Vol. XXIII No. 1 A publication o f Cetacean Society International Summer 2014

It’s been two long years since the last meeting ofthe International Whaling Commission (IWC) inPanama in 2012. In early September, the membernations of the IWC will come together in the coastaltown of Portoroz in Slovenia to once again discussand debate the fate of the world’s whales. Much hastranspired during the last two years and a tremendousamount is at stake for whales this year at the 65thAnnual Meeting of the IWC.

Before looking ahead to IWC/65/Portoroz, hereare a few updates on recent whaling activity aroundthe world.

In the North Atlantic this summer, Norway haskilled over 680 minke whales (compared to 590minke whales taken during the 2013 hunt). This is thefirst time since 2005 that Norway has killed over 600whales and they appear on target to hit 700 before theend of the season. With an alarming increase indemand and market for whale meat in Norway,whaling will continue throughout August.

Meanwhile, Iceland has killed 58 fin and 19minke whales during their summer hunt in the NorthAtlantic. These numbers are down considerably fromthe 2013 hunt. Pressure has been put on companiesthat deal with fish and seafood products not to buythese products from businesses that are affiliated withor owned by Icelandic whalers. Iceland has alsoencountered difficulties with the export and shippingof whale meat to Japan, thanks to this increasedpressure from the general public and anti-whalingactivists around the world.

In the western North Pacific in late July, Japan

concluded its scientific whaling program (JARPNII)that began in April. Despite reducing the JARPNIIquotas after the International Court of Justice (ICJ)ruling on their illegal hunt in the Antarctic, Japan stillkilled 90 sei and 25 Bryde’s whales. If Japan has theirway, they will be resuming their illegal scientificwhaling in the Antarctic in 2015/2016 regardless ofthe ICJ decision.

So, what can we expect in Portoroz? JeannineCompton-Antoine of St. Lucia, the current Chair ofthe IWC and not a friend to whales, informed allattendees she wants to run a more efficient, organizedmeeting. She expects most debate on substantiveissues to be addressed in Sub-Committee meetingsand the Private Commissioners meeting prior to thestart of Plenary. Whether delegates comply with theChair’s request and agree to play nice remains to beseen.

Official documents for Commission consider-ation during Plenary, including Schedule amendmentsand resolutions, had to be submitted to the IWCSecretariat by July 17th. What follows is a synopsisof the most interesting and important documents,including several that we have seen at past IWCmeetings, that will come up for review before the fullCommission.

The collective group of South American coun-tries, known as the Buenos Aires Group, along withSouth Africa, will once again put forth their proposalfor a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary to the Commis-sion. Non-lethal whale research in this region hasbeen ongoing for years and proves that whales do not

Here We Go Again – 65th Annual Meeting of theInternational Whaling Commission – IWC/65/Portoroz

By Heather Rockwell, CSI Board of Directors

Whales Alive! • Summer 2014 • Published by Cetacean Society International • Page 2

Whales Alive!A publication of Cetacean Society International

Editor: Brent S. Hall

CSI is an all-volunteer, non-profit, tax-exemptorganization with contacts in over 25 countries. Ourmission is to advocate for and protect cetaceans fromharm and harassment, to increase public awareness,and preserve their well-being and that of the marineenvironment. We support and promote benign activitiessuch as regulated whale watching, nonlethal andhumane research, and widespread educational,environmental programs relating to free-roamingcetaceans internationally. Our ultimate objective is theglobal acceptance of peaceful coexistence and mutualenrichment for both humans and cetaceans.

Cetacean Society InternationalP.O. Box 953, Georgetown, CT 06829 U.S.A.

Phone: 203-770-8615 Fax: 860-561-0187E-Mail: info@csiwhalesalive.org

Web: csiwhalesalive.orgCSI is a member of WhaleNet

President: A. Daniel KnaubVice-President: Jessica L. Dickens

Treasurer: Rachel DeCavageSecretary: Patricia Sullivan

Executive Director: William W. Rossiter

need to be killed in order to gain greater scientific dataand knowledge about them. Let’s hope that Commissionmembers will finally reach consensus and support theestablishment of this sanctuary, as it is unclear whetherthe Buenos Aires Group has enough countries behindthem if it comes down to a vote.

Japan’s proposal to hunt minke whales from theOkhotsk Sea West Pacific stock is on the table again thisyear. This proposal is a thinly veiled attempt by Japan tocreate a new category of whaling (Small-Type CoastalWhaling) that is a combination of commercial andaboriginal subsistence whaling, and is completely unnec-essary. Repeated attempts by Japan to push this proposalthrough at past meetings have been met with resoundingopposition by the majority of anti-whaling countries.However, the low quota numbers that Japan has put forthin this year’s proposal does raise concerns about whetherthey are maneuvering to get this new category of whalingaccepted in exchange for lowering catch limits in theirscientific whaling programs.

After failing to secure an aboriginal subsistencewhaling (ASW) quota for their natives atIWC/64/Panama, Greenland is back with a new ASWproposal and needs statement, as well as plenty of support

from the European Union. Both the IWC Chair and theU.S. have assisted Greenland with putting together thisnew proposal that requests takes of 19 fin, 176 minke, 2bowhead and 10 humpback whales from 2015 through2018. The European Commission seems to be whole-heartedly behind Greenland’s new efforts despite the lackof consistent whaling data, the commercialization of thishunt, and inadequate needs statement.

Several West African countries have submitted aresolution on food security and economic relief. The threecountries pushing the resolution – Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire,Guinea and Mali – are well-known puppets of Japan thatreceive “overseas development aid” and IWC travelmoney from Japan. For some strange reason, thesecountries always vote along with Japan and are often seenbeing led around by Japanese delegates at IWC meetings.This resolution conflicts with existing internationalagreements and environmental policies, along with beingmisplaced in the IWC given that fisheries issues are notcovered by the Commission. However, you have to givecredit to these countries for trying to help Japan with theirnever ending “whales are eating all the fish” argument.

Chile has submitted a resolution calling for greatertransparency and participation by civil society, i.e. usNon-Governmental Observers (NGOs), in IWC proceed-ings. Given the important role NGOs play in most otherinternational treaty arenas, the IWC is positively primitivein their treatment of NGOs. From closed door dealingsto censoring of NGO statements, the Commission hasconsistently shown a lack of respect for NGOs. Thisresolution deserves to be supported by all member nationsof the IWC.

Perhaps the single most important resolution inSlovenia will be the one from New Zealand titled “Whal-ing Under Special Permit.” Following on the InternationalCourt of Justice (ICJ) ruling in March stating that Japanend its illegal Antarctic “scientific” whaling program asit was not being conducted for purposes of scientificresearch, this resolution seeks to keep the pressure onJapan to comply with the judgment and put more con-straints on any future special permit proposals that maycome before the Scientific Committee and the Commis-sion. Japan and its allies will do their best to changelanguage in this resolution and block its acceptance byconsensus.

