10th March
Hi all,
Here's the latest news from BDMLR.
Thanks to those who have contributed.
There are now 396 of you on the news
group in the UK and around the world ...... only 4 more for another
milestone !
Cheers,
Tony
Woodley
BDMLR OnLine
Exmouth Rescue/Training Co-ordinator
Dead
Stranding - Malta
5th March, 2004
[
Here's some info from Sarah Muscat in Malta. The BDMLR News does
not normally cover many items concerning dead strandings but as
BDMLR has strong links with Sarah and her team I though I would
pass this on for your interest. Larger pics on March news page of
website. Tony ]
I take this opportunity
to inform you that yesterday we were dealing with a stranding of
a possible juvenile Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba). This
dolphin was about 1.6metres long and was a male. It was brought
inshore by the rough seas in the North side of the Island of Malta.
It was in an initial stage
of decomposition so it must have not been dead for longer than two
days. It had no external injuries present with the exception that
the carcass was tampered with by somebody who tried to steal it!
The carcass was then sent to the abattoir for a post mortem and
we are presently waiting for the results. All the data was taken
and even samples collected (for further analysis).
Should anybody wish further details or pictures, please do not hesitate
to contact me.
Best regards,
Sarah
Muscat
Marine Rescue Team Coordinator
Nature Trust (Malta)
Email:
mlcg@waldonet.net.mt
Website: www.naturetrustmalta.org
[ see Press item : click
here ]
Grey
Seal Pups Still Turning Up - Scotland
8th March, 2004
Montrose BDMLR Medics (Inverbervie-Easthaven) were alerted of a
seal pup on 06.03.04 North of Elephant rock at the Sea Caves. The
pup was reported by group volunteer Jill Bridges. Coordinator Elaine
Roft scouted the area whilst Wilma Thompson of the "Esk Hotel"
in Ferryden liased with Jill by phone from the cliff top, also acting
as safety hand for Elaine. The pup, a fully moulted Grey named "Effie",
was dead upon Medic arrival. Cause of death unknown, although visible
signs of trauma were bite marks to each cheek on the seal pups face.
The pup was tagged to prevent further reporting and was left in
the Sea Caves due to the location being difficult for The Environmental
Health to uplift. This area is not frequented by dog walkers or
the public. A Juvenile Grey in a severe state of decomposition was
also found further North in the gully adjacent to the creel pots.A
patrol was carried out the following day by Medic Bob Pert who was
happy to report nil findings of any other seals.
Many
thanks to Wilma (Esk hotel) for providing transport and disposable
gloves as Elaine had just returned from a boat trip with her group
and had no kit with her. Thanks also to Jill for her continued support
and to John Thompson for the welcoming bowl of hot soup!
Elaine Roft
British Divers Marine Life Rescue
Montrose Area Coordinator (covers Inverbervie - Easthaven)
Researcher
reveals fate of five released pilot whales - Florida
7th March, 2004
BIG PINE KEY, Florida.
- More than half a year after five stranded pilot whales were released
into the Atlantic Ocean, a marine researcher said Sunday that two
of the mammals are doing well, one is deceased and two are in uncertain
condition.
The released whales were among 28 that grounded near Big Pine Key
last April. The return of the five to the ocean almost four months
later came after a mammoth effort involving almost a thousand volunteers,
who nursed them back to health.
Four whales were fitted
with satellite tracking transmitters that have separated as they
were designed to, according to Greg Early, a National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service contract biologist
who monitored the animals.
The youngest male died
around the time period that observers saw a group of bull sharks
attack the whale, Early said.
Another whale travelled
into the Gulf of Mexico where researchers lost contact with the
transmitter about 400 miles south of Galveston, Texas, Early said.
He was not certain of that animal's fate.
"Long-surviving pilot
whales usually live in groups," he said.
Early is reasonably assured
that two others are doing well because they stayed together throughout
the entire tracking process.
