01.01.70
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:00 am by allan
If the Earth, were only a few feet in diameter, floating a few feet
above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to marvel
at it. People would walk around it, marvelling at its big pools of
water, its little pools and the water flowing between the pools.
People would marvel at the bumps in it, and the holes in it, and they
would marvel at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the
water suspended in the gas. The People would marvel at all the
creatures walking around the surface of the ball, and at the
creatures in the water.
The people would declare it as sacred because it was the only one and
they would protect it so that it would not be hurt. The ball would
be the greatest wonder known, and people would come to pray to it, to
be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty and to wonder how it
could be.
People would love it, and defend it with their lives
because they would somehow know, that their lives, their own
roundness, could be nothing without it. If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter?
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09.21.06
Posted in Tay Dolphins at 8:51 pm by allan
04 September 2006
Tay dolphin injuries: jet-skiers to blame?
Some of the River Tay’s dolphins have suffered horrific injuries, and it’s feared reckless jet-skiers at Broughty Ferry might have been responsible, writes Graeme Strachan.
Maritime Volunteer Service development officer David Kett said some of the bottlenose dolphins exhibit alarming injuries such as large chunks missing from their dorsal fins.
Broughty Ferry Councillor Charles Webster said the time has now come to license these craft, which are capable of travelling at 80mph.
David Kett said, “These injuries could be due to a straightforward accident, or aggression from other sea creatures, although increasingly it is feared they might have been caught unawares by high-speed craft crossing their path”, he said.
Mark Simmonds, director of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, said, typically, damage to the dorsal fins or the back is the result of being struck by a water vehicle.
MVS Tay Unit operates vessels from both sides of the Tay taking passengers on tours of the estuary and dolphin-spotting trips.
The guidelines for all craft except ships on passage is to slow down or stop at some distance from the pod, don’t make any sudden engine manoeuvres, and let the dolphins come to you, said Mr Kett.
Councillor Webster said, “I’m distressed to learn about these horrific injuries. If they are due to fighting amongst dolphins, there’s not a lot we can do about it.”
“If however they are due to fast-moving craft in the water then obviously we have to take action.”
“The time has now come to license the use of these crafts. I’m not for restricting freedom, but there comes a time when use has to be confined to licensed users, as they do with motorcycles and vehicles on the road.”
“I’m sure most responsible users wouldn’t have a problem with that.
“Having witnessed the irresponsible behaviour of a small minority of jet-skiers, there should be no room on the water for these people.
There have been some spectacular displays from the dolphins, much to the enjoyment of people watching at Broughty Ferry. We don’t want to drive them away.
The dolphins started to arrive several years ago, their presence mirrored by decreasing numbers in the Moray Firth. It is thought pollution and noise from rising numbers of dolphin-watching tourist boats drove them from their habitat there and other east coast areas.
Mark Simmonds said, “Jet-skis and dolphins don’t mix. Whales and dolphins are air breathers and cannot simply dive away under the water and hide and they may not be able to outpace or out-manoeuvre fast vessels.”
“So we are asking boat users please not to chase them and to be careful when manoeuvring if these animals are nearby.”
Dundee City Council is working in conjunction with Tayjet Personal Waterfront Club, which represents responsible jet-skiers, to try to ensure the safety of the dolphins.
Councillor Charles Farquhar, leisure & arts convener, Dundee City Council said, “It would be extremely sad if dolphins had been injured in any way by fast craft using the River Tay.”
“This shows why the council’s earlier warning to irresponsible jet-ski users needs to be reinforced. We will be continuing to work with Tayjet Personal Waterfront Club, who represent responsible enthusiasts who use the water safely, the port authority, Tayside Police and other agencies, to deal with the problem.”
The dolphins are a magnificent sight in the water and are becoming a popular attraction that is bringing people to Dundee from far and wide. We must not let reckless people threaten this real wildlife treasure of the River Tay.
Source: Evening Telegraph
http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2006/09/04/story8722249t0.shtm
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05 September 2006
Warning over Tay dolphins
A marine life rescue expert has warned irresponsible jet skiers in Dundee they could face prosecution if caught disturbing dolphins on the River Tay, writes Graeme Strachan.
Bruce McLeish, British Divers Marine Life Rescue group’s area co-ordinator for Dundee, spoke of his shock after reports of dolphins suffering injuries, such as large chunks missing from dorsal fins.
Typically, damage to the dorsal fins or the back is the result of being struck by a water vehicle. It’s thought some reckless jet skiers at Broughty Ferry may have been responsible.
“I’m shocked to hear of the injuries to the bottlenose dolphins,” said Mr McLeish.
“I’ve witnessed an incident where a jet skier was making off towards the dolphins at Broughty Ferry.
“He didn’t directly harass them but he did go out towards them intentionally. The group has spoken to the jet skiers about irresponsible behaviour.
