The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.

We are trying to stop the mass industrialization of one of the rarest environments on Earth – the magnificent Kimberley, Australia – nursery and breeding grounds for Humpback Whales

Its pristine coast is home to the largest population of Humpback whales in the world – over 33,000 return each year to mate or give birth to the next generation of whales.

The largest protected areas are the Prince Regent Nature Reserve and the Drysdale River National Park along with Gregory National Park and Keep River National Park across in the Northern Territory which preserve similar habitats, (and indeed Keep River’s nearest town is Kununurra in the Kimberley).

The problem is, though, that while the land is being protected, the oceans surrounding Kimberly are not and neither are the whales Read the rest of this entry »

A Whale of a Time?

I don’t usually post other people’s blogs, but if you are living in the L.A. area, take a ride to the Santa Monica pier and join in the festivities:

On February 18th and 19th our aquarium under the Santa Monica Pier will be hosting “A Whale of a Weekend,” celebrating the annual gray whale migration along our coast. Read the rest of this entry »

map of baja

Yes, believe it or not, a whale did that!

This past week I took a trip down to Baja, California with the intent purpose of experiencing Pacific Gray Whales up close.

What I did not realize is that these whales had the same idea about me!

I happened to find a very modest tour to Guerro Negro, a small city two-thirds of the way down Baja. Guerro Negro is known for two things: table salt and whales. That’s right, table salt and whales.

This small town is responsible for pretty much all the salt you find on your table. And as far as whales, well, next to Guerro Negro are huge lagoons where Pacific Gray Whales come to mate and have their calves.

When we finally arrived at the small boat dock, each boat only held 8 people. The drive to the center of the lagoon takes you past sand dunes, until you begin seeing 10-15 water spouts, and aroused 40 ton males jumping clean out of the water! Read the rest of this entry »

One of the divers on the rescue team works on the crab pot lines that held the female humpback whale near the Farallon Islands. The weight of the crab pots was pulling the animal down. Marine Mammal Center photo via Associated Press

Some of you may have heard about a recent endangered humpback whale being saved off the coast of San Francisco. It is a very touching story and once again, points up to the awareness and sentience of these wonderful creatures:

A humpback whale freed by divers from a tangle of crab trap lines near the Farallon Islands nudged its rescuers and flapped around in what marine experts said was a rare and remarkable encounter.

Sunday’s daring rescue was the first successful attempt on the West Coast to free an entangled humpback, said Shelbi Stoudt, stranding manager for the Marine Mammal Center in Marin County.

Read the rest of this entry »