"They travelled up
and down the east coast and went as far as North Carolina, then
swung to the east about 500 miles seemingly to avoid a hurricane
(Isabel) in September," he said. "They then came back
to a point off Florida before we lost their signals."
Early said no data exists
on the mammal freed without a transmitter.
National
Marine Fisheries Service: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
( source : www.miami.com
)
Rare whale washes up on Taranaki coast - New Zealand
6th
March, 2004
A rare shepherd's beaked whale was found dead on the Taranaki coast
north of Waitara yesterday.
A surfer alerted the Department of Conservation after finding the
6.2m whale – of which fewer than 30 have ever been found worldwide
– washed up on the shore.
Department
marine specialist Bryan Williams, of New Plymouth, said the whales
were a rare species and did not wash up or strand very often, so
little was known about them.
He
said his records showed that worldwide only 27 specimens had ever
been found, with 20 of those coming from New Zealand – the
first of these recorded at Wanganui in 1933.
Mr
Williams said Te Papa scientists would help in an autopsy on the
dead whale today, and preserve the skeleton for research purposes.
(
source : www.stuff.co.nz )
Rescued
Dolphin Recovering At Aquarium Of The Americas - New Orleans
9th
March, 2004
A
dolphin found in a Terrebonne Parish canal is undergoing rehabilitation
at an Aquarium of the Americas holding facility.
The 8-month-old female dolphin, whom staff members have named Dularge
after the canal where she was found, was rescued last week. Lack
of salt water and dirty conditions almost killed her, staffers said.
Underweight, scraped up, suffering from sunburn and an affliction
called dolphin pox, Dularge was taken to the holding facility, where
she is recovering on a diet of vitamin-stuffed raw fish.
"This is the best holding facility for her," said marine
mammal trainer Brandi Sima. "It gives her great room to move
and us enough space to interact with her."
Sima and aquarium veterinarian Dr. Steve Miller shower Dularge daily
with medicated shampoos and antibotics.
"She's lucky in the fact that she just has a lot of sunburn,"
Miller said. "Most of the time, the animals are very sick and
disabled."
Sima said it is unlikely Dularge will ever be released back into
the wild due to her young age and injuries.
"She's still got a long way to go, but we're confident,"
Sima said. "We'll send her off to another facility, and have
her live out the rest of her life there."
(
source : www.theneworleanschannel.com )
Dolphin dies
in caring hands - South Africa
8th March, 2004
Cape Town - Desperate attempts by conservation organisations and
the public and even the heated indoor pool at a hotel could not
save the life of a dolphin that washed up on a Plettenberg Bay
beach.
The striped
dolphin, which was found on Robberg Beach early on Saturday morning,
died in the pool of the Beacon Isle Hotel at about 21:00 on Saturday.
Members of
the public, businesses and conservation organisations in the coastal
town all joined hands in an effort to save the dolphin's life.
Debbie
Young, director of the Centre for Dolphin Studies, said although
the organisation's normal policy is to put a beached animal down,
they decided in this case to try to save the animal because it seemed
healthy.
They
wanted to tow the dolphin back to sea and release it in deeper waters.
A strong south easterly wind hampered this rescue attempt and the
dolphin was taken to the hotel's pool.
"She
(the dolphin) adjusted well to the new environment," Young
said.
"We
initially had to guide her around in the pool a bit because she
wasn't used to the environment. She soon started swimming around
on her own."
The
swimming pool contained seawater and some chlorine, which could
apparently not harm the dolphin.
However,
the dolphin's condition started to deteriorate on Saturday evening.
A
post-mortem revealed that the dolphin was very ill. "She had
serious pneumonia, had a lot of fatty tissue around her heart and
had many parasites."
(
source : www.news24.com )
Dolphin
Satellite Tracking Trial Underway - New Zealand
5th March, 2004
The tagging
of three Banks Peninsular Hector's dolphins with satellite transmitters
by a Department of Conservation contracted research team was successfully
completed today.
