Outdoors, action and adventure

New Zealand diver plunges in to rescue entangled orca (video)

A New Zealand orca that had become entangled in the rope of a crayfish pot was saved Tuesday by a diver who jumped in with a knife and cut the mammal loose.

 The incident occurred a few hundred yards off the Coromandel Peninsula.

The orca, whose tail had become ensnared by the rope, had been crying out to nearby family members.  But Rhys Cochrane, a veteran diver, managed to cut the rope and allow the orca to rejoin its companions.

"He didn't seem to mind or maybe even knew that I was trying to help him," Cochrane told 3 News.

The accompanying video is from Good Morning America. The 3 News report, which does not offer an embed code, contains more footage and detail (click on the 3 News link to watch).

Said Cochrane: "The whole time he was calling; I could hear vivid calls from the orca and just at the end there were five or six orcas including the bull."

Tagged gray whale from Russia stops short of Cabo San Lucas

For a while it seemed as though the remarkable odyssey of a tagged whale from Russia would include a visit to waters off Cabo San Lucas on Baja California's tip.

But Varvara, a Western Pacific gray whale whose cross-ocean journey began at Sakhalin Island off Russia's eastern shore, appears to have stopped short of Land's End by about 60 miles, before turning back to the north.

Her position as of Monday, according to an update issued by Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute, was at the northern end of Magdalena Bay (see graphic).

Magdalena Bay is one of a handful of bays or lagoons utilized by about 20,000 Eastern Pacific gray whales for nursing and mating, after a long migration from Arctic feeding waters.

Varvara's journey is the longest and most significant of any tagged whale from the critically endangered Western Pacific gray whale population, because it provides more evidence that at least some of those 130 or so whales are also migrating to Baja California lagoons.

Varvara's trip follows that a year earlier of Flex, a male Western Pacific gray whale who surprised scientists when he crossed the Bering Sea and joined with Eastern Pacific grays during their southbound migration. The tag worn by Flex, however, stopped transmitting off southern Oregon.

Last summer, scientists David Weller and Amanda Bradford presented a paper showing that four Western Pacific gray whales, cataloged as part of a photo-identification study, had turned up in Baja's renowned San Ignacio Lagoon.

Despite this mixing, the Western Pacific population is considered genetically distinct.

-- Pete Thomas

Note from the Marine Mammal Institute: "This research was conducted by A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) and Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute in collaboration with the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, Kronotsky State Nature Biosphere Reserve and the Kamchatka Branch of the Pacific Institute of Geography. The research was contracted through the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with funding from Exxon Neftegas Ltd. and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd."

Serial sea lion killer on the loose in Western Washington?

The death toll among sea lions that have been shot to death recently in Western Washington officially stands at nine, and authorities are searching for clues and asking for tips that might lead to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the killings.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has confirmed that two bullets were found in the head of the latest carcass found on the Nisqually Delta.

Seven other sea lions were found with bullet wounds in the same area during the past few weeks, while one carcass was found on a beach in West Seattle.

One of the carcasses was identified as a federally-endangered Stellar sea lion.

NOAA is asking that people who might have information about the killings call the agency's enforcement hotline at (800) 853-1964.

King 5 News in Seattle is reporting that the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who provides information leading to an arrest and conviction.

"This is a violation of U.S. Federal law and the person or persons responsible for these shootings must be apprehended and brought to justice," Sea Shepherd Capt. Paul Watson stated on the group's website.

Sea lions are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. 

-- Sea lion image is courtesy of Pete Thomas

Decorah bald eagles videotaped mating; egg watch begins

The millions who became captivated last year by the hatching and raising of three bald eaglets before a web-cam in Decorah, Iowa, might be interested to note that the egg watch is now on for a new season of bird drama and intrigue.

The parents of the eaglets, which have long since fledged, were seen mating this week, after having spent weeks rebuilding their nest (see video posted above).

If this season is anything like the last, millions of people from throughout the world can look forward to watching more eaglets breaking free of their eggs, being fed and protected by their parents, who will endure snow, rain and freezing winds.

There will be competition among the birds for food and parental care. They will be clumsy and ungainly at first, but will grow quickly and ultimately they will resemble birds that look capable of flying off to begin life on their terms.