What can be expected of the U.S. delegation inSlovenia? Who knows? More than likely, the U.S. willsupport Greenland’s ASW proposal as a means of bring-ing Greenland back in to the ASW fold along with Russiaand St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Word that the U.S.was involved with crafting language for a resolution that

would have supported Japan’s continued scientificwhaling program in the Antarctic was deeply disturbing.Let’s hope the U.S. ensures there are no language changesthat would undermine the ICJ ruling and pushes forconsensus on the New Zealand resolution.

CSI has funded my participation as their NGOobserver to IWC meetings since 2000. And, thank-fully, with the assistance of members and generousdonors like you, I will be CSI’s representative againthis year at the IWC Plenary meeting in September inSlovenia. However, it is CSI’s reputation for fundingand supporting NGOs and scientists from South andCentral America to the IWC Scientific Committee andthe IWC Plenary meetings that I find most rewarding.In 2014, CSI supported the participation of Dr.Barbara Galletti and Dr. Enrique Crespo at the IWCScientific Committee meeting in May in Bled, Slove-nia. CSI is supporting the travel and participation ofElsa Cabrera (Chile), Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Brazil),Rodrigo Garcia (Uruguay delegation) and YolandaAlaniz (Mexico delegation) in the IWC Plenarymeeting in September. I have had the pleasure ofworking alongside all four of these passionate whaleadvocates for many years and I look forward toworking with my Southern Hemisphere colleaguesonce again in Slovenia to ensure greater protection forthe world’s whales. - Heather Rockwell

President’s MessageBy A. Daniel Knaub

The world is inturmoil yet somepeople still fight to savewhales. The oceans,like the air we breathe,belong to us all. Whaleshave been calledAmbassadors withoutpassports due to manyspecies having lengthymigrations of hundredsor even thousands ofmiles. They feed, breed

and give birth in waters belonging to various countries.When you think of whales, do you immediately

think of blue whales or humpback whales or the colorful

Whales Alive! • Summer 2014 • Published by Cetacean Society International • Page 3

Amazon River dolphins? I don't. I think of Salt, Colt,Sockeye and Thorn. I became involved in this fight toprotect whales, because I met a few individual whaleswith names, unique personalities and experienced theirinterest in people.

If you spent a little time with Salt (a great-grand-mother), Colt (the friendliest whale in the world),Sockeye (surviving a deformed upper jaw against allodds), and Thorn (blessed with a talent for blowingamazing and entertaining perfect bubble rings nearboats) you might care a little more as well.

You can meet them too, just visithttp://www.whalevideo.com/whaleswithnames.htm

Why are they important? Whales are all part of afood chain and not much is known about their role,except that they play an important part. Many culturesand countries depend on getting their food from theoceans – the oceans that supported millions morewhales than survive today. Whalers kept good recordsand at least two million large whales were harpoonedand used for oil, food and other products over the lastfew centuries.

The easiest question to answer is why whales?Whales are magnificent animals and just a quick visitwith one can make you a fan for life. If we can't or justare too busy to help preserve the lives of individualwhales, let alone a species, what chance do any otheranimals have?

Can one person make a difference? YES. Can youmake a difference? Yes, you can.

I am blessed with a motivated and passionate slateof Officers and a Board of Directors full of talent anddrive. All of us at CSI donate time and our skills everyday because these animals deserve our best.

We are all volunteers and we also search foroutstanding young individuals in the academic commu-nity to help meet our goals (currently students atAmerican University are assisting with graphic designand video projects).

On behalf of the Officers and Directors of CSI, Iwould like to acknowledge and thank each of you forjoining, donating and adopting whales to provide muchneeded funding for our carefully vetted financialsupport of projects to protect whales all over the world.

We hope to meet many of you at our Wild OceansBenefit Fashion Show   hosted by the Custom HouseMaritime Museum of New London on September 13thto celebrate our beautiful wild oceans and the specieswe work tirelessly to protect.

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September 13, 2014 –Save The Date!

Join the board for our 40th Anniversary Year

Wild Oceans Benefit Fashion ShowIn collaboration with the New London Custom

House Maritime Museum, CSI will be bringing youan evening of music, arts and fashion to celebrateour continued work to protect marine mammals.New London was once the fourth largest whaling

city in the United States. Today, the CustomHouse aims to educate its guests on the history ofthe region, while making peace with the whales.

On September 13, they’ll be hosting this veryspecial event on their outdoor patio overlooking

the beautiful Long Island Sound.VIP guests will have an opportunity to explore theCustom House’s culture rich galleries, enjoy com-plimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres, listen to livemusic and mingle with directors of CSI’s board.

VIP guests will also have the first look at some ofour amazing silent auction items including whalewatch cruises, one of a kind artwork and a per-

sonal tour of California's wine country by theowner of Emeritus Vineyards in Sebastopol.

General admission begins at 7:30 pm and guestscan peruse the Custom House before the runwayshow kicks off at 8:00 pm sharp. If you’ve neverbeen to a fashion show, or have been to more

than you can count, this event is sure to impress!We’ve divided the show into three sections includ-

ing casual, ballroom and trashion (wearablefashion made from clean waste). In between col-

lections, guests will have time to submit theirnames for a vast array of raffle items, and put final

bids in for the silent auction.All designs in the show are handmade by RachelDeCavage, a CSI director for 3+ years, current

board treasurer and chair-person of the 40th Anni-versary Committee. Rachel has participated in

over 50 fashion shows in the past ten years andregularly produces public events. She owns a low-impact printing and fashion company and is com-mitted to a social enterprise business model. All

looks included in the Wild Oceans show will be forsale with 100% of proceeds to benefit CSI.

This is an exclusive event with limited tickets!

Please visit http://WildOceansCSI.bpt.me today toreserve your seats.

Wild Oceans Benefit Fashion ShowSaturday September 13th

6:30 pm VIP Admission7:30 pm General Admission

Custom House Maritime Museum150 Bank Street, New London, CT 06320

Working for Whales Worldwide since 1974.

War of the WhalesBy William Rossiter

This book is a must-read foranyone concerned about whatactive military sonar seems tobe doing to whales and theirkin. Whether you’re new to thewar or a veteran you’ll be fasci-nated by Joshua Horwitz’s com-prehensive and absorbing storyof how the U.S. Navy is wagingan undeclared war on cetaceans,and how far the Navy has gone(that we know about) to use midand low frequency sonar wher-ever and whenever it wishes.Spoiler alert: this book is not forgiving to the Navy, andno, the war is not about National Security.

