Tag Archives: Dolphins

Young Orca Tries to Communicate

Posted on December 7, 2011 by avatar

Orcas breaching. Poetry in motion, don't you think?

This post is cross posted here with permission from our sister site bleeding earth. I hope you will enjoy it. I found this young Orca to be truly amazing.

Lots of older people like me begin to think they have seen it all and know the basic fundamentals of everything. That is why we become ‘stuck in our ways.’ That means we don’t adapt and accept new things.

The problem with getting ‘stuck in our ways’ is we miss out on a lot of things life has to offer and the wonders that are still out there to discover.  It is like the mind is not only closed, it has rusted shut and that is sad.

My parents taught me at a very young age to never think in generalities. Plus my mother gave birth to me in the ‘Show Me’ State of Missouri. Maybe that guaranteed I would be curious about the things around me throughout my life.

However, I tend to think another thing also made me understand to expect the unexpected. That thing was being around, living with, observing, learning about and loving animals of all kinds. Because once you have been around a various group of animals you will find they do truly amazing things and you can never really predict what is coming next.

I had the good fortune of living on a beach in Southern California for twenty plus years. Those years gave me ample time to observe both Dolphins and Whales. I saw fewer whales of course, but during their normal migration they were plentiful.  There is even a group of the California Gray Whales that stays off the coast Of California year round. Needless to say, I became entranced with whales and Dolphins.

Anyway to get to today’s video. This video is of a young Orca or Killer Whale doing something truly unusual and in my view, spectacular.

Before we get to the video, let’s learn a bit about this animal. First off,  Orcas are not  whales, they are Dolphins.

From Wikipedia;

The killer whale (Orcinus orca), commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic andAntarctic regions to tropical seas. Killer whales as a species have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as sea lions, seals, walruses and even largewhales. Killer whales are regarded as apex predators, lacking natural predators and preying on even large sharks.

The video is a young Orca named Luna. He lost his family and began trying o communicate with people In many different ways. The video shows one of the more novel of his attempts to communicate.  YouTube Preview Image

Anyone who says animals of all kinds don’t talk is just crazy. They talk in a language we don’t understand, but they do talk. They talk to each other and to their young, they have regional dialects and accents and they even have certain ‘words or phrases’ that seem to be specific to one pod or family.

Watching Luna trying to talk to humans by imitating the boat’s motor is just mind-blowing. This young Orca was trying to make friends and receive guidance. It is likely he was very lonely after the loss of his family. I find that very sad.

Imagine what we could learn about our planet and particularly its oceans if we could learn to communicate with other mammals. I bet one of the first things we would learn is we are the ones ruining the environment for all the rest and we aren’t as smart or different as we think we are.

Be sure to introduce any older people you know who are ‘stuck in their ways’ to things like the wonder of the Orca. Perhaps they will see losing your curiosity about life leaves you without knowledge of some of the best parts of the life you share with the rest of the world.

How sad is it that this poor animal cannot communicate with humans? I hope someday whales, dolphins and other animals will be able to talk to us. Lets learn their languages and have conversations, okay?

Posted in Amazing Animals, Animal Behavior, environment, Video, Whales and Dolphins | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Dolphin 56—He’s Back

Posted on August 5, 2011 by avatar

Dolphins playing.

A  Bottlenose Dolphin was captured in Florida in 1979, freeze branded with the number 56, then released.  From that time forward Dolphin 56 has been tracked.  This year Dolphin 56 has made appearances in the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of the United States.

Dolphin 56 has been spotted along the shores of Virginia, New Jersey and Maryland.Because he is quite people friendly, Dolphin 56 likes to stay in close to shore around marinas.

From WTOP;

“This dolphin is very unusual in that he does frequent areas where people are likely to be,” Driscoll adds. “Most dolphins retreat when people are around.”

Keep in mind, it’s against the law to approach, feed, touch or harass wild dolphins. Violations can lead to big fines. Driscoll says you should stay at least 50 yards away, but keep your binoculars andcamera handy.

If you get a photo of Dolphin 56, you can post it on his Facebook page. You’ll find plenty of photos there, as well as updates on where he’s been recently spotted.

Driscoll says it’s nice to hear from those who have seen him recently that Dolphin 56 still appears to be healthy and happy.

Dolphin 56 was thought to be about ten to twelve years old when he was captured and branded in 1979 and you can do the math but that means he is over forty now.  That is getting into the class of senior dolphin citizen.  These animals have been known to live as long as fifty years and since Dolphin 56 appears happy and healthy, there is no reason to think he won’t be around for a while longer.

