Cruise ship arrives in port with dead whale on its bow

On Sunday, the Vancouver Sun reported that the Princess Cruises ship that arrived in port the day before brought with it something unexpected, and a little disturbing. Stuck to the bow of the boat was a 21 meter (about 69 feet) long dead fin whale.

The Sapphire Princess was returning from Alaska and most likely picked up the whale north of Vancouver Island, as fin whales, which have been designated as an at-risk species, don’t often inhabit the waters off Vancouver.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans plans to do a necropsy to determine if the whale was alive when it was struck by the boat or if it had been floating dead on the water. Whales are generally too small to show up on a ship’s radar, so captains rely on sightings and information from other boats in the area to help avoid them. While ship collisions with whales aren’t common, this isn’t the first time a ship has arrived in Vancouver with a fin whale stuck to the bow. In 1999, a Celebrity Cruise ship had a similar incident.

The whale was removed from the ship’s bow with the aid of two tugboats. After it is examined, it will be dropped back into the ocean where it will become an important part of the underwater ecosystem, providing food for fish and other sea creatures.

New beluga encounter at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium

The beluga whale habitat is one of my favorite attractions at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. Not only are the oddly-shaped whales incredibly graceful underwater, but with their wide-set eyes, bulging foreheads, and mouths that always seem to be smiling, they’re also just really cute.

Now beluga-loving visitors to the Shedd don’t have to content themselves with just seeing the animals from above or through the glass in the underwater viewing rooms. Those willing to pony up $200 (per person) can strap on a pair of waders and get in the water with the whales, watch as they work with their trainers, and even interact with them.

The experience is called the “Beluga Encounter“, and aside from a few Benjamins, the only requirements are that participants be at least 10 years old and 5 feet tall. Children 10-15 years old must be accompanied in the water by an adult. The sessions take place in the Grainger Beluga Encounter Habitat, a 90,000 gallon, 16-foot deep tank in the Oceanarium, which was built as part of last year’s $50 million renovation.

The Beluga Encounter takes about 2 hours total, 30 minutes of which are actually spent standing in 3-foot deep water at the corner of the tank. During that time, three to six guests get to touch, pet, and kiss the whales and can reach into their mouths and scratch their tongues, which the whales are said to enjoy.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the whales react well to their visitors, affectionately nuzzling them or playfully bumping heads. To keep the whales from being stressed or overwhelmed, the program is only offered once on Tuesdays and twice on Fridays and Saturdays, and the belugas involved rotate among the oldest seven at the Aquarium.

Seven Endangered Species You Can Still See in the Wild

There is no doubt that we are fascinated with wildlife. We love to watch diverse and interesting animals, preferably in their natural habitats, and we’re often willing to travel to remote places, sometimes at great expense, to see them. If you enjoy the kind of travel that allows for these kinds of animal encounters, they you’ll want to check out BootsnAll’s list of the Seven Endangered Species You Can Find Outside a Zoo.

The article not only lists the creatures, it also gives us the best locations to go and see them for ourselves, including some brief insights into what to expect out of the journey. For instance, if you want to see polar bears in the wild, you can expect a long flight, or 40-hour train ride, to Churchill, Canada, on the famed Hudson Bay, where every October and November, the bears gather, waiting for the bay to freeze so they can continue on northward. The other creatures, and locations that can be found, include: sea turtles in Barbados, tigers in India, rhinos in Tanzania, elephants in South Africa, pandas in China, and gray whales in Mexico.

As the article points out, in the era of ecotourism, these trips to see these rare animals can be a force for good. Conservation efforts can receive funding from our visits and an increased awareness about the plight of the animals helps to prevent poaching and protect natural habitats as well. Just be sure to travel with a reputable guide service and make sure you pack out everything you pack in.

So did they leave anything off the list? I was a bit surprised to not see the mountain gorillas that we wrote about last week, on there. They’d certainly make my top list. What’s on yours?

Swimming With New Zealand Fur Seals

I’ve just come back from a couple of days in Kaikoura on the South Island of New Zealand. I’ve been whale watching by helicopter and staying in a luxury tree house, (more about that tomorrow), but the coolest thing was bobbing about in the ocean with a colony of New Zealand fur seals.

After being poured into an essential winter weight hooded wetsuit I ventured with Sealswim Kaikoura to a local landmark called Barney’s Rock, about 300 metres off the coast. A layer of kelp surrounds the base of the rock and adolescent seals were spinning and diving amidst the tangled marine forest. My guides, father and son Graeme and Matt Chambers, provided an essential tip to maximise the experience. “Imitate the seal, and mimic whatever they’re doing.”

It was excellent advice and by just floating on my back in the gentle swell, the seals didn’t regard me as threatening. Out of the water it would have been a different story for the territorial older bulls, but joining them in their own environment I was regarded as just another benign species.

The younger seal pups swept recklessly towards me, made underwater eye contact, and then darted playfully away. On the rocks a few older seals kept sleeping in the sun, and I got the idea that none of the younger ones in the water felt the need to wake up their dozing uncles and aunties.

Thanks to Sealswim Kaikoura for the pic.