These Whales Don't Fail

In spite of the multitude of stories that are popping up out of the woodwork about worldwide mass animal deaths all of the sudden, there are still some positive stories coming out of the animal kingdom these days. Some of the most encouraging are the whale tales that are being reported from all corners of the globe-tales of courage, culture and comebacks.

Flex, the western Pacific gray whale is on an epic journey. The endangered mammal (just 130 of the animals remain) left Russia early in January and swam 750 miles in some very deep water toward Alaska in just six days. Flex swam another 300 miles the next week however scientists lost their tracking signal on him due to bad weather and 30-foot waves. But when the weather clears, they should be able to again determine his location, which by then should be somewhere in the Aleutian Islands. From there, researchers expect him to come close enough to land for a sighting at around the Central Oregon Coast. If you are interested in tracking Flex too, you can go to the Oregon State website

Culture is something most people associate with art or literature, not something that an animal might possess. But based on new studies, scientists are suggesting different whale groups develop different cultures of their own just like humans. They may not paint masterpieces or pen novels, but according to Biologist Hal Whitehead, whales use different ways of communicating with each other along with different ways of using their resources that result in a flow of information which can be called 'culture.' Scientists also are noting that whales have such a big brain in relation to their body mass and such a highly developed neocortex that they might rival humans in their social organizations. Read More

Everybody loves a comeback story, especially when it involves endangered animals. Well, this is about TWO whale comback stories, actually. It seems, to the delight of whalewatchers and experts alike, whales are making a comeback in California and, of all places, New York City. Big Apple whale sightings have gone up dramatically according to the local ferryboat operators, who report a ten-fold increase. There are so many whales and dolphins that sightseeing tours have been added on weekends just to keep up. Experts are not sure what has caused the comeback, the sea-going mammals being mostly absent for 100 years, but anti-hunting laws and cleaner waters may have contributed. Along the California Coast, whale sightings are common, but not in the numbers they have been seeing lately. Scientists have been concerned about a decreasing grey whale population in recent years but are encouraged by what they are seeing this year. Since they started the count in early December they have spotted over 264 gray whales and 14 calves as they make their annual migration south, prompting experts to say its a good year for greys.

source: CaptainKujo photos: CaptainKujo

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