The high-definition web-cam is even better than last year's and Bob Anderson and his Raptor Resource Project team are to be congratulated for serving up a second season of nature's greatest reality show.

Hopefully, the encore will be as entertaining. Below is the live camera feed. Enjoy:

 

Zoo visitors 'horrified' as lions kill, devour popular barn owl

Cats often attack birds, but it's not often that people are witness to very large cats — in this case lions — attacking and killing a cute and very popular owl.

The bizarre incident occurred over the weekend at Colchester Zoo in Essex, England, as visitors watched in alarm.

The barn owl, named Ash, was being used in a falconry display outside the lions' enclosure.

Ash somehow became spooked and struck the window of another enclosure, then flew in a daze to the roof of yet another enclosure, before making a low flight across the lions' pen.

Ash landed to the side of the pen, but slipped and fell inside, whereupon nature took its course.

"Families were horrified when a female lion 'clubbed' the bird out of the air before a male pounced and devoured it in front of them," wrote Kiran Randhawa for the London Evening Standard.

Gavin Duthie was visiting with his 2-year-old son, Daniel, who burst into tears at the sight.

"Daniel was in tears along with most of the people who were there," Duthie told the newspaper. "Women and children were screaming but it was all over in seconds.

"It's in the lion's nature — I have taught Daniel that lions are not fluffy animals. He was very upset.

Zoo officials also were upset. A spokesman explained that "in 25 years of falconry displays nothing like this has occurred as the birds do normally instinctively know that this isn't a safe place to go."

It remains unclear what initially spooked the unfortunate bird of prey.

-- Image shows Ash the barn owl before the bizarre mishap claimed the popular zoo resident's life

Wyland part of unique art contest for young whale watchers

Renowned marine life artist Wyland has partnered with Dana Wharf Whale Watching in a program designed to inspire both creativity among children, and a fondness for the ocean and its creatures. The three-hour Whale and Dolphin Adventures will be conducted Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., through February.

They begin with dockside presentations and art lessons, from Wyland via video feed, and are followed by 2.5-hour excursions aboard the landing's Ocean Adventures catamaran.

Children are then encouraged to create a drawing based on their experiences. Those will be judged by Wyland, with the winner earning a private family charter with the marine artist, valued at $2,000.

Other prizes include $50 gift cards to the Wyland Gallery gift shop in nearby Laguna Beach, and tickets for whale-watching excursions.

Cost is $59 for adults and $44 for kids 14 and younger ( a portion will be donated back to the Wyland Foundation).

In an age where fewer children are enjoying outdoor activities, this seems like an outstanding diversion from the world of computerized technology.

There's nothing like an enormous whale, leaping dolphins, or sea lions lounging atop the surface to show a kid that nature is as cool or cooler than anything a hand-held computer may conjure—and who knows, this program just might produce another Wyland.

Slow-motion video reveals geese flying upside down

Serious birders have keen eyes, but it's likely that not many have enjoyed a detailed glimpse of geese flying with their bodies turned upside down. The accompanying video captures this peculiar event, referred to as whiffling, in slow-motion.

(Watch the goose at the top, and in the middle of the screen at the 15-second mark.) Though the birds twist their bodies upside down, their heads remain upright.

 

According to New Science, geese perform this maneuver as a means of braking. Paul Stancliffe of the British Trust for Ornithology explains that the maneuver helps the large birds quickly lose height as they approach landing areas.

Stancliffe also said this event is very difficult to detect in real-time.

The video, believed to provide the first slow-motion footage of this phenomenon, was shot by Hans de Koning and Lodewijk van Eekhout, and earned them first prize in a competition organized by the Flight Artists group at Wageningen University and Research Center in the Netherlands. 

Are wild pigs a threat to me or my dogs?

In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Pete Thomas Outdoors, on Thursday or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly California Outdoors Q&A column:

Question: I learned recently that some Indians on a reservation in my area released some pigs for hunting purposes and now they are breeding and beginning to populate the area where I walk my dogs in Descanso, California. Are these pigs a threat to me or my dogs? (Sheri M., San Diego)

Answer: We do know that wild pigs inhabit some of the areas around Julian and Descanso. However, we are unable to positively identify the mechanism for their recent introduction.