Research
team leader Dr Greg Stone said the tagging process had gone smoothly
and the three dolphins were already being tracked with the tags
giving high quality transmissions.
The
dolphins, which were overseen by two specialist veterinarians, showed
little reaction to the attachment of the tags, and swam off to join
other dolphins in their pod after a controlled release, he said.
"We've
been tracking the first tagged dolphin for over 24 hours now and
she's showing normal behaviour, which is really good."
The
dolphins, two females and a male have been named Puari, Tu Ruahine
and Timu Timu after Ngai Tahu ancestral names for headlands near
where the dolphins were caught.
The
dolphins will also be monitored by boat over the next month to observe
their behaviour.
DOC
Auckland Conservator Rob McCallum said the trial had already proved
valuable.
"It's
given a group of top marine mammal scientists and veterinarians
from overseas research agencies and New Zealand universities an
opportunity to work together, refine techniques and share information
and skills."
Blood
and skin samples taken from the dolphins have gone to Lincoln University
for analysis and would yield valuable information about the dolphins'
health and genetics, he said.
"Satellite
tracking is a potentially powerful tool for learning more about
these animals and how to best conserve them. We need to wait for
the results now to see what we can learn from this technique in
a New Zealand context."
The
tagged dolphins will be tracked over the next three months, after
which the two fastenings on each tag will release. This will coincide
with the life of the transmitter battery.
The
results of the satellite tracking work will be available later this
year, with the final evaluation of the trial completed by mid next
year.
(
source : www.scoop.co.nz )
THOUSANDS
CALL FOR BAN ON PAIR TRAWLING - U.K.
9th
March, 2004
More
than 40,000 people have signed a Westcountry petition to put an
end to dolphin slaughter by banning bass pair trawling.
Cornish
fishermen Sam Lambourn, chairman of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation
and president of the National Federation of Fishermen, last night
said a ban was the only way forward.
He
said: "The number of dolphins being killed by mid-water bass
fisheries is unacceptable and cannot continue. There's no defence.
It has got to stop."
He
added: "To the best of my knowledge there are no Westcountry
fishermen catching bass in this way. The bass we catch is sometimes
caught by set nets, but more usually by lines. It's sustainable
and it does no harm to the stock."
He
said government trials of dolphin-friendly nets using two or three
trawling pairs were insufficient when up against 50 French pelagic
trawling crews. He said: "I do not see any way this is going
to stop unless there's a ban."
Cornwall
Wildlife Trust will submit more than 40,000 signatures - collected
since last summer - to the European Parliament in June.
Marine
conservation officer Ruth Williams said the presentation had been
delayed to gather more support as awareness of the problem grew
following news that 112 cetacean carcasses were washed up on Cornish
coasts in January and February - a record figure for those months.
In Devon the figure is between 30 and 40.
Ms
Williams said: "We are specifically calling for a ban on bass
pelagic trawlers, who we believe are the worst culprits for bycatch
deaths. There have been various Government recommendations made,
but none of them have been strong enough to be satisfactory."
The
news came as the Greenpeace campaign ship Esperanza headed home
on Monday, after a seven week voyage around Westcountry waters.
The crew hauled their eleventh dolphin carcass on board on Sunday,
after finding it afloat off the coast of Devon's Start Point.
Greenpeace
campaigner Niall Bennett said all 11 dolphins had broken beaks,
cuts or damaged dorsal fins consistent with being caught in trawling
nets. He said six of those had been found within 20 miles of the
Cornish coast.
Mr
Bennett said: "It certainly looks from our investigations that
this problem is occurring on a large scale."
He
pointed out that the number of dead cetaceans recorded was the tip
of the iceberg, as many would never be found.
"It
could be because females sink immediately, or because males are
more aggressive feeders, which would make them more susceptible
to being caught in nets," he said.
Greenpeace
will collate their evidence and present it to Fisheries Minister
Ben Bradshaw as soon as possible.
