What the heck happened in the oceans in January & welcome to Feb
Our news wrap-up for January, Octopus everywhere & coming soon to Skaana
So maybe the orcas aren’t wearing salmon hats, but maybe we should?
Strange times in the world and on the water. And a lot of news to share. First off… the biggest news in Skaanaland… It’s here!
Octopus Ocean: Geniuses of the Deep officially surfaces at a bookstore near you Feb. 11. And it looks fantastic. Thank you to everyone at Orca Book Publishing! The audiobook - narrated by me (Skaana host, Mark Leiren-Young) should also be available everywhere at the same time. We’ll share a preview on Skaana soon.
Meanwhile, stand by for interviews with Paul Watson - on his post-prison news, reporter Lynda Mapes on Tahlequah’s latest tour of grief, sperm whale expert Share Gero and the new head of the Georgia Strait Alliance, Beatrice Frank and more!
And now our ocean news update
First off, those fashionable salmon hats…
Photo of orca with ‘salmon hat’ reminiscent of 80s trend: Researcher - CHEK NEWS
Why orcas wear dead salmon as 'hats' remains a mystery, scientists say | CBC News
Tahlequah’s second tour of grief
How we can honor the orca Tahlequah's grief | Op-Ed - Seattle Times
What else are orcas up to? Where????
Whales on the move - including orcas return to Penn Cove and showing up in the Arctic and Sea Whales in Argentina
Orcas moved into the Arctic. It could be bad news for other whales, and humans too
Orcas display uncanny behavior in historic Penn Cove visit
Orcas make ‘grocery’ trip to downtown Vancouver - Global News
Majestic Sei Whales Reappear in Argentine Waters After Nearly a Century
Orcas moved into the Arctic. It could be bad news for other whales, and humans too
And an official new section…
Trump vs. the Planet
Attack on Science – Trump Administration Cancels Federal Advisory Committee Meetings
And other threats to life in the oceans
Multiple conservation groups sue Feds over delay in protecting Southern Resident killer whales - Canadian news, eh
Canada's concern about illegal shark finning by fishing fleets in the North Pacific surging - CHEK News
Area off Vancouver Island a high-risk zone for ship-whale collisions: study - Times Colonist
Orcas challenging but not preventing pipeline expansion approval, says minister - National Observer
Ship strikes kill thousands of whales. A study of hot spots could map out solutions - CHEK News
New evidence spells massive trouble for world’s sharks, rays and chimaeras - Mongabay
‘The worst way of dying’: scientists urge coordinated effort to stop whales getting tangled
And in ocean science news
Right whales can live to 130, but in North America they die young - Mongabay
Out of our depth: speaking with whales - Canadian Geographic
NASA Snaps Photos of Underwater 'Sharkcano' Erupting - Smithsonian
Some Whales Live Much Longer Than Previously Thought, a Discovery That Could Change How We Protect Them - Smithsonian
Orcas hunt great white sharks in Australian waters and eat their livers, 50cm bite mark confirms - The Guardian
“Mark Leiren-Young’s Octopus Ocean gives young readers a wonderful sense of many aspects of the world of octopuses in a very clear, concise and interesting way. It makes the reader think, and it educates without preaching. This book is a door to the magnificent world of the octopus—a door that, if opened and explored, will bring much joy and connection.”
– Craig Foster, producer of My Octopus Teacher, co-founder of the Sea Change Project
Some sad news coming from the oceans, but hurray for Octopus Ocean! Can't wait to get a copy for the grandbaby!