obvious, to my knowledge, that everything else has been done, then I'm all for it.

It'll be interesting to hear further on this. Meanwhile, you can read more on this here: Private Military to End Japanese Whaling

The Australian government continues to defend it's stance on how it's handling the whaling issue. They claim the spies have been or will be sent out to observe and record the whaling, but their spy ship has yet to leave port and their spy plane has yet to be registered for use.

The whale cull is apparently by this time, around mid-way through. Uh huh. Way to go Kevin Rudd. His administration claims they've increased diplomatic pressure. :: yawn :: Isn't it so shocking how politicians seem to forget their campaign promises?

Time for some good news. A judge in California has ruled that the Navy must cut their use of sonar off the California coast.

The Navy meanwhile, is basically whining and crying and worried about how they're going to protect our country now. Yeah right. :: eye roll ::

Hooray for the judge for imposing much tougher rules for the military to abide by. If our sea friends could talk, I'm sure they'd each say "Thank you, your Honor." Let's hope this lasts.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Kamikaze Dolphins

There's a blame game happening in the story from about three weeks ago regarding 152 dolphins that washed up on Iran shores dead. First it was stated it was a mass suicide among the dolphins. Then the blame was shifted to the fishermen, who allegedly beat the dolphins to death with grappling irons after the dolphins got caught in their nets. Finally, the blame was then put on the United States Military for their use of spying surveillance equipment, which, to put it simply, mess with the sonar capabilities of dolphins and other marine mammals.

Excerpt from the article:

However, Mr Nezami blamed more sinister factors, telling Iranian journalists: "As these dolphins are not among the species normally found in the surrounding Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, probably the Americans - for tracking purposes - have brought them to carry out laboratory works in the Gulf region. This group of dolphins have not been able to tolerate the tests. The likely reason for these deaths is water pollution, the spreading of electro-magnetic waves by military ships or a kind of virus disease."

The explanation was dismissed by environmental experts after tissue examinations showed no sign of poisoning or pollution. The environmental protection agency found bruising on some corpses, arousing suspicion that the dolphins had suffered violent blows. It has formed an inquiry committee consisting of officials from the oil ministry, the state-run shipping organisation and Tehran University's veterinary medicine faculty.

Read more here: Suicide or Murder? Iran blames U.S. after 152 Dolphins die It's interesting to note that about 7 years ago, an article came out about how dolphins are trained to kill for the Soviets, and then were sold to Iran.

Excerpt from article:

The animals were trained to attack enemy frogmen with harpoons attached to their backs, or to drag them to the surface to be taken into captivity.

They could also undertake kamikaze strikes against enemy shipping carrying mines that would explode a ship on contact with its hull.

The dolphins could allegedly distinguish foreign and Soviet submarines by the sound of their propeller.

According to research by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, numerous ex-Soviet military dolphins have been sold to aquariums around the world.

Many have been kept in poor conditions on arrival, and others have died en route.

Kamikaze Dolphins

I find it rather hysterical that the USA had raised objections on the sale of these dolphins to Iran for these purposes. It's been well documented that the military has used these, and other mammals, for their own warmongering purposes.

Wikipedia has information on "Military Dolphins" and personally, I find it abhorrent that any country on this planet would do such a thing.

I know, I know ... people use dogs for the military, drug sniffing, search & rescue operations, etc. People use horses (or used to) in wars, etc etc.

Doesn't mean I have to like it or agree with it. Utilizing animals to help humanity is one thing. Utilizing animals to help kill other people is quite another.

Send humans to be kamikazes. Seriously. If people are insane enough to go into war, then they're insane enough to blow themselves up all by themselves.

Last but not least, the US Navy was recently told to reduce sonar effects on marine life.

The Navy says, "With more nations, including China, acquiring quiet, hard-to-detect submarines, the Navy says training sailors in the use of high intensity sonar is a priority."

I disagree. Research on the effect of sonar on our marine life includes, but is not limited to, brain damage and bleeding in the brains and out the ears.

War is inhumane, no matter how you slice it. But if the nations of the world really feel the need to quietly blow each other up, then use human subjects. Once someone has bleeding out their ears happen, perhaps then they'll see just how inhumane these so-called military tests are.

Just sayin'

Mahalo,

Dolphin