As Italy Quarantines Over Coronavirus, Swans Appear in Venice Canals, Dolphins Swim Up Playfully

“Nature just hit the reset button” in the suddenly clear waters of Venice canals and off the coast of a locked-down Italy.

Story at a glance

• Italy is under lockdown to fight the spread of COVID–19, which has killed thousands in the country.

• With the canals in Venice empty of its usual boat traffic, photos on social media show clear waters and the return of wildlife.

•  An Italian official says the water isn't necessarily less polluted, but the air has cleared up.

What would a world without humans look like? As countries go under lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID–19, photos on social media suggest it might be a lot cleaner, for a start. As one observer put it, “Nature just hit the reset button.”

To read more on this story, click here: As Italy Quarantines Over Coronavirus, Swans Appear in Venice Canals, Dolphins Swim Up Playfully

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Tickets For Tourist Attractions Keeping Captive Whales And Dolphins Will Be Banned From Travel Site TripAdvisor

Tickets for tourist attractions keeping captive whales and dolphins will be banned from travel site TripAdvisor, the latest animal rights reform from the booking giant.

This week, the website announced it would "no longer sell tickets to, or generate revenue from, any attraction that continues to contribute to the captivity of future generations of cetaceans," including whales, dolphins and porpoises.

"As a result, any commercial facility that either breeds or imports cetaceans for public display will be banned from sale on TripAdvisor and Viator," the website said.

The company made its decision following "extensive consultation" with animal marine biologists, zoologists and conservationists.

It follows a similar move made several years ago where TripAdvisor decided to stop supporting businesses offering elephant rides, swimming with dolphins, or tiger encounters.

"Whales and dolphins do not thrive in limited captive environments, and we hope to see a future where they live as they should -- free and in the wild," commented Dermot Halpin, President, TripAdvisor Experiences and Rentals.

"We believe the current generation of whales and dolphins in captivity should be the last, and we look forward to seeing this position adopted more widely throughout the travel industry."

Such products will be removed from the website by the end of 2019.

Conservation groups and animal welfare experts welcomed the move as an important step forward.

The company quoted Dr. Naomi Rose, of the Animal Welfare Institute, as saying "whales and dolphins cannot thrive in captivity and enlightened tourists no longer tolerate exploiting these intelligent and socially complex marine predators for human entertainment."

The reform will not apply to "seaside sanctuaries" which care for those animals already in captivity. It is believed few Australian facilities will be caught in the changes, but 10 daily understands Sea World -- on Queensland's Gold Coast -- is seeking clarification on whether it will be amongst the businesses to be banned from TripAdvisor's website.

"Sea World is proud of our global leadership in animal rescue, education, research and conservation, and our world-class facilities," a theme park spokesperson told 10 daily.

"Sea World encourages any travel agency considering its position to research the science and conservation-based evidence which supports zoos and aquariums and to reach out if they have any questions."

It is understood Sea World has no plans to abandon its current dolphin breeding program, which may see it fall under TripAdvisor's plan to ban facilities breeding or importing cetaceans for display.

"Sea World is an accredited zoological institution under the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) and is also regulated by multiple State and Federal Government agencies. We have a long history of working with marine animals, with over 40 years of experience in animal care, research and rescue," the park spokesperson said.

"The health and wellbeing of our animals is of the utmost priority at Sea World and we have a strong reputation for caring for marine animals. The animals at Sea World live in world-class exhibits, with the dolphins living in some of the largest filtered natural sand bottom lagoon systems in the world."

TripAdvisor's policy change was welcomed by PETA Australia.

"TripAdvisor has officially rejected tourism to marine mammal prisons like Sea World, where sensitive, complex, far-ranging aquatic animals are kept in tiny tanks," said PETA’s Emily Rice.

"TripAdvisor is rightly rejecting animal-exploiting operations, and PETA is calling on tourists and all other travel companies to do the same."

TripAdvisor also quoted Nick Stewart, global head of wildlife at the World Animal Protection group.

"This sends a clear message to other travel companies that we must end this cruel industry once and for all," he said.

"Together we can ensure this is the last generation of dolphins held captive for entertainment."