It is important to remember that wild dolphins are not pets.  They are wild animals and you should never try to interact or interfere with them.

If you really like dolphins and would like to help them,  get involved with any group that works to clean up our oceans. The oceans need our help.  Dolphins, whales, seals, fish and all other ocean life will benefit if we curtail our use of plastic and begin to take care of the waters these animals call home.

Posted in animals in the wild, environment, Oceans and Waterways | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Dolphin and Cat Make Friends

Posted on April 11, 2011 by avatar

I have seen a lot of animal friendships and interactions that many people would think were strange.  However, I learned a long time ago to never underestimate the ability of different species of animals to make friends with one another.  In fact, many animals make cross species friendships.

However, I have to admit I was very surprised to see the video below of a dolphin and a domestic pet cat who seem to really enjoy one another.  The first comment I heard about this video was  ’its the fish smell the cat is attracted to.’

But I really don’t think that at all explains this odd friendship.  Please note the way the cat reaches out to pull the dolphin back.  This is what a pet cat does when they want more petting.  If they feel you are leaving too soon and haven’t quite finished the petting or scratching they will reach their paw out and attempt to pull your hand back to them.

Also note the way the cat head butts the dolphin.  This is another sure indication that the cat wants more attention from the object of that head butt.

Another thing that struck me was the way the dolphins reacted when the cat didn’t like being splashed. They come up much more carefully to avoid getting their splashing on the little cat.

The cat is quite clearly using the glands in the sides of his mouth to mark the dolphin as his property and the dolphin is quite clearly trying to pet and love the cat.  All and all I would have to say this astonishing video does show a domestic cat and a dolphin who want to be good buddies because they like each other. Altogether amazing and very inspiring.

Now if we could just get humans to overlook differences in each other like that our world would be a far better place.

Enjoy the video!

Posted in Cats, Video, Whales and Dolphins | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Dolphins Help Save Dog in Florida

Posted on March 17, 2011 by avatar

 

Doberman dog with natural ears.

An 11 year old Doberman named Turbo lives in Florida.  Of course when Turbo went missing late on a Sunday night,  his owners were very worried.  After all the dog isn’t exactly a spring chicken.  Naturally, Turbo’s guardians went looking for him.

The next morning, Turbo was found.  He had been stranded in shallow water and was found by a woman who was alerted to the dogs predicament by the persistent splashing of dolphins who led her to the dog after they got her attention.

From NBC-2;

Dolphins got a neighbor’s attention – alerting them to a stranded pooch in shallow water.

“If he had to tread water all night long, I know he wouldn’t have been able to,” Burnett said.

The neighbor jumped in the water after calling 9-1-1 and got Turbo out. But she wasn’t home Wednesday when we tried reaching her.

While Turbo has been reunited with his family, Burnett says she doesn’t expect him to get too close to the water any time soon.

The video below is also from NBC-2.

 

Quite an adventure for Turbo. Thanks are due to the dolphins who brought attention to his plight. They are truly the life savers of the oceans. Lets hope other dogs in Florida are as lucky as Turbo.

 

Posted in Amazing Animals, Dogs, Video, Whales and Dolphins | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Has Sea Shepherd Won the Battle

Posted on February 17, 2011 by avatar

Japan has announced they are temporarily halting their Antarctic whaling mission because of an environmental groups disruptions.  Of course, we know that group is Sea Shepherd.

From The Washington Post;

Fisheries agency official Tatsuya Nakaoku says Japan has halted the hunt since Feb. 10 after persistent disruptions by the anti-whaling protesters “to ensure safety.”

He said the fleet plans to resume hunting when conditions are deemed safe.

The annual whale hunts for scientific purposes are allowed by the International Whaling Commission as an exception to the 1986 ban, but opponents say they are a cover for commercial whaling.

You can read a bit more at The Washington Post.

I have to say that even if Japan does resume their whaling, at least a lot of whales were saved this season.  I hope they will not resume their hunt, but, I am sure if they do Sea Shepherd and the brave people who travel with the group will be there.

The environment needs these big animals and many dolphins and whales are endangered species.  Every whale saved from the cruelty of factory ship slaughter is a victory.  However, the biggest victory is to get whaling stopped altogether.

A toast to Sea Shepherd, for a job very well done!!!!

Posted in Anti-Cruelty Campaigns, Endangered Species, environment, Oceans and Waterways, Whales and Dolphins | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment