Latest news with #WhaleAlert
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ripple's $1.5 billion escrow stands out as XRP turns 13
Ripple's $1.5 billion escrow stands out as XRP turns 13 originally appeared on TheStreet. As part of its monthly practice, Ripple has recently escrowed nearly 680 million XRPs (approximately $1.5 billion) into escrow wallets, as monitored by Whale Alert's on-chain activity tracking. The two notable transactions on June 1 consisted of a $1.03 billion XRP transfer (470 million XRPs) and a $437 XRP transaction (200 million XRPs); both token transactions have amounted to Ripple's traditional way they restricting supply. Interestingly, XRP Ledger's native token, XRP, has just turned thirteen years old as of June 2, 2025. The purpose of these escrows is to provide predictability and transparency for the XRP circulating supply. Ripple utilizes approximately 1 billion XRP each month from a portion of the escrow to meet operational needs, such as institutional partnerships, and returns the remainder to escrow. However, analysts typically consider large re-escrow events as neutral to bearish in the short term, as they inadvertently create recent fear and selling pressure when analyzing a gigantic transfer of escrowed tokens. According to reports, XRP's last one billion escrow transaction resulted in a significant price drop of approximately 24% in XRP price. At press time, XRP is trading at $2.14, down by over 7% in the last 24 hours, as per Kraken's price page. This aligns with the bearish sentiment following escrow transfers. According to XRPScan, Ripple holds a sizable portion of the total XRP supply. Ripple holds control (whether through escrow or direct access) over at least 36–39% of XRP, which is consistent with earlier estimates of 45–55% ownership (including both accessible but unescrowed Ripple holdings). This has also included a series of doubts among XRP holders. As per a Reddit discussion in r/Cryptocurrency, one user wrote, "Now, they claim that the XRP they get from these wallets, they sell to fund operations and the rest goes back into escrow,' the user added. 'What stops them from not doing that? How do we know that they are actually using the sold tokens to fund operations? They answer is we don't. It relies on Trust and not Code." However, Ripple Labs has defended itself in 2024, saying, 'Ripple has consistently returned the majority of XRP released each month back into new escrow contracts' in their market report. Ripple's $1.5 billion escrow stands out as XRP turns 13 first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 2, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Mystery as six gray whales found dead after unusually high influx into San Francisco Bay
Six gray whales have died in the San Francisco Bay Area region in the last week, officials have said. With the additional deaths, the total number of stranded whales this year has reached 15. Of those, 14 are gray whales, according to the California Academy of Sciences and partners at The Marine Mammal Center. 'In 2025, 14 gray whales and one minke whale have died in the greater San Francisco Bay Area region, with the cause of three of the gray whale deaths determined to be suspect or probable vessel strikes,' the academy wrote in a press release Thursday. 'The Academy and partners at the Center have not responded to this many dead gray whales since the height of the Unusual Mortality Event in 2019 (14 individuals) and 2021 (15 individuals).' However, the cause of the deaths of the other whales who died between May 21 and Wednesday are undetermined. Those animals died in multiple locations, including Berkeley, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Alcatraz. 'Necropsy response efforts and data collection have been challenging for a number of cases due to inaccessible locations that hinder full post-mortem investigations, as well as poor tissue quality from advanced decomposition, and the lack of available locations to tow for further investigation,' the academy noted. However, there have also been an unusually high number of sightings around the bay, including 33 individual gray whales. That's more than five times the number of whales that were sighted last year. Of those, approximately one-third have stayed in the Bay Area for at least 20 days, some of which were emaciated. Researchers are still working to determine what's driving the massive spike in sightings, and it is expected that gray whales will remain in the area for another one or two weeks before continuing their annual northern migration to feeding grounds in the Arctic. Dozens of gray whales have died along Mexico's Baja California peninsula since the year's start, and only five mother and calf pairs were identified in Laguna San Ignacio, where wintering whales gather. One of the main causes of death for whales on both coasts are vessel strikes, and the academy and the center pointed out gray whales can be even tougher to spot in the water than humpbacks and other coastal whales. To reduce the risk, they've altered ferry lanes based on sighting data and increased communication via the U.S. Coast Guard, so boaters can be 'whale aware.' If people do see a whale in the bay, they can report the sighting using the Whale Alert app, and people who find dead marine mammals are asked to contact the Academy's department of Ornithology and Mammalogy.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bay Area biologists count 5 dead whales in a week
The Brief Marine biologists told KTVU they have not seen this many dead whales in the region since what they call the "unusual mortality event" between 2019 and 2023. The causes of the most recent deaths are still under investigation, but researchers cite "vessel strikes" as the cause of three whale deaths earlier this year. SAN FRANCISCO - Researchers with the California Academy of Sciences and the Marine Mammal Center are looking into why five whales were found dead in the Bay Area within the span of a week. Marine biologists told KTVU they have not seen this many dead whales in the region since what they call the "unusual mortality event" between 2019 and 2023. Cal Academy reported 14 whales have died in 2025 – 13 gray whales and one minke whale. Since May 21 alone, stranded whales died near Alcatraz, Point Bonita, Berkeley, the Farallon Islands, and Bolinas. More whale sightings The number of deaths is high, because the number of whale sightings is at an all-time high. "The migration is a little bit later than it has been in years past and we're seeing more whales enter San Francisco Bay," said Kathi George, Director of Cetacean Conservation Biology at the Marine Mammal