                    Actress Tara Reid swims with dolphins at Sea World in 2007. Image: Getty

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Nearly Extinct Pink Dolphin Gives Birth To Pink Calf

Rare pink dolphin mom gave birth to a cute baby dolphin. People call her Pinky, and the animal has been spotted in the Calcasiey river in Louisiana. The pink calf was there, too.

The pink mammal became popular 12 years ago. Captain Erik Rue was the first to spot her.  The video of Pinky and her baby was posted on Pinky’s Facebook page. The dolphins were swimming in front of a big boat in the Calcasieu Ship Channel.

According to experts, Pinky is a Rare River Dolphin who got the pink color from a rare genetic mutation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed river dolphins as endangered. It’s population is decreasing.


The birth of the calf gives us hope that calves have inherited their mother’s genetic mutation which would help in the effort of increasing the population of rare species.

To read more on this story, click here: Nearly Extinct Pink Dolphin Gives Birth To Pink Calf

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Six Reasons Why You Should Not Swim with Wild Spinner Dolphins

Would you swim with wild spinner dolphins if you knew that they were trying to sleep?

Swimmers and boats that come to visit wild spinner dolphins close to shore during the day could be disturbing their rest and potentially harming them. Wild spinner dolphins feed off-shore at night and return to sheltered bays and coastlines during the day to rest, socialize, tend to their young, and avoid predators. Any energy used towards responding to human activity--even if they appear to just be curious and enjoy the interaction--is energy not being used for these behaviors that are critical for survival. When their rest is interrupted, especially if it happens many times in a day, it can affect their health and well-being.

Swimming with resting spinner dolphins may constitute "harassment" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance that has the potential to disrupt a marine mammal's behavior is "harassment" under this Act and is, therefore, against the law.

To read more on this story, click here: Six Reasons Why You Should Not Swim with Wild Spinner Dolphins

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Red Tide Killing Marine Life In Florida

Sarasota, Fla. — The worst outbreak in years of toxic algae -- also known as red tide -- is killing thousands of sea creatures in Southwest Florida.

Red tide occurs naturally each year from Sarasota to Marco Island. It typically lasts about six months, but this year’s season is in its ninth month.

To read more on this story, click here: Red Tide Killing Marine Life In Florida

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Did You Know That Dolphins Are Highly Intelligent Marine Mammals?

Dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals and are part of the family of toothed whales that includes orcas and pilot whales.

Dolphins are well known for their intellect, their gregarious nature, and their acrobatic abilities.

They are found worldwide, mostly in shallow seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. Dolphin coloration varies, but they are generally gray in color with darker backs than the rest of their bodies.

The body of a dolphin is designed to help them move through the water quickly and without exerting huge amounts of energy. They rely on their pectoral fins and the fluke (tail) to help them navigate through the water.

Even though dolphins have 100 teeth, they don’t use them for eating. They do use them to get the fish though and then they swallow them. They can consume up to 30 pounds fish per day. They usually work as a team in their pod to get the school of fish surrounded and balled up. From there, they can plow through the middle and eat plenty as they do so.

Dolphins are found all over the world; generally in shallow seawater of the continental shelves. You can witness dolphins in the cold waters as well as the warm tropical waters. Of course, there are certain species of dolphins that show preference to a particular temperature and region.

Lifespan: Most dolphins live long lives. The bottlenose dolphin can live over 40 years, and the orca can live to be 70 or 80!




Parts of the Dolphin

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Dolphin's Spray Perfectly Presented a Rainbow

St. Petersburg, Florida  - Fort Desoto Park - Suncoast sea life seems to love the warm Gulf waters this time of year, and they're giving onlookers a show while they play.

A group of dolphins in the water near Fort Desoto swam ahead of Michael McCarthy's see through canoe, and luckily he had his GoPro camera rolling.

The group of six dolphins seemed casual as they led McCarthy's canoe forward, spraying water in the air with their blowholes.

In the center of the pack, a dolphin's spray perfectly presented a rainbow, seeming as if the dolphin created the rainbow.

McCarthy's camera also captured leaping dolphins, seeming to compete for which could jump highest above the water.

Finally, three dolphins swam side-by-side, swaying back and forth, before crossing perfectly under the front of McCarthy's canoe. With the see though bottom, he was able to capture the moment seamlessly.

