(CELEBRITY ACTIVISM) Stand aside Lewis and Clark, because award-winning actor James Cameron just won the “Explorer of the Year” award at this week’s National Geographic Gala. The filmmaker and environmentalist won for his solo dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, which took place last year. Continue reading to learn more on Cameron’s Gala experience, and find out how his new vegan lifestyle is treating the him right. — Global Animal
(CAPTIVE ANIMALS) ORLANDO —Three years after the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau at the Orlando theme park, SeaWorld has been fined $38,500 and labeled a repeat offender for continuing to employ trainers in unsafe working conditions. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has imposed the fine after a follow-up investigation of the safety procedures at SeaWorld. The drowning of Dawn Brancheau in 2010 by an aggravated whale named Tilikum was certainly not an isolated incident. Read on to learn more about the dangers of working in close proximity with wild animals and the problems with SeaWorld. — Global Animal
(OCEANS) Diehard fanatics of the Loch Ness Monster may be jumping ship to support a new sea creature—one that actually exists. Rarely spotted in the wild, an oarfish was recently documented off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Usually an inhabitant of the ocean’s depths, the fish has been known to make sporadic visits to the surface. Continue reading to find out more on the mysterious oarfish, and watch the video below. — Global Animal
(OCEANS) Adam Barrington and his wife Heather are among an alarmingly increasing number of soon-to-be parents partaking in a bizarre birthing process called dolphin assisted birth. The process involves a water birth with dolphins, and is supposed to bring the expecting mother peace and serenity as well as a feeling of one with nature. However, experts are very skeptical about the unusual procedure and worry that it may result in harm to the fetus. As brilliant as dolphins are at the end of the day, they are still wild animals, and they have been known to kill other small animals for no reason. Therefore, wouldn’t it seem unwise to bring a newborn into such an unpredictable environment? Also, how could this process impact the dolphins involved? Read on to find out more about this strange new trend. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL ACTIVISM) Sea Shepherd introduced the world to their 10th Antarctic whale defense campaign, Operation Relentless, via YouTube this month. The new operation is coming off the back of Sea Shepherd’s most successful campaign to date, Operation Zero Tolerance, which saved the lives of 932 whales. The campaign name is influenced by Japan’s claim that their attempt to kill whales in the Antarctic was rejected due to ‘relentless interference’ by Sea Shepherd. Read on for more information regarding Sea Shepherd’s newest pursuit to bring peace to at-risk whales. — Global Animal
(ACTIVISM) SOUTH AFRICA — Each year, thousands of dolphins are slaughtered in Taiji on the south coast of Japan. Bottlenose dolphins are then pre-selected by trainers and sold for as much as $200,000 to marine parks all over the world such as Marineland, where the animals remain in captivity and are forced to perform circus acts for their entire lives. Aquariums defend their actions as “rescuing” animals, but in reality, the captive industry is subsidizing hunts which may not have been conducted otherwise. Today and May 25th, Ocean Watch SA is hosting a protest at uShaka Sea World to advocate for the rehabilitation and release of captive animals. Read on to learn more about Ocean Watch SA and sign the petition below telling uSkaka Sea World to retire their wild caught dolphins, Gambit and Frodo, ensure animals not disturbed after hours, stop breeding captive breeding programs, and only practice rehabilitation and release. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL SCIENCE) The sea hare, a type of sea slug, possesses a weapon of smell destruction. Aquatic-dwellers tend not to mess with these molluscs, and now scientists know why. A study was conducted analyzing the sea hare’s opaline, a powerful substance the gastropod squirts at enemies conjointly with ink. Scientists tested how other marine animals reacted to the natural chemical defense, and the outcome was not pretty. Read on about the dangerous sea hare and the slug’s venomous weapon of choice. — Global Animal
(OCEANS) In a heartbreaking show of grief, a mother dolphin was recorded carrying her dead calf on her dorsal fin. Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari in California noticed the dolphin carrying her dead baby on her back off the shores of Dana Point. Read on to find out more about this tender and sad moment, and see the heart-wrenching video for yourself. — Global Animal
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