Matthew
Taylor, MP for Truro and St Austell, said a ban was long overdue.
The Liberal Democrat said government hesitation could lead to the
extinction of some species.
"Labour
ministers keep asking for more time to test dolphin-friendly nets
when the truth is this fishery should not be in operation in the
first place," he said.
"Not
only are these nets unproven, but both bass and dolphins could easily
be wiped out in the meantime."
Shadow
Fisheries Minister Andrew George, MP for St Ives, said the long
line method was targeted and resulted in a better quality of bass.
He
added: "As people can make a living fishing bass without killing
other fish in the process, there's every case for banning bass pair
trawling.
(
source : www.westernmorningnews.co.uk )
SANTA BARBARA, California. - Rescuers tried unsuccessfully to save
a dolphin that had stranded itself on several beaches, the apparent
victim of a natural toxin released by algae
4th March, 2004
Rescuers
believe the dolphin came ashore Thursday at Summerland, Padaro Lane
and then Santa Claus Lane. They were called to the sites, but each
time concerned beachgoers had returned the animal to the ocean before
they arrived.
"More
often than not when a dolphin comes ashore it's in trouble,"
said Peter Howarth, director of the Santa Barbara Marine Mammal
Center. "It isn't just stranded by accident. Keep it wet. Leave
it where it is. We can't be everywhere at once."
The
animal was finally picked up Friday but died en route to a holding
pool at the center. It had hit rocks and suffered cuts in the Carpinteria
surf.
Howarth
said it appeared the dolphin was a victim of domoic acid, which
has also struck other sea life in the area. The center recently
released an elephant seal and four sea lions and was nursing another
sea lion and five harbor seals.
Domoic
acid is a natural toxin produced by an algae that has sickened dolphins
and dozens of sea lions or harbor seals off Southern California
in recent years, mainly during spring. It attacks the nervous system
and causes seizures.
(
source : www.heraldtribune.com )
Massive rescue effort nets two dolphins - Taiwan
6th March, 2004
Two of the trio of dolphins that accidentally swam up the Tamshui
river towards Taipei City in early February were captured yesterday
in a colossal rescue operation that ran into millions of dollars
and was described by local media as "unprecedented."
The two 1.8-meter-long rough-toothed dolphins whose name derives
from the fine ridges that run down their teeth, were caught yesterday
by rescuers near the Chunghsiao bridge in a NT$ 2 million rescue
effort involving over 340 people and 46 boats.
The
trio of dolphins in search of fish had frisked their way 10 kilometers
upstream from the mouth of the Tamsui river to Taipei city.
Their
rescue, on the banks of Taipei's gritty populous suburb of Sanchung,
was said to be the first of its kind in Taiwan.
The
third dolphin, nicknamed by local media as "Hsiao He",
had disappeared without trace three days ago and experts quoted
by yesterday's Chinatimes Express fear for the worst.
The
pair of dolphins ¡X one male and one female ¡X appeared
to be in relatively good health, although one was suffering from
slightly tilted dorsal fins.
As
of press time, they were being transported to Sea World in Yeliu,
Taipei County for medical treatment and observation, COA authorities
said.
Rescuers
first detected the dolphins early yesterday morning and they were
caught around midday with the use of two massive 300-meter-long
nets and around 60 sets of iron pipes.
The
latter were used to form a "sonic wall" to direct the
dolphins in the direction of the nets through playing sounds they
liked and disliked.
The
COA authorities decided yesterday to mobilize more rescue workers
to help the trio of dolphins return to the sea after experts feared
for their health.
Taipei
city and county authorities, as well as Taiwan Cetacean Society
officials joined hands to track down the dolphins after they were
spotted near the Kuandu Bridge in early February.
The
city government then invited officials from the COA, the county
government and wildlife protection groups to discuss the matter
at a meeting.
They
concluded that they should observe and record the dolphins' behavior
and refrain from any follow-up action to avoid disturbing them.