Horwitz tells the story through two people we alladmire at the center of and deeply committed to this war:Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research and JoelReynolds of the Natural Resources Defense Council.Ken’s commitment is propelled by his personal andscientific experiences with beaked whales, orcas andharbor porpoises harmed or killed by mid-frequencyactive sonar (MFAS). Joel’s began when the Navy’s lowfrequency active sonar (SURTASS-LFASS a.k.a. LFAS)surfaced in 1994, propelled ever since by his solidcommitment to the Law and Justice, not always the samething. Horwitz uses facts and interviews with scientists,military and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-istration (NOAA) officials to amplify the personalaccounts that drive a clear conclusion that NOAA isunable or unwilling to fulfill its responsibilities to con-serve and protect cetaceans, and the U.S. Navy has chosennot to effectively mitigate harm to cetaceans.

Having been concerned personally and on behalf of

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CSI since the mid-90’s this book brought much back tome that I’ve witnessed, with so many new revelations.One memory to add here was a then-successful effort toconvince the Navy not to employ the LFAS off the EastCoast of the U.S. Credit that to Dr. Charles “Stormy”Mayo, Chief Scientist at the Center for Coastal Studiesand world authority on right whales, who joined me inthe bowels of the Pentagon to brief two commanders withhis quiet but expert litany of the whales’ vulnerabilities.The Navy listened then, but the Administration’s recentsupport of offshore energy development is of greatconcern to right whale scientists. The book also shouldhave given credit to Antonio Fernández, DVM, PhD, theCanary Islands vet who responded to a beaked whalemass stranding with such energy, innovation and profes-sionalism that the rigorous protocols for sampling tissueswere sufficient to link the stranding to Neo Tapon 2002,a NATO naval exercise with 58 surface vessels, sixsubmarines, and 30 aircraft engaged in a mock war evenas the first whales stranded.

You may have read headlines and alerts that must bemistaken: can it be true that military sonar tests andtraining are permitted to harm marine life 31.4 milliontimes over a five year permit period, including almost1,000 deaths and more that 5,000 deaf cetaceans (as ifdeaf whales can survive)? Yes, according to revised Navymodels which, if applied to previous years, declare thatthe Navy’s toll on marine life has been this bad or worsefor many years. More to the point, the Navy is not doinganything meaningful to lower the impacts, unless thoseactions are classified. Despite an enormous investmentof taxpayer dollars by the Office of Naval Research(ONR) to quantify the probability of harm to cetaceans,the Navy operates as if it doesn’t matter. A recentexample in April was the live stranding of seven Cuvier’sbeaked whales on Crete, while Greek, Israeli and U.S.

warships fought Operation Noble Dina over the HellenicTrench, the habitat of the whales that stranded and diedand an unknown number that probably died withoutcoming ashore.

Did the U.S. push Greece in 2013 to object torestrictions to sonar use over the Hellenic Trench, whichwas recommended by the Scientific Committee of ACCO-BAMS (an agreement for the conservation of whales anddolphins in the Mediterranean and Black Seas)? The Navyknows what science knows: beaked whales need suchareas to survive, and they may not survive sonar opera-tions.

The surface reasons for the Navy to appear to ignorethe harm that they do include National Security and theirMission, both based on the premise that anti-submarinewarfare is an active and ongoing war. Because hard wonenvironmental laws were interfering with waging this“war”, the Navy successfully led an assault on many lawsthat unleashed many environmental exploiters. TheMarine Mammal Protection Act was gutted of constraintson naval operations, with priorities now for “personnelsafety, practicality of implementation, and impact on theeffectiveness of the military readiness activity”. If theMMPA still gets in the way a simple letter betweenCabinet Secretaries will allow any activity.

War of the Whales suggests instead that the primereason for the Navy’s intransigence may be its culture,where “culture” is defined as resisting change. As societyand law changed to prioritize the conservation andprotection of valued resources the Navy’s operationalfreedoms were pressured. Almost as if resentful many intop command positions today are focused on the “NavyFirst”, seeming to forget about the oceans and ignorewhales. Despite recent trends in our nation’s worldwideinfluence, the Secretary of the Navy recently said: "theUS Navy has the responsibility for all the world's oceans".While this attitude is likely to be disputed by many othernations, the book shows how it fosters a flow down thechain to deflect blame, neutralize criticism, and carry onregardless of regulations, requirements, or public andpolitical concerns. For decades the Navy didn’t evenapply for permits from the National Marine FisheriesService (NMFS) which, once they were asked, has neverrefused a Navy permit request. This “Navy First” dictumis evident in initial media releases after some suspiciousevent, and the legal and political battles that consumepublic funds and Navy resources (since 1996 CSI hasbeen a co-plaintiff in several suits opposing naval sonar:LFAS I and II, and several MFAS operations and ongoingtest and training permits).

We know that many sonar-related people in orcontracted to the Navy are concerned with unnecessary

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“collateral damage”. They know the Navy need not dosuch damage to accomplish the mission, that moreeffective mitigation is possible. Until the top commandlevels hear and believe them the killing will continue. Tobe clear, there may be classified operational efforts tomitigate sonar, and some experts with adequate securityclearances may be documenting the results. The onlyevidence may be a reduction in known events because,oddly enough, the Navy’s culture may prevent us fromever knowing that they are trying.

Read War of the Whales for fascinating details aboutthe research by hundreds of experts over decades tounderstand cetacean sounds, human sounds a handful ofNavy-owned cetaceans might endure before becomingdeaf, and why beaked whales may react to sonar in waysthat kill them. Almost all of that research has been paidfor by taxpayers’ dollars through the Office of NavalResearch, so much in fact that very, very few U.S.scientists working on sound can say they have receivedno Navy money. The implied conflict of interest seemsbolstered by the caveats in some sonar-related paperswhich, if applied to a drunk driver causing a head-oncollision that kills a child, would conclude that the childdied by impacting the dashboard. Under these rules fewerthan 15 sonar events have caused beaked whale massstrandings, while the Smithsonian Institution and Inter-national Whaling Commission assert that every beakedwhale mass stranding on record everywhere in the worldhas occurred with naval activities, usually sonar, takingplace in the vicinity. Sonar science has left manyunknowns and ignored the Precautionary Principle.

War of the Whales doesn’t have many examples ofresearch on behavioral responses of wild cetaceans toMFAS, because very few have been tried. Most werefocused on beaked whales. One suggested that beakedwhales were evading what they thought was an orca, sonow the default “sonar-sound-a-like” villains are orcas.Few planned experiments have used real MFAS. A fewtagged animals of very few species now represent allcetaceans. No projects have documented behaviors oflarge groups of dolphins. Most behavioral responsestudies happen where sonar use is common, such asduring submarine training near Hawaii, or special sonarranges, places where cetaceans might be accommodatedto sonar. None allow science to compare behaviors ofcetaceans that may be familiar with the sounds versusothers (throughout the world’s oceans) that may not beconditioned to MFAS. No one has a clue about how someindividuals might be more fearful of MFAS than others,or whether social groups could become panicked bydistant MFAS signals heard just above ambient levels, a

very long way from the source, or by a vessel’s behaviorthat might convince cetaceans the monster is gettingcloser. Opportunistic social media videos show dolphingroups at high speed, as if fleeing, or charging ontobeaches, but they don’t show why.

