Why do the whales move away from Walkerbay, Hermanus?
Do the whales move away because of Wi Fi?
I have a theory. Our whales do not return to Walkerbay because of the distress caused by Wi-Fi signals to the whales and new-born babies.
Southern Right Whales annually visit the Hermanus, Walkerbay area to mate and to calve. They will stay for about six months to nurse their young and then return to the krill enriched Antarctic waters. During this time the baby whales will nurse on their mothers and learn communicating skills through typical whale behaviour; lob tailing, tail slapping, spy hopping and breaching.
However, the whales are now moving away or worse, not returning at all! In 2009 mother and calve pairs were observed from June up to mid-January. The 2015 whale watching season has ended mid-November with after slow arrivals from July. read more...
The world's last remaining wooden whaling ship (172 years old) has sailed again to save the whales.
The world's last remaining wooden whaling ship has sailed again. Built in 1841, retired 80 years later, and kept on display since then, the Charles W. Morgan set sail in July in the waters off Cape Cod. Once it roamed the seas to harvest whales. After more than five years of restoration, the majestic sailing ship is now used as a tool at Mystic Seaport to educate the public about preserving and protecting whales.
This summer the whale ship is plying New England waters after an extensive five-year restoration at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. The ship is bringing a public exhibit on America's whaling history to ports between New London, Connecticut, and Boston. The Morgan, a National Historic Landmark, is the second oldest ship in America after the U.S.S. Constitution, a warship built in 1797. Click to read the full blog | article
What do we know about Loggerhead turtles?
To see these magnificent creatures make their way up the beach, dig a hole with their flippers, lay their eggs, carefully cover up their nest, camouflage the site and return to the ocean is a rare and special experience, especially in view of the fact that the loggerhead is listed as vulnerable and the leatherback listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.
The loggerhead sea turtle is the world's largest hard-shelled turtle. Adults have an average weight range of 80 to 200 kg (180 to 440 lb) and a length range of 70 to 95 cm (28 to 37 in). The head of the loggerhead is large and square. The shell is dark to yellow-brown and tapers to the rear with a row of five large plates on either side of the central plates. The shell plates on the loggerhead turtle do not overlap. The most obvious difference being the adult males have thicker tails and shorter plastrons than the females. The loggerhead reaches sexual maturity within 17–33 years and has a lifespan of 47–67 years. Click to read the full blog