The dolphins certainly seemed happy for an audience and McCarthy said he was glad to provide one.








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Seaworld: Three Other Things the Park Will Stop Doing Now That it’s Ending its Marine-Cruelty Program

Have you heard the glorious news? SeaWorld has finally decided to end its orca breeding program.

Right before St. Patrick’s Day, the marine theme park announced that its current generation of orcas will be its last. In a recent LA Times OpEd, Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s CEO, said the change was made because the park wants to help contribute “to the evolving understanding of one of the world’s largest marine mammals [the orca].”

In addition to ending its orca breeding program, SeaWorld will also cease to produce and put on its “theatrical orca whale shows.”

This announcement is great–and long overdue. So overdue that we feel comfortable poking a little fun at the park’s announcement by listing 3 other things–albeit fictional things–that the park will also stop doing now that it’s ending its marine-cruelty program.

Lower Ticket Prices

There is not a single theme park in the United States that doesn’t expect a ridiculous amount of money to ride attractions that are over in three minutes, or to look at animals that you typically don’t see every day. Well, now that SeaWorld has decided to stop breeding orcas and training them to put on ridiculous stunts for the masses, the park’s entry price will inevitably drop. After all, everyone knows that orca imprisonment is really expensive.

Stop Giving Out Free Marine Pets to Park Guests

It seems only natural that a park that keeps large, magnificent creatures hostage would also be thoughtless enough to give away smaller, but equally wonderful creatures to anyone who enters the park. So, in a groundbreaking move, SeaWorld also will stop giving away precious crabs, fish, and other small types of sea life to the park’s guests. So compassionate…

SeaWorld, as a Whole, is Going to Stop Functioning as a Park and Will Become a Marine Sanctuary

Yes, sea sanctuaries can exist and help marine life in need. SeaWorld has finally seen the light, listened to its most adamant critics, and decided to stop profiting off the backs of sea creatures. One of the park’s biggest critics is John Hargrove, author of “Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish” and former senior trainer. A year or so ago, he said the following about the brilliance of sea pens and ocean sanctuaries:

“I’ve spoken with some brilliant-minded people, and I believe sea sanctuaries are a viable solution. They [SeaWorld] should follow the example of the Ringling Brothers, who recently acknowledged that their customers had shifted in their thinking about having elephants in captivity. So by 2018, all of Ringling Brothers’ elephants are going to be retired to elephant sanctuaries. SeaWorld wants to make it sound like it’s impossible. But we’ve been doing sea pens or sea sanctuaries since the seventies. The U.S. Navy had an open-ocean killer whale in a sea pen years ago…”

While we’re obviously trying to have a little fun with this list, we do think it would be great if SeaWorld did begin to use sea pens. Because if the park really did care about marine life, it would do all it could to make all marine creatures’ lives better.

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Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s CEO, Has Admitted That His Employees Were Ordered to Infiltrate Animal Rights Protests

The chief executive of SeaWorld has admitted his employees were ordered to infiltrate animal rights protests against the company’s alleged mistreatment of killer whales and dolphins in its controversial aquatic theme parks.

Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s CEO, acknowledged on Thursday that the company was wrong to ask human resources employee Paul McComb to pose as an animal rights activist and join Peta protests against the company since at least July 2014.

“This activity was undertaken in connection with efforts to maintain the safety and security of employees, customers and animals in the face of credible threats,” Manby said of the tactics used by McComb, who was exposed as an undercover SeaWorld employee by Peta protesters last summer.

Manby said on Thursday that SeaWorld directors had ordered “management to end the practice in which certain employees posed as animal rights activists”.

Manby’s statement came during a conference call with investors following the release of another year of disappointing earnings. More than $160m (£115m) was wiped off SeaWorld’s market value on Thursday as the company’s shares – which were worth as much as $39 in 2013 – fell 11% to $17.60.

McComb, who posed as an animal rights activist named Thomas Jones, is still employed by SeaWorld. “Mr. McComb remains an employee of SeaWorld, has returned to work at SeaWorld in a different department and is no longer on administrative leave,” the company said in a statement. A spokeswoman for SeaWorld refused to answer any questions about McComb.