To date the most revealing behavioral evidence hascome from opportunistic expert observations like KenBalcomb’s witness to the USS Shoup’s Salish Seapassage. Ken documented reactions of three species asthe Shoup’s sonar was recorded in Puget Sound’s virtualecho chamber. Orcas he knew on sight lifted their headsout of the water as if in pain, harbor porpoises and a minketried to swim away rapidly, and several porpoisesstranded dead. Orca don’t prey on orcas, so perhaps thepowerful and unknown monster simply evoked fear andpain as it passed, screaming.

MFAS does sound like a screaming monster. That’san emotive, unscientific statement, so you be the judge.This link (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/s89x9nseql08l5d/ AAAySkwbTxIidD6-yqAiDtvda) includes five shortsamples of MFAS in WAV and MP3 formats, selectedby CSI Director Paul Knapp from 74mb and 180mb highquality WAV recordings by Dr. Hal Whitehead ofDalhousie University. Dr. Whitehead in June was listen-ing for sperm whales about 65nm SE of Charleston, NCwhen his vessel passed 7-10nm from the USS Farragut,DDG 99, an Arleigh Burke Class Guided MissileDestroyer listed as using the AN/SQS-53C MFAS, a verycommon military sonar first deployed almost 20 yearsago. The two types of sonar signals are the loud screams,with Dr. Whitehead's vessel noises as a background. Hesaid the sounds were very loud, clearly heard through thehull, and there was no gain in the onboard preamp for therecordings.

Mitigation of sonar impacts should not affect nationalsecurity or the mission, but it might cost more to moveassets to limited locations for tests and training. Until

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disproved, some working assumptions might be thatcetaceans: fear sonar signals; react according to individualtolerance levels and their group’s threat response; mayrespond to sonar sounds received near ambient in waysthat cause harm; may flee or be blocked from theirpopulations’ essential habitat or behaviors; but canaccommodate to the sounds in the short term by pre-testor exercise warnings that use lower power level signals(ramp up); and scientists with adequate clearances couldbe briefed in time for them to be on-scene observing wildcetaceans they are familiar with for “blind” observationsof behavior that may cue us all to what they do and don’treact to; or be on alert to react to strandings.

MFAS is here to stay, improvements to findingsubmarines are likely to increase impacts on marine life,and mitigation needs should be taken seriously. There isno justification for a war on whales.

Stronger Protection forRussian Belugas Moves

Forward!The National Marine Fisheries Service announced on

August 1st a positive 60-day finding on a petition todesignate the Sakhalin Bay-Amur River beluga whalepopulation in the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia, as depletedunder the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).The petition was submitted by the Animal WelfareInstitute (AWI), Whale and Dolphin Conservation(WDC), Cetacean Society International (CSI), and theInternational Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of theEarth Island Institute in April. The petition was submittedto seek additional protections for this beluga population,which is the principal target of an ongoing global tradein live whales for the captive display industry.

A growing number of belugas are captured every yearfrom this population for sale to countries such as China.Currently this population is the only source of whales forthe international live trade. In 2013, over 100 belugaswere removed from this single population, a number wellin excess of what scientists believe would jeopardize itslong-term survival. A depleted designation under theMMPA will stimulate research and conservation effortsby the United States and foreign governments, conserva-tion organizations, the scientific community, and fundinginstitutions to help recover these belugas and protect theirhabitat.

With this positive 60-day finding (http://www.federal

register.gov/articles/2014/08/01/2014-18225/petition-to-designate-sakhalin-bay-amur-river-beluga-whales-stock-as-depleted-under-the-marine), the National Marine Fish-eries Service must begin a status review, due in mid-November, of the Sakhalin-Amur population of belugas.Take advantage now of the public comment period, openuntil September 2, 2014, to submit information the agencyshould consider in its status review. AWI, WDC, CSI,and IMMP will be submitting additional scientific andtrade information to inform this process.

Media Contact: Dr. Naomi Rose, Animal WelfareInstitute, (202) 446-2120 or naomi@awionline.org

Captive Cetaceans FromJapan’s Dolphin Drives

The dolphin slaughters in Taiji, Japan are sustainedby profits from captures of dolphins sold for display. Thischart by Sakae Hemmi of the Elsa Nature Conservancyshows the decrease in total numbers killed and theincreasing numbers captured for display.

CSI is working with Elsa Nature Conservancy, OceanCare, Save Japan Dolphins, Whale and Dolphin Conser-vation and a growing coalition working to stop the risingtrend and profits that keep the drives alive and killingdolphins. As a member of CSI you are part of this!

One way we’re working to stop that trade is topressure the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums(WAZA) to evict members that purchase Taiji dolphins.However, the priority for WAZA’s Executive Director,Dr. Gerald Dick, is not to cause conflict within WAZA.

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He’s waffled and wriggled his way around any attemptto enforce WAZA’s 2004 “Resolution on the Interpreta-tion of the Code of Ethics and Animal Welfare: Membersmust adhere to the WAZA Code of Ethics and AnimalWelfare and ensure that they do not accept animalsobtained by the use of methods which are inherently cruel.An example of such a practice is the catching of dolphinsby the use of a method known as 'drive fishing'.”

This spring CSI wrote a letter to many WAZAmembers briefing them on the situation, and anothertogether with Whale and Dolphin Conservation(whales.org), but received no responses.

To help Dr. Dick change his preference for “dialog”over action CSI helped Sakea Hemmi to travel from Japanto WAZA’s headquarters in Switzerland for a face to facemeeting on March 28th, where she made it clear that thedrive hunts of Taiji are neither tradition nor culture, asDick urges people to believe. She also presented a petitionsigned by over 140,000 people demanding that theJapanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums be expelledfrom WAZA unless its member facilities are prohibitedfrom buying Taiji dolphins. To see Ric O’Barry’s shortpresentation related to this meeting see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SAASKwjH5Q&list=UUO0LQ3lNr0GX9qXQWLPmdww, and since that’s too much totype, go to YouTube and type: “Captures of dolphins fordolphinaria industry is economic underpinning of annualslaughter in Taiji”. German and Japanese versions alsoare available.

The next round was on August 10th, in Tokyo, whereSakae and representatives from four other Japaneseorganizations met with Kazutoshi Arai, president ofKamogawa Sea World and president of the JapaneseAssociation of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA), and Dr.Dick for WAZA. Backed by over 170 Japanese organiza-tions representing a new national coalition opposed tocaptive cetacean display, Sakae Hemmi negotiated withJAZA to stop its members from purchasing dolphinscaptured in Taiji. This newsletter went to print just beforethis meeting, so we can’t report the results, but we’rebetting that JAZA will refuse to agree, and WAZA willrefuse to evict JAZA, so we’re already planning the nextround.

