It has been unusually quiet for dolphin sightings around the Inner Moray Firth over the festive holiday period and I was hoping that by this stage in January that I would have something to tell you and maybe even a photo or two to show but no luck so far I'm afraid.
In June 2010 a young female orca was found off the coast of the Netherlands. She was malnourished and alone so she was captured under a rehabilitation and release permit. Almost eight years later Morgan, as she was named, is still in captivity. In November 2011 she was transported to the privately owned Loro Parque on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain.
The whole of the European Parliament (751 MEPs) voted yesterday on new conservation measures for fisheries in EU waters. This included rules covering the accidental entanglement (or ‘bycatch’) of dolphins and porpoises.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s main authority on the conservation status of species. Its ‘Red List of Threatened Species’ – known as ‘The Red List’ - is the most comprehensive inventory we have of species at risk.
Even after more than 100 whale watching trips in the same area there are still encounters that leave you speechless.
Very best wishes to all of you lovely dolphin adopters and supporters out there from all of us at WDC - I'm hoping to be out and about soon after New Year having a good look round for anything out there with a dorsal fin but until then - have a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year !
Further progress has been recently made in reaching the goal of identifying and protecting important habitat for river dolphins.
Natalie Fox is a surfer, yogi and activist who is passionate about protecting whales and dolphins. She is co-founder of Women for Whales, a Roxy Fitness ambassador and co-founder of Drift retreats. She writes for Surf Girl Magazine as well as her own website: www.ecoyogasurf.com
I had word from a contact of mine the other day who does bird watching at Tarbat Ness in the Dornoch Firth, a bit North from here, that he spotted over fifteen Bottlenose dolphins hunting for fish with lots of gull activity overhead.
Just the other day i blogged about how, as a direct result of bycatch, the IUCN had uplisted both the Irrawaddy dolphin and the finless porpoise to Endangered status.
