Latest news with #NewEnglandAquarium
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Calving season ends for North Atlantic right whales as conservationists hope for population recovery
A pair of North Atlantic right whales interact at the surface of Cape Cod Bay, March 27, 2023, in Massachusetts. For the past eight years, the North Atlantic right whale population has been fighting for its life. In 2017, 17 whales died from a combination of vessel strikes, entanglements, and unknown causes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They suffered 10 more deaths in 2019. In nearly a decade, 157 right whales have died or suffered serious injuries or illnesses, prompting the declaration of an unusual mortality event (UME) for the species. 'Understanding and investigating marine mammal UMEs is crucial because they can be indicators of ocean health, giving insight into larger environmental issues which may also have implications for human health,' reads the NOAA website. The calving season for the North Atlantic right whale recently ended, with the New England Aquarium reporting 11 confirmed mother-calf pairings. 'If you look over averages, 11 is actually the average number born,' said Kim Elmslie, campaign director with Oceana Canada. 'Last year, 20 calves were born and four of those calves are presumed to have died. 'The ideal number to hit is 50 calves, some models say. In 2009 there were 39 calves born, which is still a low number for this species. Every calf is to be celebrated, but we want to see more.' NOAA estimates there are roughly 370 North Atlantic right whales left; in 2017 that number sat at 431. Fifteen years ago the population rested at 477. Elmslie notes the raw numbers only tell half the story of the challenge facing the species. 'Of that population that are about 370, only 70 are reproductive females,' she said. 'If that number were to drop below 50, we'd have a crisis for the species.' Entanglements pose an ever-present threat to right whales, a fact that was hammered home this week as Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) reported an entangled whale that was spotted on the north shore of the St. Lawrence estuary. Oceana Canada said it was the first reported right whale entanglement in Canadian waters this year. DFO said the whale, which was identified as a juvenile male born in 2021, was first sighted entangled in North Carolina last December. Due to the ongoing entanglements, Oceana Canada has advocated for ropeless fishing gear to reduce the incidents. Elmslie says there is support from the fishing industry for exploring those kinds of opportunities. 'There are some unique opportunities as we see markets start to shift,' she said. 'It's a very interesting time globally. Canada might be poised in an interesting way to take advantage of these opportunities.' As the summer rolls along, Oceana Canada and other organizations will be keeping a close eye on the North Atlantic right whale population. 'Every year, everybody holds their breath,' she said.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Terrifying moment massive shark trails boat as onlooker screams line from Jaws
Footage shows two people in a small boat at a popular holiday spot in Rhode Island, in the United States, when suddenly onlookers see a massive shark behind them A massive 20-feet shark was filmed at a popular holiday resort with an onlooker heard screaming a line from the famous Jaws film as it lurked by a small boat. Diners eating by the beach were suddenly alarmed to see the predator lurking in the water and worryingly close to a boat with those onboard apparently unaware. The sea was looking calm in the footage when the fin of the shark appeared from the water behind the boat which had two people in it. A shout came from a man amid general chatter in a restaurant saying: 'There is a shark in the pond.' It was followed by general laughter before other people realised that he was actually being serious with the 20-feet predator moving through the water. It is a reference to a scene in Jaws, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, where a crowd shouted out that a shark had entered a tidal pond where children were playing in a boat. And it happened in real life in the water at Block Island, Rhode Island, in the US, where the fin was seen cutting through the water by diners at Dead Eye Dicks on Great Salt Pond. But fortunately the boat was heading the other way from the shark and there was no attack like in the film. The footage was shared online by the Atlantic Shark Institute who commented that they had received calls about the sighting of the predator. 'Sharks are arriving in Rhode Island daily as water temperatures continue to rise and more and more species of shark find them suitable to their liking,' it stated. 'Hopefully this shark will find its way out of Great Salt Pond soon and continue on its way!' It also said: 'We got some wonderful video but loved this one from Jen Seebeck who was enjoying dinner at Dead Eye Dicks when she noticed the fin slicing through the water inside Great Salt Pond. Clearly a very large shark and reminiscent of a scene from Jaws on this 50th anniversary of the film. Can you guess what the species is?' Atlantic Shark Institute executive director Jon Dodd said the shark in the video is a basking shark, estimated to be approximately 20 feet long with a large dorsal fin. The basking shark is the second-largest fish species after the whale shark and live on tiny plankton. They are commonly spotted in southern New England waters in late spring, according to the New England Aquarium. Basking sharks can be mistaken for great white sharks but they have pointed dorsal fins, while the basking sharks have rounded fins.
