Orca & Oceans News - April, 2024
Orphan orca on the move, the humpback comeback, the dangers of seal selfies and more
Brave Little Hunter returns to the ocean…
So this was a wild month for ocean news on Canada’s west coast… The province was and still is obsessed with the fate of an orphan orca. As I write this the orca known as Brave Little Hunter is back in the ocean searching for a pod. An elephant seal who likes hanging out in one of Canada’s poshest suburbs is being pestered by selfie-seekers. And there was a scary study about the fate of the southern residents. Oh, and did you hear that scientists may be on the verge of confirming what orca lovers have known for ages now… Bigg’s orcas and resident orcas are different SPECIES.
A teaser on that one… I interviewed a couple of fantastic scientists from NOAA (America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) - Kim Parsons and Tom Jefferson - about orca species and so much more.
We’re also about to post an interview with my favourite eco-pirate, Paul Watson, on his adventures founding Neptune’s Navy and who he’s fighting for (and against) in 2024.
And we’re lining up an interview with the author of the essential new book - Secrets of the Octopus — Warren K. Carlyle, founder of OctoNation, and best-selling octopus author Sy Montgomery (okay, she’s also written a jillion other bestselling books on animals and the environment, but we’re talking octopus).
But now it’s time for our monthly round-up of (mostly Canadian news) about the life aquatic in April, 2024.
The mission to rescue an orphan orca in BC
Trapped orca swam out of lagoon overnight into Espinosa Inlet - CHEK News
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold - Times Colonist
Up close with orca rescue team in B.C. - CBC
Fisheries officials monitoring orphaned orca calf in lagoon off Vancouver Island - CHEK NEWS
‘We’re all cheering for her’: time is ticking for Canada’s stranded orca orphan - The Guardian
Emerson the Elephant seal
Volunteers work in shifts to protect Emerson the elephant seal from gawkers - Times Colonist
Too famous for his own good, Emerson might need to be moved away from selfie-seeking fans - Times Colonist
Volunteers work in shifts to protect Emerson the elephant seal from gawkers - Times Colonist
'Quite a celebrity': Elephant seal 'Emerson' moulting in Saanich - Chek News
Jane Goodall turns 90 and says VOTE
Book Reviews: Jane Goodall at 90 & The Emotional Lives of Animals, 2024 Revision
Jane Goodall Says 2024 is the ‘Most Consequential Voting Year’
The Humpback Comeback
Planet Earth III highlights B.C. humpback whales and Vancouver Island researchers - CHEK News
First humpback calf of 2024 spotted in Salish Sea - CHEK News
A disturbing new study on the future of the southern resident orcas
New study shows accelerating decline in Southern Resident orca population - Capital Daily
Going Grey
6-year grey whale mass die-off declared over as scientists research potential causes - Chek
And adventures in ocean science
The scientists learning to speak whale - BBC
This Ancient Whale May Have Been the Heaviest Animal Ever
And the scoop on my personal substack (where I don’t talk about marine life… much)…