This Baird's beaked whale is one of two killed at theend of June, of the 30 allowed in 2014 by the Japanesegovernment. In a classic ploy to desensitize schoolchildren and local residents at Wada port in Minamiboso,Tokyo, they will be treated to these displays and flensingoperations to promote their consumption of the meat.

Since 2011 CSI has supported Japan’s Elsa NatureConservancy to have the meat tested for contaminants,which found some total mercury levels were almost fourtimes, and methyl mercury levels almost three timesgovernment limits.

The NewsfeedBy Taffy Lee Williams

SEAWORLD LOSING PARTNERS: Urged byanimal rights activists, Southwest has ended its 25-yearmarketing relationship with SeaWorld. Under the agree-ment, Southwest will remove the SeaWorld animalspainted on their airplanes, and SeaWorld will removeSouthwest Airline signs in its parks. (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2014/07/31/us/ap-us-southwest-seaworld.html?emc=eta1&_r=1)

SeaWorld is still reeling from the film “Blackfish”which exposed the conditions and suffering of captiveorcas; Taco Bell has also ended its SeaWorld partnership;and the global agency STA Travel, with bookings forsome 2.5 million students and young people, announcedthat visits to SeaWorld are “not available for sale in ourreservation systems as of 22 May.” One day in earlyAugust, stocks were down 24%, while performing artists,including Willie Nelson and Heart continue to cancelshows.

ANOTHER SEAWORLD LAWSUIT: SUNBURNTORCAS ROUTINELY PAINTED BLACK TO HIDEPEELING SKIN. PETA has filed a complaint with theUSDA after learning that SeaWorld trainers are requiredto routinely paint black zinc oxide sunscreen on the skinof orcas to cover prior sunburns. Orcas travel in cloudy

Photo: Issei Kato/Reuters

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ocean water that offers protection from the sun. Incaptivity there is little or no escape from often blisteringsun’s rays in clear chlorinated tank water. One trainerreported that “burnt layers of his skin would peel off inher hands.” (https://www.thedodo.com/usda-complaint-filed-over-seaw-641021639.html)

FINLAND ACTIVISTS WANT THE DOLPHINAR-IUM IN TAMPERE CLOSED: Even the EnvironmentMinister is calling for Finland’s Tampere dolphinariumto close following July protests. The dolphins are kept atthe Särkänniemi amusement park, in indoor tanks inconditions described as a cold, sunless horror show fordolphins. http://yle.fi/uutiset/environment_minister_calls_for_tampere_dolphin_attraction_to_close/7366975

CHINA’S CETACEAN WOES: China HangzhouPolar World recently imported two pilot whales fromJapan (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-06/09/content_17573457.htm) and on June, 2014, three wild-caught beluga whales arrived at the Harbin Polar World.(http://news.hexun.com/2014-06-11/165598322.html)Harbin has reported that one of the whales has stoppedeating, allegedly from mandibular fractures resultingeither from transport or the condition of the whale beforeits internment at Harbin.

CYPRUS DOLPHINARIUM? Activists have beenalerted to applications by foreign investors to license adolphinarium in Cyprus. A decree passed in 1997 prohib-iting commercial use of cetaceans and shows in Cyprusled to the closing of Ayia Napa Marine Park, a dolphinpark which had imported four Black Sea bottlenosedolphins in 1994. By 1998, after just four years at AyiaNapa, the four dolphins and one sea lion had died, andanother sea lion returned to the Russian Academy ofScience. Although the import of cetaceans and these typesof entertainment activities are now prohibited in Cyprus,activists are concerned as officials appear to be taking thenew applications seriously. http://incyprus.philenews.com/en-gb/Top-Stories-News/4342/42571/captivity-con-cerns

MIAMI SEAQUARIUM HAS BEEN FINED forallowing employes to work in the water with its solitaryorca, LOLITA. The OSHA citation states, “The employerdid not furnish (a work place) free from recognizedhazards that were causing or likely to cause death orserious physical harm (from) struck-by and drowninghazards.” Lolita has been the subject of litigation as amember of an Endangered Species, being housed insolitary, and substandard housing (small tank), which shehas endured for 44 years. http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/07/24/miami-seaquarium--hit-with-fine-

mishandling-killer-whales?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2014-07-25

MARINELAND, NIAGARA FALLS: ORCA HELL.The solitary Icelandic orca, KISKA, has spent the last 37years of her life at what is one of the worst marinemammal facilities in the world. Kiska hasn’t seen anotherorca since 2011, when her companion was sent back toSeaWorld. The whale is reportedly in bad shape, with adisintegrating dorsal fin, a distinct depression behind herblowhole (“Peanut head” syndrome”), and teeth groundto the gumline. One ex-Marineland employee and whis-tleblower, Phil Demers, has stated that Kiska’s “spirit isbroken,” and that she has been on a wide array ofmedications, antifungals, antibiotics and valium. Theyalso have seen “new cuts and abrasions” surface onKiska’s body, no doubt from rubbing against the pool’ssharp circumference. Marineland has been the object ofmuch public criticism recently for poor overall condi-tions, including illegal and secret mass burials of deadanimals. http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/environment/killer-whale-at-marineland-appears-to-be-ailing/article/392948#ixzz38myfkobs

BAHAMAS SUPREME COURT SHUTS DOWNBLACKBEARD’S CAY DOLPHINARIUM! A Carib-bean judge has ruled that eight dolphins were importedto the Bahamas (from Honduras) in violation of theMarine Mammal Protection Act, before proper permitswere issued. Documents revealed the prime minister, theminister of agriculture, town planning committee andothers violated the law when issuing building permits toapplicant Blue Illusions Limited while in opposition tothe Planning and Subdivision Act. Activists from reEarthin the Bahamas collected 65,000 signatures for the releaseof the dolphins. The judge in the case enforced theMMPA which states that dolphins may not be importedfor display in the Bahamas, then ordered the dolphinsfreed. There are 70 dolphins currently housed in threefacilities in the Bahamas. http://www.thenassauguardian.com/bahamas-business/40-bahamas-business/48875-group-wins-fight-against-blackbeards-cay-

UNFORGETTABLE FOR DOLPHINS INMEXICO: Tulum-Akumal, a new Dolphin Discoveryfacility in the Riviera Maya area boasts “a lifetimeopportunity to learn about, view, and play with AtlanticBottlenose Dolphins.” More of the pro-captivity, pro-swim-with hype is everything a dolphin would ratherforget. http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2040420#ixzz39OOIKHuk

WHALES IN DANGER AS OBAMA LIFTS 30-YEAR BAN ON EAST COAST OFFSHORE OIL

Whales Alive! • Summer 2014 • Published by Cetacean Society International • Page 10

EXPLORATION. From Delaware to Florida, every 10seconds, 24/7, sonic blasts 100 times more powerful thanjet engines will blast the ocean floor. Nine companies arelined up for oil exploration on the East Coast with theacoustic barrage likely to begin in early 2015; offshoredrilling by the 2020’s. Experts are warning that marinelife cannot withstand the energy and explosive acousticforce required for this seismic activity and drilling.http://news.yahoo.com/whales-dolphins-danger-obama-administration-approves-offshore-oil-213219757.html