According to Marc Kenyon, Statewide Coordinator for the Bear, Mountain Lion and Wild Pig Programs at the Department of Fish and Game, wild pigs are timid creatures that simply want to be left alone for the most part. However, they can be very aggressive if approached and they perceive the person as a threat (particularly if they have piglets nearby). If you see a wild pig while recreating in the outdoors, please try to avoid approaching it. You can stand still and maintain your dog close to you on the leash. Pigs are nearsighted and will tend to ignore objects that stand completely still.

Furthermore, pigs have a great sense of smell. They will smell you before they see you. If you walk with the wind at your back, your scent is more likely to be detected at great distances by wild pigs, and they will likely avoid you.

However, there have been some instances where wild pigs have come into contact with people. Usually only one pig will approach while the rest of the group of pigs (known as a sounder) evacuate the area. If this does happen to you, try to stay away from the head of the pig. They have sharp teeth that can cut through clothing. Back out of the area as quickly as possible.

Q: Is it legal to pick up sand dollars on the beaches of San Francisco, with or without a fishing license, even though some are still alive -- purple in color with hair (fuzz)? (Peter R.)

California DFG devotes website to wolf from Oregon (OR7)

The California Department of Fish and Game reports that a gray wolf from Oregon, named OR7, remains inside the state and that a website has been established to post updates on the predator's status.

"At this time, there is only one documented gray wolf living in the wild in California," states a passage on the website.

OR7, a young male wolf originally from a pack in northeast Oregon, made headlines during a zig-zagging adventure that spanned across the Cascades and ultimately into eastern Lassen County in Northern California.

The wolf, which was fitted with a GPS collar before he left the pack, is the first known wild wolf to have ranged in the Golden State in nearly 90 years. The last one was killed by a trapper in 1924.

The only known probable photograph of OR7 is a black-and-white trail-camera image captured in Butte County, in Southern Oregon, last Nov. 1 (top right).

The presence of OR7 and the possibility of other wolves entering California has farmers and ranchers worried, because wolves are notorious for livestock predation in some areas in western states where they've flourished since recently being reintroduced.

The California DFG is formulating a wolf policy in case other wolves return to California and what was once prime wolf habitat.

OR7 and other gray wolves that might enter California are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the DFG will post only general information regarding OR7's whereabouts.

In a news release, the DFG states that many reported sightings of gray wolves in California have been investigated in recent years, but most of those turned out to involve coyotes or dogs.

The DFG adds that wolves pose little threat to humans. "Concerns about human safety are largely based on folklore and are unsubstantiated," the news release states. "In recent years there was one human mortality in Canada caused either by wolves or bears and one confirmed human mortality in Alaska by wolves.

"[But] based on experience from states where substantial wolf populations now exist, wolves pose little risk to humans. However, DFG recommends that people never approach a wolf, or otherwise interact with or feed a wolf."

Farmers and ranchers can reduce the threat of livestock predation "by removing potential sources of food and other attractants from their land, such as discarded animal carcasses, bone piles, etc."

-- Trail-cam image shows what is likely OR7 during his trek through Southern Oregon toward California. DFG website graphic shows OR7's path in California through a period through Jan. 11

Offshore killer whales make rare appearance off Southland

As the southbound parade of gray whales continues off Southern California, killer whales keep stealing the limelight. About 40 "offshore" killer whales were seen Thursday off Orange County and, later in the day, beyond the Long Beach area.

This comes after several sightings earlier this month of a pod of 10 "transient" killer whales. Offshore killer whales, unlike transients, do not prey on sea lions and other marine mammals. They eat sharks and fish.

Offshore killer whales, or orcas, are most commonly seen in the Queen Charlotte Islands area off British Columbia, but they tend to disappear for long periods. They are rarely seen off California, and more rarely spotted off Southern California.

Killer whale researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger recalled sightings of much larger pods of offshore orcas on Feb. 11, 1995, and on Feb. 14, 2005.

There are believed to be between 300-400 offshore killer whales along the West Coast.

The accompanying video, with footage captured Thursday, is courtesy of Capt. Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari. Note the upside-down orca at the beginning of the clip, and amazing underwater footage captured from within a small viewing pod that enables passengers to see how marine mammals act beneath the surface.