“It’s like everything else, one or two spoil it for the majority.”
Mr McLeish said deliberately disturbing whales or dolphins in UK waters is a criminal offence, and anyone caught doing so could face prosecution.
“There’s a case ongoing where a jet skier was reported to the procurator fiscal following complaints he was spotted close to a pod of bottlenose dolphins in the Moray Firth,” said Mr McLeish.
Grampian Police were contacted following the incident in June. The alleged offence comes under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
No dolphins were injured. Conservationists say the creatures are easily disturbed by loud noises.
The injuries to the Tay’s dolphins were discovered by the Maritime Volunteer Service’s Tay Unit, which operates vessels taking passengers on tours of the estuary and dolphin-spotting trips.
Dundee City Council is working in conjunction with Tayjet Personal Waterfront Club, which represents responsible jet-skiers, to try to ensure the safety of the dolphins.
Source: Evening Telegraph
http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2006/09/05/story8725753t0.shtm
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06 September 2006
Bro’ty jet-skier hits back at dolphin claims
Jet-skier Maureen McLay hit back at claims jet-skiers from Broughty Ferry may have been responsible for the injuries to the Tay’s dolphins.
“I am one of the jet-skiers using the Tay and feel we responsible jet-skiers are not been given a fair chance or a fair report in connection with the dolphins,” she said.
“We are not the only vessel on the water and if someone inspected a jet-ski they would see for themselves that it has no propeller or rudder, making it a very safe vehicle on the water.
“There are more boats compared to jet-skis using the Tay. Boats range from small fishing boats, and speedboats to large cargo boats all with engines using a propeller and rudders. As you can imagine, the propeller turns at great speed and can shred any item that comes in contact with it.
“Dolphins and seals are able to detect objects on the water and, as we are smaller, then it is easy for them to dive under or around a jet-ski.
“With regards to jet-skiers making off towards the dolphins, I do agree we do go out and view the dolphins, but we spend only a short period of time viewing. It should also be noted that no vessel on the water can go where it likes, and a bystander on the shore would probably not be aware we have set channels for leaving and entering the shore.
“This could look as if we are heading straight to the dolphins as they tend to be in the deeper channels and away from the shore, but we have to be set-distances from the shore and also within marked areas, as per the bylaws.
“My hobby is turning me into a victim of verbal abuse, both at work and when launching, as the public are only hearing the negative side of my sport and are assuming we are all the same.”
Source: Evening Telegraph
http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2006/09/06/story8729587t0.shtm
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One to watch…..
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10.08.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:32 am by allan
Skywatch
By Chris Anderson
Some constellations are conspicuous because they’re large, like the centerpiece of the winter sky, Orion. Some stand out because they have one or more bright stars, like Leo or Scorpius. Still others are neither large nor bright, but display a distinctive shape.
An example of the latter is Delphinus, the dolphin. This constellation is easy to spot because its stars form a tiny flattened diamond with a tail, or perhaps a spoon with a slightly bent handle. To find it, first locate the Summer Triangle, a bright triad of stars currently high overhead around 9 p.m. The lowest star is bluish-white Altair. Look about a fist’s width at arm’s length to the left of Altair, and just a little higher. There you’ll see Delphinus, looking like a tiny Flipper, breaching the surface for his herring reward.
Actually, when Delphinus was named — at least 24 centuries ago — the ancients who named it didn’t have the seagoing mammal in mind. Rather, they envisioned a fish of the same name, now better known as mahi-mahi to avoid confusion (especially in seafood restaurants).
Perhaps this tiny constellation’s greatest peculiarity involves the names of its two brightest stars, Sualocin and Rotanev.
Their unusual names first appeared in a star catalog by Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi in 1814, with no explanation of their origins. Astronomical historians speculated that the names were distortions of Arabic words, like numerous other stars, but it was some decades later before English clergyman-astronomer Thomas Webb solved the puzzle. Webb found that in reverse they spelled “Nicolaus Venator,” the Latinized form of the name of Piazzi’s assistant, Niccola Cacciatore. No one knows whether Piazzi or Cacciatore is responsible for this little joke, but in the end the latter’s name is now firmly ensconced in the starry firmament, at least for those who are in the know.
http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/10/08/weeklyfeatures_sunday/features_sunday.8.txt
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Posted in Solitary Sociables at 7:48 am by allan
The growing number of solitary, friendly dolphins that live around our coasts are hugely popular, however WDCS is warning that by lavishing them with attention we are harming them.
Typically these solitary dolphins stay in a particular region for some time and may seek the company of people. Not surprisingly, people will often flock in large numbers to see them, feed them or swim with them. Sadly, the fate of these solitary dolphins is usually not a happy one and it is often the attention from people that leads to their injury and eventual death.