Whilst undercover, McComb had urged other protesters to “burn it [SeaWorld] to the ground” and used Facebook and Twitter to incite other activists to “get a little aggressive” and “drain the new tanks at #SeaWorld”.

In the run-up to a July 2014 protest, Jones urged other activists: “Grab your pitchforks and torches. Time to take down SeaWorld.”

Tracy Reiman, Peta’s executive vice-president, said: “SeaWorld’s latest report confirms not only that the company has employed more than one spy to infiltrate and agitate at Peta but also that it values its spies more highly than the executives ... as at least one of the spies is still working at the company.

“SeaWorld’s finances continue to flop as animals continue to be found dead in its tiny tanks, with one death every single month since November. If SeaWorld had business savvy or common sense, it would modernize its business with coastal sanctuaries and virtual reality displays instead of building more roller coasters and dolphin prisons. The tawdry orca sideshows and despicable spying tactics are sinking SeaWorld’s ship.”

SeaWorld on Thursday said its 2015 earnings fell 2% to $361m as sales dropped by $6.8m to $1.37bn.

The company, which has been under intense public pressure since the 2013 release of Blackfish, a documentary cataloguing the alleged mistreatment of whales, dolphins and their trainers, said attendance increased by 0.3% to 72,000 but this was only possible due to “increased promotional offerings”.

Facing consumer backlash fanned by celebrities including Harry Styles, Cher and Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee, SeaWorld has said it will put an end to “theatrical killer whale experience” – but only at its park in San Diego, California, where the drop in attendance has been most acute.

Manby said the company will replace its Californian Shamu show – in which whales dive, jump and splash guests to the demands of their trainers – with “an all new orca experience focused on the natural environment [of the whales]” by 2017.

“We are listening to our guests, evolving as a company, we are always changing,” Manby said as he unveiled a new corporate strategy in November. “ 2016 will be the last year of our theatrical killer whale experience in San Diego.”

He said the decision to end the orca shows in California was in direct response to customers, who he said had made it clear that they want less of a theatrical experience and would rather see the whales in a more natural setting. Attendance at the San Diego park is falling fast. Visitor numbers dropped 17% in 2013 to 3.8 million, according to city authorities.

As part of its strategy to move away from circus-style performances, SeaWorld last week replaced two top executives in charge of animal safety and theme park operations. “The leadership changes we announced last week are another important step on our roadmap to stabilization and growth,” Manby said on Thursday.

Paul McComb posed as ‘Thomas Jones’ and infiltrated Peta at least as early as July 2014. Photograph: Facebook/Peta.

Tweets by activist Thomas Jones, who is allegedly Paul McComb, a SeaWorld employee. Photograph: Twitter

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Elusive Albino Dolphin Changes Color, from White to Pink When it Gets Emotional

Stunning images have surfaced of an elusive albino dolphin that can change color from white to pink when it gets emotional.

The rare mammal has been making waves at the Taiji Whale Museum, in southern Japan, where it draws vast and fascinated crowds.

While bottlenose dolphins are typically grey, the mammal is completely white– apart from the quirky tendency to turn pink when it's feeling angry, sad or even embarrassed.

The phenomenon results from the animals thin skin, which means its blood vessels can cause a change in skin tone depending on their emotional state.

Essentially, they blush in the same way as humans.

The rare specimen is believed to be only the second one ever put on display in an aquarium after it was purchased from fishermen last year.

The animal was controversially captured during the annual dolphin hunt in the town of Taiji in January.

Its quirky coloration meant the fishermen would get more money selling it to an aquarium than as meat.

The Taiji hunt was made notorious by the 2009 Oscar-winning documentary 'The Cove,' which depicted fishermen capturing hundreds of dolphins for aquariums or to be killed for meat.

Japan's Wakayama Prefecture, which includes Taiji, reported that 1,218 dolphins and small whales were captured there in 2011, though it did not specify how many of those captured were killed.

Environmental activists filed a lawsuit against the Taiji Whaling Museum in May 2014, claiming it had refused experts to check on the safety of the elusive dolphin.

But the museum claims the creatures health has been monitored through periodic blood tests, and that they are keeping it 'physically and mentally healthy' for further research.