Center. This year alone, 33 gray whale sightings have been confirmed by photo identification so far. In 2024, biologists only saw four. "The entrance to San Francisco is a very busy area with lots of vessel traffic," said George. The possibilities While the causes of the most recent deaths are still under investigation, the Marine Mammal Center cites "vessel strikes" as the cause of three deaths this year in April and mid-May. George said the Marine Mammal Center works closely with the Harbor Safety Committee in San Francisco. She said ferry operators, the Coast Guard, and other boaters know to keep an eye out and veer out of the way when they see a whale. "It could be hard to see on a foggy day or a sunny day," George said. "So going slow, being aware that whales are in the water, are the best things that boaters can do right now." The last time this many whale deaths were tracked was between 2019 and 2023, when biologists said whales went through an "unusual mortality event," losing more than 45% of their population. What's next They're still looking into the reason behind the massive spike in sightings this year. George said the gray whales are expected to stick around for another week or two before migrating north. If you spot a whale, you're asked to take a picture and upload it to the Whale Alert app or contact the Marine Mammal Center. A necropsy is being performed on Wednesday for the deaths, which is important for researchers to determine how to protect the species. The Source California Academy of Sciences and the Marine Mammal Center, KTVU reporting
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Whale deaths in SF Bay Area surge to 14
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Five more gray whales were found dead in the San Francisco Bay Area over the past week, the California Academy of Sciences confirmed Wednesday. So far in 2025, scientists have responded to 14 individual dead whales across the region. On May 21, a yearling gray whale was found dead in Bolinas, according to Cal Academy. Another dead gray whale washed up at Southeast Farallon Island in Fisherman's Bay on May 22. That same day, a dead subadult female gray whale was located in Berkeley. On May 26, two more dead gray whales were found at Point Bonita and Alcatraz Island. Causes of death were not determined for the latest dead whales, Cal Academy said. According to officials, data collection has been challenging 'for a number of cases due to inaccessible locations that hinder full post-mortem investigations, as well as poor tissue quality from advanced decomposition, and the lack of available locations to tow for further investigation.' Three of the 14 dead whales this year were found to have died from suspected vessel strikes, experts with Cal Academy and The Marine Mammal Center said. One minke whale was euthanized in Emeryville after it repeatedly beached itself in the mud during low tides. The number of individual dead gray whales stranded in the Bay Area this year has not been seen since the height of the NOAA-declared 'unusual mortality event' that devastated populations along the west coast between 2019 and 2023, according to experts. The population of eastern North Pacific gray whales dropped 45 percent during that period, Cal Academy said. Earlier this year, scientists in Southern California reported record-low gray whale calf counts, according to the academy. Researchers are investigating what is behind the spike in gray whale sightings within the San Francisco Bay this year. In 2024, only four individuals were spotted. So far in 2025, scientists have photo-identified 33 individual gray whales swimming in the bay. 'Roughly one-third of these whales have stayed in the bay for at least 20 days, and their overall body condition has ranged from normal to emaciated,' Cal Academy said. Experts believe the gray whales will move out of the SF Bay in one or two more weeks as the species continues its northern migration to the Arctic. The public is urged to report whale sightings in the Bay Area through the WhaleAlert app or through The Marine Mammal Center's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ninth whale dies in Bay Area this year as sightings spike
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A second gray whale that died this year from a suspected vessel strike was found in the San Francisco Bay, according to The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC). It is the ninth individual dead whale that wildlife officials have responded to in the Bay Area in 2025. Staff at the Phillips 66 San Francisco Refinery in Rodeo reported the dead gray whale on May 12 to the California Academy of Sciences, TMMC said. An expert with the academy collected measurements and tissue samples on the following day. It was learned that the 39-foot gray whale was an adult female. Experts noted that the whale had two large straight cuts through the right side of the head and jaw 'consistent with propeller wounds,' according to TMMC. Samples will undergo further analysis to confirm the findings. The whale, which had been initially found underneath a pier, was dislodged during high tide on May 16 and later surfaced on a mudflat at Mare Island in Vallejo. Popular Bay Area beach continues to see high levels of fecal bacteria: report In early April, a subadult male gray whale was found just offshore of Fort Point Rock Beach in San Francisco with 'blunt force trauma consistent with vessel strike,' wildlife experts said. That whale, which was photo identified as a well-known individual called 'Denali,' suffered 'six fractured spinal vertebrae and had associated hemorrhage in the area,' TMMC said. In total, experts have responded to eight dead gray whales and one minke whale so far this year. The minke whale was euthanized after repeatedly stranding itself in the mud during low tides off Emeryville. Comparatively, by this time last year, The Marine Mammal Center had only responded to one dead gray whale and one dead humpback whale in the Bay Area. Six of the gray whales found dead this year have an undetermined cause of death. In all of 2024, there were only four individual gray whales sighted in the San Francisco Bay, according to TMMC. This year, however, experts with the center's Cetacean Conservation Biology Team have photo-identified 30 individual gray whales swimming in the bay. 'The reason or potential reasons behind the spike in sightings this year are still being investigated by researchers,' TMMC told KRON4. The public is urged to report whale sightings in the Bay Area through the WhaleAlert app or through The Marine Mammal Center's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