NEW JERSEY ACOUSTIC ATTACK. RutgersUniversity and the University of Texas are participatingin a federally funded study to map ocean floor sedimentsusing seismic air gun arrays to study climate changes overthe past 60 million years. New Jersey’s Dept. of Environ-mental Protection sued NMFS/NOAA to stop the blastingbut lost its appeal in mid-July. Activities will project 250+dB from seismic air gun array blasts 11,500 ft under-ground every 5 seconds, 24/7, for 34 days. Environmen-talists, and a coalition of tourism, boating and fishingindustry groups say the acoustic explosions, which willcover 230 square miles of seabed, will cripple wildlifeand fishing activities, while hundreds rallied at theBarnegat Light in Ocean County, citing concerns formarine mammals, turtles, and all marine life. Twenty-sixspecies of cetaceans that frequent the NJ offshore waterswill be impacted. US Rep. Frank Pallone likens theproject to “what I call pre-drilling activities, the thingsthat lead to oil and gas drilling,” activities they have been“trying to stop for a long time.” http://patch.com/new-jersey/barnegat-manahawkin/new-jersey-will-sue-feds-over-seismic-ocean-blasting#.U99nvFZq4r4

TILILEAKS REVEALS SEAWORLD COMPLA-CENCY EVEN AFTER ONE TRAINER’S DEATH:Tim Zimmerman’s expose on Russ Rector’s investigativework uncovers more of the ugly truth about Tilikum andhis Sealand mates, Haida and Nootka, purchased bySeaWorld after one of Sealand’s trainers, Keltie Byrne,was killed by the trio after falling into the orca pool.SeaWorld’s analysis of Byrne’s death and the purchaseof the three killer whales involved is a reflection that well,after all, this was “a non-SeaWorld facility,” the orcas’behavior is now “balanced,” and that “no special actionsare needed to augment regular SeaWorld procedures.”SeaWorld purchased Tilikum fully aware of the Byrnekilling. The whale was later responsible for the death ofDaniel Dukes, a tourist that ended up in Tilikum’s poolafter hours, and later, the tragic and very public death oftrainer Dawn Brancheau. https://www.thedodo.com/tilileaks-exclusive-documents--630572943.html

SEAWORLD SEX STINGS? YES, IT REALLYCAN GET WORSE! Two employees from SeaWorld,five from Universal Studios and at least thirty-five fromthe Disney Orlando theme parks were recently caught inundercover sex stings involving children. In all fairness,none of the sexually explicit activities took place at thetheme parks. http://fox4kc.com/2014/07/14/theme-park-employees-from-disney-universal-studios-and-seaworld-caught-in-sex-stings/

WRITERS SAYING “NO THANKS” TO DOLPHINENCOUNTERS! The TBEX Convention has beendescribed as “the world’s largest gathering of travelbloggers, writers, new media content creators, and socialmedia savvy travel industry professionals.” However,journalists were outraged when organizers of this year’sevent in Cancun, Mexico, arranged training, swimmingwith and being pulled by dolphins. One writer blasted,“As professional travel writers and bloggers who haveinfluence in the travel and gap year industry, we have aresponsibility to hold ourselves and our profession up toa higher standard when it comes to wildlife tourism, bynot supporting any activity, excursion or organisation thatexploits or harms animals for tourist pleasure” (MichaelHuxley, of BemusedBackpacker.com). The animalfriendly RIGHT-tourism campaign is led by Care for theWild International. CEO Philip Mansbridge commented,“It’s perhaps a positive sign that this discussion is eventaking place - not many years ago people wouldn’t havethought twice about going on one of these activities.”http:/ /www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/writersboycott.html#cr

SEAWORLD HACKERS CAN’T GET ENOUGH!In early June SeaWorld’s Facebook page described itselfas a “Prison & Correctional Facility.” After SeaWorldmade corrections, hackers struck again and the facilitywas back on Facebook describing itself as a “Pet Ceme-tery.”http://www.earthintransition.org/2014/06/seaworld-becomes-a-laughing-stock/

I WOULDN’T LET MY PET PIGEON VISIT LOROPARQUE! Two months before Dawn Brancheau’s deathat SeaWorld, Orlando, a 14-year-old orca, Keto, at LoroParque on Tenerife, Spain, attacked and killed whaletrainer Alexis Martinez. Two years prior, another LoroParque trainer just barely survived a brutal orca attack.On June 3, 2014, a veterinarian from Loro Parque saw anemployee in a gorilla suit, thought it was a real gorilla,and shot him with a tranquilizer dart. The employeesurvived but was rushed to the hospital with an allergicreaction. The incident is being investigated.http://www.earthintransition.org/2014/06/seaworld-

Whales Alive! • Summer 2014 • Published by Cetacean Society International • Page 11

becomes-a-laughing-stock/

Petitions We LikeBy Taffy Lee Williams

The increase of seismic testing for oil exploration inIrish waters has led to calls for necropsy of strandedcetaceans in Irish waters. The petition is to the MinisterHeather Humphries, in charge of wildlife protection inIreland. http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Minister_Jimmy_Deenahan_Irish_government_Minister_for_protecting_wildlife_Do_post_mortems_to_discover_why_whale_and_dolp/

In the words of petition author, Emily Reimal: “I havea two year old nephew whom I love very dearly. We liveright by the beach in Southern California and I am proudto say he already has a great love of the ocean and thecreatures that live there. He also loves watching Nick Jr.Unfortunately, Viacom (the owner of Nick Jr.) is showingSeaWorld commercials for my nephew and all of the kidswho watch Nick Jr. to see. SeaWorld knows that peopleare realizing the abuses happening in their parks. Runningcommercials on kid’s channels is an obvious attempt tocreate future support by targeting the youngest genera-tion, the minds most easily influenced by advertisements.Kid’s channels are inappropriate venues for controversialissues.” http://www.change.org/petitions/nickelodeon-s t o p - l e t t i n g - s e a w o r l d - m a n i p u l a t e - o u r -kids?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=110485&alert_id=VNPTQBKveA_0PZ4V0d0OUbRS35qLAH60z0jGaKTSzUSqVTOX1pIMWI%3D

A Petition to STOP THE NEMO DOLPHINARIUMIN PHUKET, THAILAND which has reportedly receivedseveral dolphins from the infamous Taiji killing cove andJapanese drive fishery. http://www.change.org/petitions/phuket-tourism-board-stop-the-nemo-dolphinarium-in-phuket-thailand

Sena Wazer:An Inspiration To Us All

Sena Wazer is an inspiration to us all!Sena is working hard to make the world a better

place, advocating for organic farming, whales and muchmore. We’re proud she’s a CSI member. Here’s what she

would like to say:

My name is Senaand I am 10-years-old. Ilive on a farm, I amhomeschooled, and Ilove whales. I have beentrying to help the whalessince I was six.