It was also reported the museum did the animal a favor - albino dolphins are easy prey at sea as they unable to blend in like their grey colored relatives.

Experts claimed it was remarkable that the animal had survived so long before being taken to the museum.

Taiji Whaling Museum, along with the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and the Institute of Cetacean Research, published a study about the dolphin in Mammal Study March 2015.

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You Will No Longer Be Able to Feed the Dolphins at SeaWorld Orlando - A New Program, Starting in March, Will Allow You to Only Touch and Interact With the Dolphins

You will no longer be able to feed the dolphins at SeaWorld Orlando. A new program, starting in March, will allow you to only touch and interact with the dolphins.

The new program starting on March 2, will cost $15, and will be a reservation-only package, that allows small groups to spend several minutes touching and interacting with dolphins but not feeding them.

"Dolphin Cove will continue to provide areas where all guests are able to view dolphins up close, and interact with animals that choose to interact with them," said spokeswoman Becca Bides in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

Conservationists hailed the move as an incremental improvement in the treatment of captive marine mammals, saying the feeding pools are dangerous.

"It’s out of date, out of style and it’s full of risk," said Courtney Vail, campaign and program manager for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

Vail said dolphins have been harmed in large feeding programs fighting over food and by guests dropping objects into the pools, not washing their hands and touching the dolphins’ eyes or blowholes. Guests occasionally are bitten, she said.

Vail said feeding programs encourage people to feed dolphins in the wild, leading to dolphin-boat collisions and teaching dolphins to beg rather than forage.

Vail said most aquariums other than SeaWorld ended feeding programs years ago.

Feeding of dolphins will remain a part of SeaWorld’s sister park in Orlando, Discovery Cove, where a limited number of guests touch, feed and swim with dolphins.

SeaWorld San Diego ended its large group feeding program in 2012, followed by the San Antonio park in 2013, according to Bides. Those parks still allow guests in small group interaction programs to feed dolphins.

Attendance at SeaWorld Orlando park took a hit after a 2013 documentary focused on its captive killer whale program, and in particular on Tilikum, formerly a performing a killer whale that drowned trainer Dawn Brancheau.

Her death led a federal administrative judge to order the theme park to maintain barriers between trainers and the whales.

In August, the company announced a planned expansion of the whale pools, and a $10 million contribution to killer whale research.

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Eighth Grader Convinces Entire School To Skip SeaWorld

The annual “winterim” trip to San Diego taken by the seventh and eighth graders at Alexander Dawson School in Lafayette, Colo., will be missing one element this year. The students will no longer be visiting SeaWorld, thanks to the efforts of one intrepid eighth grader named Phoebe Goldstein.

Goldstein, a longtime opponent of whale and dolphin captivity, had heard of other schools nearby that took field trips to the marine park. When she heard that her own school was planning a trip, she was shocked — and driven to action.

To read more on this story, click here: Eighth Grader Convinces Entire School To Skip SeaWorld FOLLOW US!

The Dolphin - Known for Their Intellect, Gregarious Nature, and Acrobatic Abilities

Dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals and are part of the family of toothed whales that includes orcas and pilot whales.

Dolphins are well known for their intellect, their gregarious nature, and their acrobatic abilities.

They are found worldwide, mostly in shallow seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. Dolphin coloration varies, but they are generally gray in color with darker backs than the rest of their bodies.

The body of a dolphin is designed to help them move through the water quickly and without exerting huge amounts of energy. They rely on their pectoral fins and the fluke (tail) to help them navigate through the water.

Even though dolphins have 100 teeth, they don’t use them for eating. They do use them to get the fish though and then they swallow them. They can consume up to 30 pounds fish per day. They usually work as a team in their pod to get the school of fish surrounded and balled up. From there, they can plow through the middle and eat plenty as they do so.

Dolphins are found all over the world; generally in shallow seawater of the continental shelves. You can witness dolphins in the cold waters as well as the warm tropical waters. Of course, there are certain species of dolphins that show preference to a particular temperature and region.

Lifespan: Most dolphins live long lives. The bottlenose dolphin can live over 40 years, and the orca can live to be 70 or 80!




Parts of the Dolphin

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