However
the COA authorities and specialists from the Taiwan Cetacean Society
later decided after the dolphins must be captured and returned to
where they came from before long.
The
decision was based on considerations of the deteriorating health
of the dolphins and the fact that the animals seemed unable to find
their way back to sea.
The
COA yesterday received support from the coast guard, the military,
the Tamsui Fishermen's Association and even a Japanese cetacean
expert to try to minimize the risks to the dolphins in the rescue
efforts.
The
Taiwan Cetacean Society will continue to monitor the river in the
hope that the third dolphin may still be alive.
Rough
tooth dolphins are found in the world's deep tropical, subtropical
and warm temperate waters. The pair are eventually expected to be
set free in the deep seas off the Penghu islands.
(
source : www.chinapost.com.tw )
Two Manatees Released, another dies - Florida
6th March, 2004
Day’s
success marked by sad mammal death
Two Florida
Keys manatees rescued as infants when they were days old were
released into the waters by Black Point Park in Homestead Wednesday
to rejoin their wild brethren and increase the numbers of the
endangered species.
But
the day later saw a pall cast, as another manatee died after being
found in a shallow cove at Knight’s Key Campground at the
Marathon end of the Seven Mile Bridge, according to Dolphin Research
Center staffers.
The
morning release came after months of acclimation training and conditioning
of the two manatees. The younger of the two males, Buttons, was
only a day old when spotted with his mother and twin sibling in
a Key Largo canal. He bore signs of having been hit by a boat and
was unable to dive underwater long enough to nurse from his mother.
After
his rescue, he was taken to Miami Seaquarium, where he lived the
past two and a half years. Buttons weighed only 31 pounds when first
found. He now weighs 750 pounds.
The
other manatee, Douglas, was rescued in 1995 by Dolphin Research
Center staff from Lake Surprise in Key Largo. He, too, was an infant,
when residents observed him, alone without a mother, in water also
known to be frequented by crocodiles. After his rescue, he was raised
at Miami Seaquarium, then spent four years at the Cincinnati Zoo.
He weighed only 50 pounds when rescued. He is now more than 900
pounds.
As
part of their pre-release conditioning, caregivers re-acclimated
Buttons and Douglas to saltwater and the seasonally fluctuating
temperatures of South Florida. They learned to eat sea grass and
other natural vegetation that are now on their daily menu. Both
animals are fitted with tracking tags so that their progress can
be monitored.
The
Knight’s Key manatee, dubbed Lancelot by rescuers, beached
itself Tuesday. When called to the scene, medical staff from the
Dolphin Research Center’s Manatee Rescue Team found it severely
malnourished, with a compromised respiratory system. Although the
initial prognosis for survival was not good, a decision was made
to attempt a rescue.
The
manatee was placed in a Miami Seaquarium truck, but died en route.
“Whenever
there is the slightest chance that the animal’s life might
be saved, you try your best,” said Dolphin Research Center
Medical Director Pat Clough. “Unfortunately, given the degree
of emaciation and other symptoms, this poor manatee was pretty far
gone by the time it sought out the shallow water.”
(
source : www.keynoter.com )
healthy
enough to return to the wild.
sliced
into the dorsal and right pectoral fins. 
But
when scientists tracked Toro down Tuesday, they realized the preferred
method was not an option.
would
he be able to help capture it for treatment. A rescue team comprising
of Mark and BDMLR members Nick Kail, Gavin Parsons, Geoff Hammock
and Chris Stevens arrived in Margate on Friday morning in the most
horrendous weather. The seal hadn’t shown and after some time
it was decided that, because of the inclement weather and rising tide,
it probably wasn’t going to. So the group left. 
Mark
drove the porpoise in his wildlife ambulance and prepared to refloat
it at the site. The animal had a healthy breathing rate and appeared
fairly strong considering it had been on the shore and out of its
natural environment for some time and so, Mark took it into the water
and began the refloating technique practised by BDMLR medics. 