One such dolphin, Marra, who lives off the coast of Cumbria shows how vulnerable solitary dolphins are. This year, so far she has been:
- trapped in a dock, from which she had to be physically removed;
- stranded on the shore, from which she had to be rescued;
- struck by at least one boat (one strike was observed – the marks on her body indicate that there may have been more);
- entangled in a rope, from which she freed herself;
- most recently she has sustained a very nasty, probably life-threatening, wound under her tail – the cause of which we don’t know.
Essentially, Marra, like other fully human-habituated dolphins, is unlikely to survive.
A friendly dolphin was killed in Portsmouth harbour in February when it was accidentally struck by a boat propeller. And it was the latest in a long line of solitary whale and dolphin casualties around the world.
Dave, the dolphin seen on the Kent coast, is also at increasing risk as he starts to associate more with people and there are at least two others in this region in similar circumstances (one in France).
WDCS’s Mark Simmonds says there are two issues at the heart of this matter. “Firstly, it is possible to tame solitary dolphins and through this summer many people have gone out of their way to ‘make friends’ with these UK solitaries. Unfortunately, the tamed dolphins not only lose their natural fear of people but also come to look to humans for companionship and entertainment. This inevitably leads them into trouble. Secondly, comes the issue of people behaving badly around the dolphins – for example crowding them in with several vessels, chasing them or even driving straight at them – and again the solitaries, which typically have small home ranges are very vulnerable to this.”
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and WDCS have been working hard throughout this winter and summer monitoring these animals with the help of local people and trying to provide advice and guidance to swimmers and boat users. We have also had to intervene to save the life of Marra on several occasions as indicated above. However, we are unable to provide round-the-clock protection and in many cases our advice has not been heeded. Whilst the majority of people are not acting out of any cruel intent the ultimate consequence of taming solitary dolphins is to condemn them to a life where they are constantly at high risk of being wounded and killed in our busy seas.
We ask people now not to swim with them and not to go up close to them in any water vessels. It is also essential that they are not fed. The solitary dolphins can in most cases be watched from land and this is what we recommend.
If you do help to tame a dolphin, you are responsible for its fate!
Source: WDCS
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11.17.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:51 am by allan
VISITORS TO Highland Perthshire could be forgiven for thinking they have stumbled into the magical land of Narnia this winter, when they come face to face with a rare white stag roaming around the hills.
The young fallow deer has been spotted by visitors to the Dunkeld area during the rutting season and, according to one local businessman, they have been literally stopping in their tracks to stare at it.
Full story: Courier
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11.19.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:59 am by allan
It is one of the fastest growing areas of so-called eco-tourism, a supposedly environmentally-friendly way to get close to nature enjoyed by more than 11 million people.
But research has found that whale-watching may be responsible for damaging changes in the mammals’ behaviour and could be putting them off feeding. A study of killer whales by researchers from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, has revealed that the approach of boats disturbed the animals to such an extent that they decreased their food intake by up to 18 per cent.
Whale-watching is claimed to be a way of raising awareness of the giant mammals while providing an alternative source of income for communities that traditionally hunted them.
Full Story: Telegraph.co.uk
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11.21.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:30 pm by allan
An RAF search and rescue crew has captured rare footage of a pod of deep diving whales while training over the Moray Firth.
The large marine mammals were spotted five miles offshore, north of Spey Bay, at the weekend.
The helicopter crew from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray were on a regular training trip.
Expert Charlie Phillips said they may have been sperm or northern bottlenose whales - both rare sightings.
RAF spokesman Michael Mulford said the helicopter crew counted a pod of nine whales, which they filmed from a distance so they did not frighten them.
The Moray Firth is better known for its bottlenose dolphins.
Full Story: BBC
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11.23.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:58 am by allan
SCOTLAND’S most common bird of prey has been placed on an endangered species list following a dramatic decline in its numbers, it was revealed yesterday.
The number of kestrels north of the Border fell by 31 per cent between 1993 and 2003, according to figures compiled by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
Over the same period, the decline in kestrel numbers across the whole of the United Kingdom was just 4 per cent.
The BTO also revealed that kestrel productivity - the number of young the birds produce - dropped by between 25 and 50 per cent over the past year.
The decline has now led to kestrels being added to the Nest Record Scheme Concern List, which was published yesterday by the BTO.
Full Story: Scotsman
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11.26.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:38 am by allan
Crawsnest (Scotland) have been busy this week helping out with seal pup rescues as part of their work with the BDMLR. The pup (above) has been named ‘Bob’ and we will keep you up to date on his progress at rehab over the coming weeks. If you would like to see pictures of some of the other pups, please visit our gallery.
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11.27.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:32 pm by allan
This Code is designed for those actively watching marine wildlife. It is important that the Code is followed as far as is practical and feasible by those setting out to watch marine wildlife, as well as by anyone encountering marine wildlife in the course of their work or leisure pursuits.
To download a copy of the new code and a guide to best practice for watching marine wildlife, go here.
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