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
New England Aquarium celebrates Atlantic harbor seals' 40th birthdays
'At any time of day or night, you can see visitors walking by the exhibit to see what the harbor seals are up to,' she said in the statement. A small crowd gathered at the open-air exhibit outside the Aquarium entrance as trainers led games and demonstrations with the birthday pair. The seals' birthday cake didn't have frosting or candles—instead, it was made of ice jello and fish, according to the Aquarium. New England Aquarium Advertisement Although both seals marked the occasion together, the celebration officially honored Amelia's birthday; she was born at the Aquarium on May 28, 1985. Amelia, who lost one eye to chronic corneal inflammation, enjoys 'bottling' — floating upright with her nose above water — and in sleeping in odd positions, according to the statement. Born just over a week after her half-sister, on June 7, Trumpet is now a mother of two and likes to Both seals are offspring of Hoover, the Aquarium's famed 'talking harbor seal' that could mimic phrases such as 'Hello there' and 'How are you?' Though Hoover has died, one of Trumpet's pups, Chacoda, is beginning to learn a few words, according to the Aquarium's Advertisement The Aquarium also thanked its staff for their support for Amelia and Trumpet. 'Their longevity is a true testament to the New England Aquarium's commitment to prioritizing the highest level of animal wellbeing and veterinary care, along with our staff's dedication to the animals,' said Kristen McMahon, the Aquarium's curator of Pinnipeds and Penguins, in the statement. Staff created birthday cards for the seals, and guests were also invited to sign a large poster, the Aquarium said. New England Aquarium Rita Chandler can be reached at
CBS News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Viral video of 20-foot shark in Rhode Island invites "Jaws" comparisons
Video of a huge shark swimming around Rhode Island's Block Island on Memorial Day is going viral. The video taken by Jen Seebeck and posted on the Atlantic Shark Institute's social media pages has already been viewed more than 4 million times on Instagram and Facebook. "Clearly a very large shark and reminiscent of a scene from Jaws on this 50th anniversary of the film," the organization said. Basking shark sighting in Rhode Island Unlike the titular creature in "Jaws," this shark is no bloodthirsty great white. Atlantic Shark Institute executive director Jon Dodd says this is a basking shark that appears to be about 20 feet long with a large dorsal fin. Basking sharks are the second-largest fish species after the whale shark, according to the New England Aquarium, and they eat plankton. "They are harmless filter-feeders but that wouldn't matter much if you were in the water when one came cruising by!" Dodd tells WBZ-TV. The two species are often mistaken for one another, but the dorsal fin of the basking shark is more rounded while a great white has a pointed fin. The sighting in Great Salt Pond had diners at Dead Eye Dick's buzzing. "There's a shark in the pond!" one person with a distinctive New England accent can be heard saying Dodd says it appears the shark likely entered the pond by accident and has since left the area. "It is the first shark that has entered the pond this season, but likely not the last!" Dodd said.
NBC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Endurance swimmer closes in circumnavigation of Martha's Vineyard ahead of ‘Jaws' 50th
VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. — A British-South African endurance athlete is closing in on the finish line of his 62-mile (100-kilometer) multi-day swim around Martha's Vineyard on Monday, aiming to become the first becoming the first person to swim all the way around the island. Lewis Pugh began swimming multiple hours a day in the 47-degree (8-degree Celsius) water on May 15 to raise awareness about the plight of sharks as the film 'Jaws' nears its 50th birthday. He wants to change public perceptions and encourage protections for the at-risk animals — which he said the film maligned as 'villains, as cold-blooded killers.' 'It was a film about sharks attacking humans and for 50 years, we have been attacking sharks,' he said before plunging into the ocean near the Edgartown Lighthouse. 'It's completely unsustainable. It's madness. We need to respect them.' Pugh, 55, said this would be among his most difficult endurance swims, which says a lot for someone who has swum near glaciers and volcanoes, and among hippos, crocodiles and polar bears. Pugh was the first athlete to swim across the North Pole and complete a long-distance swim in every one of the world's oceans. But Pugh, who often swims to raise awareness for environmental causes — he's been named a United Nations Patron of the Oceans — said no swim is without risk, and that drastic measures are needed to get his message across: Around 274,000 sharks are killed globally each day — a rate of nearly 100 million every year, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 'Jaws,' which was filmed in Edgartown, renamed Amity Island for the movie, created Hollywood's blockbuster culture when it was released in summer 1975, setting new box office records and earning three Academy Awards. The movie would shape views of the ocean for decades to come. Both director Steven Spielberg and author Peter Benchley expressed regret that viewers of the film became so afraid of sharks, and both later contributed to conservation efforts as their populations declined, largely due to commercial fishing. Day after day, Pugh has entered the island's frigid waters wearing just trunks, a cap and goggles, enduring foul weather as a nor'easter dumped 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain on parts of New England and flooded streets on Martha's Vineyard. Pugh's endeavor also coincides with the New England Aquarium's first confirmed sighting this season of a white shark, off the nearby island of Nantucket. Just in case, he's accompanied by safety personnel in a boat and a kayak, whose paddler is using a 'Shark Shield' device to create a low-intensity electric field in the water to deter sharks without harming them.