When I was six, Idid a public serviceannouncement on a localradio station and talkedabout how sperm whalessometimes eat plasticbags that end up in theocean, and it kills them.

When I was seven, I did another public service announce-ment in which I talked about ocean acidification and theproblems it causes for whales.

Last year my sister and I sold muffins at our farm tohelp raise money for the whales. We ground our own flourand used peaches from our own tree. (Editor’s note: Senaand her sister, Aiyana, donated the $178.63 they madeselling the muffins to CSI!)

This year, my sister and I did six presentations aboutour way of life and our farm. We gave these presentationsto children from second to fourth grades, at universities,schools and on our farm. There were from 50 to 150children at most of these presentations.

In the presentations we talked about the way we growvegetables without pesticides, and about our animals andhow they help our farm. We also talked about pest andbeneficial insects, as well as our chores on the farm.

At four of the presentations, I also spoke about whalesand their problems with nets. I showed some pictures ofwhales caught in nets. I also showed the children mywebsite (www.senawhales.org) and I encouraged themto look at the seafood guide so that their parents couldmake better decisions about the seafood they buy. Youcan find the seafood guide at seafoodwatch.org (clickSeafood Recommendations, Seafood Search or use thePocket Guide).

I hope that one or more of these children go homeand do something to help the whales.

CSI’s Web Site:csiwhalesalive.org

Whales Alive! • Summer 2014 • Published by Cetacean Society International • Page 12

Listening to HumpbackWhales with Paul Knapp Jr.

off Culebra, Puerto Rico,February 9th-16th 2014

By Monika Fischer, Switzerland(natur-nah@bluewin.ch)

My deep passion for cetaceans and especially forhumpback whales made me look for an opportunity to beclose to humpback whales and to learn more about them.

Someone of the Swiss Whale Society gave me theaddress of Paul Knapp Jr.. He is a self-taught whalelistener with a big interest in the humpback whale song.So he has been listening to whales in the Caribbean for27 years and he has recorded wonderful CDs with songsof the whales.

After emailing over years the possibility came up nowthat I could undertake the journey to the Caribbean andjoin Paul for listening. This is a little report on myexperience with the whale songs heard "live" off Culebra,Puerto Rico (USA).

Accompanied by my partner, I flew in from Switzer-land through Philadelphia and through San Juan, PuertoRico. A small plane took us over to Culebra. Culebra isa small island (30.1km2) 27km east of Puerto Rico mainisland. Its shape is irregular with different bays and spits.The maximal length measures 11 km by a width of 8 km.

Culebra is mainly visited by guests from Puerto Ricoand from the US because it is known for its beautifulbeaches and its appealing landscape.

Transportation on the island is provided by a taxibustaking visitors to the most beautiful beach (Flamenco

beach), moreover it is also possible to rent golf cars, Jeepsor bicycles for individual tours.

After arriving on the island and moving into our flat,Paul offered to take us out with his boat for a firstlistening experience. So we met and joined him in his"dinghy", his small inflatable boat with a roof as protec-tion against the sun.

First we drove through a channel surrounded byMangroves, that led us to the open sea. Then we followedthe coastline in order to avoid too big waves and then westopped at a certain point after about half an hour drive.Paul explained to us that that was a good spot for listeningsince it was protected from wind (and waves), deepenough and acoustically open to the sea. He had been insearch for such a spot, where constant listening wasView from the small plane: Culebra with Flamenco Beach

Tourist map: Culebra Island

Paul's boat for listening

Whales Alive! • Summer 2014 • Published by Cetacean Society International • Page 13

possible, before we arrived.Looking out would not give a hint that whales were

close...no whale, no blow, no back emerging, no breach-ing was visible. On the way out we had encountered seaturtles and jumping fish, but had not found any trace ofwhales. Although not seeing them, I could feel theirpresence in my heart, and I was wondering how the firstlistening would turn out.

Paul opened his waterproof valises with his equip-ment for listening: a speaker, amplifier and a hydrophone(microphone for the water). He also threw a kind of waterparachute into the water which would keep the boat fromdrifting too rapidly. After installing everything, he let thehydrophone into the water and as soon it reached a certaindepth, we started hearing the songs of the humpbacks!!!Wow, how long had I been waiting for that moment?

The songs came from about two whales, Paul saidthey were about 7 miles away and we would not hearevery detail of their song because they were too distant.We heard tones going up and down, deep, highfrequencies...nearly no pauses...there were also othersounds: we heard the waves and the pistol shrimps whowere kind of crackling very loud. Interesting, with onlyoverviewing the water, the ocean seems to be so quiet,starting then to listen, it turns out to be full of sounds. Wewere also told by scuba divers that they heard the whalessing, so it is possible to hear the sounds in the sea justwith our bare ears (with no special listening equipment).

I feel I could stay with the whale songs and soundsof the ocean for hours. Happily, I would get the chanceto go and listen with Paul in the next days again.

So we went out for listening five times, every timethe experience and what we heard was similar but also

different. The number of whales singing varied, it wasoften hard to say how many we heard. The last time wewent out to listen we heard approximately four animalsat the same time, the singing was really intense. What andhow much we heard was every time different anddepended on the distance the whales were away from us.Sometimes they came closer and we started to hear moredetails of the songs. Also higher frequencies - remindingme of the whistles of bottlenose dolphins - could be heardsometimes in addition to the other sounds. Sometimes Iheard sounds for which I do not find words, theyreminded me of chains, also others of engines, cows...itis nearly impossible to find words for the acousticrepertoire we heard.

And...the songs of the humpbacks never seemed tostop. I could not differentiate either a beginning nor anend of a song.

I was emotionally touched hearing the whales, I reallyvalue the opportunity of listening with Paul a lot. Writingthis report, many additional questions arise...I have readnumerous books and papers on humpback whale songand I wonder how researchers can find beginnings andendings of the songs, especially when there are manyanimals singing at the same time or when they are evensinging together? I can hear a difference between thesongs we heard and the songs Paul had recorded earlier,but I (a hobby musician and used to sounds) imagine ithard to observe the changes in the songs step by step...Ialso wonder what the singing means to the whales;research findings say that it is only males that sing. Arewe humans able to really understand why they are singingand what it means to them (males and females and evencalves) and maybe to other lives? What would the oceans

View from the boat towards the beach

Another day: view from the boat towards the open sea(which is full of natural sounds)

Whales Alive! • Summer 2014 • Published by Cetacean Society International • Page 14

be without these sounds?Now being back home in Switzerland, I am grateful

I could undertake this journey, it was worthwhile to travelso far. And I am even more passionate about Cetaceans.Friends here wonder what humpback whale singingsounds like. Next to trying to find words I like to givethem Paul's CDs which were recorded under ideal condi-tions and which give a great impression of the songs heardin the Caribbean.

The Dolphin Let-ters; Vital Informationfrom Sea to Land is acatalyst for inspirationand solace, for lookingto nature for solutions toour human woes. AuthorMuriel Lindsay hasshared what she’slearned over many yearsfrom the bottlenose dol-phins near her home onTybee Island, Georgia.Their guidance is guar-anteed to reinforce theview of all who believethat dolphins possess the

wisdom many of us need to know, and care enough toshare it. “You will only take in what belongs to you fromall that we say. All else will fall away.”

Amazon SmileDid you know that you can help CSI as you shop on

Amazon? 0.5% of the price for your qualified purchaseswill be donated to CSI by Amazon, at no cost to you, ifyou start at smile.amazon.com, sign in, select Cetacean

Society International and start shopping! Of course CSIasks you to support your local merchants first, but if youdo shop online why not help CSI save whales at the sametime!

Upcoming EventsCompiled by Paul Knapp, Jr.

Note that some of these events may have alreadyoccurred, but still might be of interest to our readers.

All Summer, and well into October: Whale watchtrips from many New England & Canadian coast loca-tions, and around the world at all times somewhere.

July - Oct. 2014: Hervey Bay Whale Festival, HerveyBay Australia. This sounds like an ongoing celebrationof the whole whale watch season.http://whalesherveybay.com.au/

August 10, 2014: 2nd Annual National HumpbackWhale Day. A day to celebrate the humpbacks aroundthe world that give us all so much enjoyment.

August 14, 2014: New Bedford Whaling Museum,7:00 p.m., reception 6:00 p.m. "Why Whales Matter", alecture and book signing with Joshua Horwitz, authorof the book: War of the Whales: A true story. (508) 9970046 ext. 100http://www.whalingmuseum.org/programs/why-whales-matter

Sept. 13, 2014: Cetacean Society International 40thAnniversary Fundraiser at the Custom House MaritimeMuseum, 150 Bank St., New London, CT. Come toCSI's Wild Oceans Benefit Fashion Show, our spectac-ular evening for you on September 13th, to celebrateour beautiful wild oceans and species we work to pro-tect. For more details see the headline "September 13,2014 – Save The Date!" in this newsletter.

Sept. 15-18, 2014: The biennial International WhalingCommission meeting in Slovenia, on the Adriatic coast.

Oct. 2, 2014: Cape Cod museum of natural historyevent in Brewster, MA.

Oct. 3-6, 2014: Two Oceans Hermanus Whale Festival,South Africa. Web: http://www.whalefestival.co.zaEmail: festival@hermanus.co.za

Paul's latest CDs

Whales Alive! • Summer 2014 • Published by Cetacean Society International • Page 15

Nov. 6-9, 2014: SITKA WHALEFEST, Sitka Alaska.907-747-8878. Email: sitkawhalefestdir@gmail.com

Nov. 7-9, 2014: 14th International Conference of theAmerican Cetacean Society: "Tuned in to Whales: Con-servation, Research & Education", Hyatt Regency,Newport Beach, California.http://acsonline.org/education/conference/upcoming-2014-conference-tuned-in-to-whales-conservation-research-education/

Nov. 15, 2014: 6th Annual Right Whale Festival, 10:30a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Jacksonville, FL. (727) 954 3390Email: info@sea2shore.org

Jan. 24 & 25, 2015: Monterey Whale Festival, OldFisherman's Wharf, Monterey, California. Celebrate theMonterey Bay National Sanctuary.http://montereywharf.com/

Feb. 2015: Maui Hawaii Whale Festival & WorldWhale Day. Parade, run, talks and lectures. (808) 2498811 ext. 1

Mar. 2015: Pacific Rim Whale Festival, B.C. celebrat-ing the return of the Grey Whales.http://www.pacificrimwhalefestival.com/

Mar. 7 & 8 and 14 & 15, 2015: Dana Point Whale fes-tival, California. Grey Whale migration.http://Festivalofwhales.com/ (949) 496-1045, (888)440-4309

Top Ten Endangered Species Report

The Endangered Species Coalition’s 2014 Top TenEndangered Species Report, “Vanishing: The Ten Amer-ican Species Your Children May Never See”, includesCSI’s nomination of the North Pacific Right Whale(Eubalaena japonica)! The Report will be available inmid-August from endangered.org, with previous reportsunder “Campaigns”. 2013’s Report was “Back From TheBrink: Ten Success Stories Celebrating the EndangeredSpecies Act at 40”. This is the Report’s text describingsome of the reasons this endangered whale deserves ourattention:

With One Fluke out the Door, this Whale’s Just AboutGoneNorth Pacific right whales are the rarest and most endan-gered whales on earth. There may be only thirty left in

US waters. But this hasn’t always been true. In themid-1800s, when blubber was big business, these whaleswere very easy to find - as many as 30 thousand of themwere killed in just one decade. And it didn’t stop in the1800s; whaling into the 1960s drove the North Pacificright whale just about to extinction.

Save the WhalesThe ocean home of all whales is less and less friendly.Whales are hit by ships, threatened by oil spills, andtangled in fishing gear - tons of nylon and plastic. Thereare a dozen once-common whale species that our kidsmay never see.

Limited Genes in a Diminishing PoolOnly about eight breeding female North Pacific rightwhales remain. Without many new babies, and withoutdiversity in their gene pool, these whales are doomed.

Who’s making all that racket?Human disturbances - ships, fishing gear, pollution, noise- are degrading oceans. Navy sonar, in particular - part oflive testing exercises - may affect feeding, breeding, andcommunicating, and is believed to cause mass beachingsof whales.

Not Much in the FridgeAs ocean temperatures rise and waters become moreacidic, the entire ocean ecosystem is affected. Phyto-plankton has been measurably declining since the 1950s,and this depletion impacts zooplankton, the right whale’sessential food source.

Act NowOrganize or participate in a beach cleanup. SeeVanishingWildlife.org to learn more.

Countdown to Zero: Unless we act now, these whalesmay vanish in our lifetime.

From the EditorI was seriously injured shortly after the October 2011

issue of Whales Alive! was published. We are verygrateful to Taffy Lee Williams for carrying on as editorthrough 2012 and 2013. Thank you, Taffy! And thankyou to our members and supporters for staying with CSIthrough these challenging times. - Brent S. Hall

Cetacean Society InternationalPO Box 953Georgetown, CT06829U.S.A.

FIRST CLASS MAIL

September 13, 2014 – Save The Date!Join the board for our 40th Anniversary Year

Wild Oceans Benefit Fashion ShowIn collaboration with the New London Custom House Maritime Museum,

CSI will be bringing you an evening of music, arts and fashionto celebrate our continued work to protect marine mammals.

Please visit http://WildOceansCSI.bpt.me today to reserve your seats.6:30 pm VIP Admission, 7:30 pm General Admission

Custom House Maritime Museum150 Bank Street, New London, CT 06320

See page 4 for all the details!Working for Whales Worldwide since 1974