CHAMPIONS OF THE SEAS

Hello Friends of the Seas! Welcome to My Ocean Friendly Blog. I made this blog in support of the Creatures of the Seas and their Human Champions, Fighting for their Cause.

I have posted some of my favorite Champions here, and on some I have included a brief Notation of their Purpose at the bottom of this first page. You Must "Click" on the Older Posts, to pull up older posts. You will find that on the bottom of each page, and to the right of each page. I have also Included many Links to other blog and websites for you to expore. They are on the right column of the pages.

If you have a blog that is of focus on Healing of the Oceans and their Inhabitants, please let me know.


Although all Ocean Inhabitants are important, a special focus here is on the order Cetaceans (ceta is greek and latin for whale) or Marine Mammals of which the family Delphindae (meaning Dolphins) belongs. Like all mammals, they must breathe air. They also give live birth, and nurse their newborns with milk. Whales, Dolphins and porpoises belong to this group. That means Whales are actually large dolphins. Whales are the largest and porpoises are the smallest of the Cetaceans. Dolphins are not fish as some may think, and they are considered second to human beings in their intelligence and I believe they have an advanced intelligence far beyond some humans. The Japanese Dolphin Hunters have been, and still are relentlessly driving dolphins in the Cove of Taiji to Their Deaths and Capture, and other people are contributing to their plight by supporting the entertainment arenas around the world and eating their meat.

The Dolphins of Taiji are Close to My Heart at this Time, so I wrote a Poem for them "Shout Out For the Dolphins of Taiji" and to Challenge the World to Helping them Overcome Their Plight.

Here is that link:

http://championsoftheseas.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-i-believe-regarding-dolphins.html

I also Support other Sea Life and their Champions, and I am Open to Suggestions for improvement or new information, so please offer any constructive comments you may have in the comment sections. Please Note the Champions of the Seas Links on the Right and Support them if Your Heart Desires. Alone we create a Ripple in the Ocean, and Together we Create a Wave... Let Our Voices Be Heard! Thank YOU
BLOG POSTS

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sea World Tie to the Annual Taiji Dolphin Slaughter - "Fall From Freedom" Video

The following excerpt  is taken verbatim from the Seattle PI News August 29th, 2011

Author: Candace Calloway Whiting
Candace Calloway Whiting has studied and trained dolphins, seals, and orca whales. She is currently a volunteer at the Center for Whale Research at Friday Harbor.
"Narrated by Mike Farrell (M*A*S*H, Providence), "A Fall From Freedom" digs deep into the history of the captive dolphin and whale industry. Topics covered in the film include:
 -Sea World representatives secretly promoted the Japanese dolphin drives where thousands of animals are driven to shore and brutally killed, in order to provide their parks with replacement animals, says Dr. John Hall, former Sea World biologist.

-There is no educational value to having whales or dolphins in a captive environment, states former Sea World biologist Dr. John Hall and former Sea World killer whale trainer Dr. John Jett.
 -Contrary to the claims of many marine parks and aquariums, captive killer whales die far more frequently and at a far earlier age than they do in the wild, says Dr. Naomi Rose, biologist for Humane Society International.
 -Sea World has been involved in illegal and unethical actions to assure their parks are well stocked with killer whales, states former Sea World biologist Dr. John Hall.
 -The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums has worked tirelessly to reduce government oversight on the health and well-being of captive whales and dolphins, states Dr. Naomi Rose.
 -Sea World representatives have claimed that whales and dolphins are not highly intelligent, sophisticated, and social animals. Dr. Lori Marino, a leading expert on killer whale intelligence and social dynamics, asserts that their intelligence and social dependence is second only to humans.
 -Sea World and other marine parks claimed that the rehabilitation and release back to the wild of Keiko, star of the Free Willy movie, was a failure from the start. Dave Phillips of the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation argues that the project was a rousing success, which proved that these animals can be taken from captivity, rehabilitated and returned to the wild."

Fall From Freedom Video:  http://vimeo.com/26041965
Fall From Freedom Trailer: http://vimeo.com/26041965

Monday, August 29, 2011

"Australian Dugongs In Peril"

9/22/11 Update on the Dugong and Sea Turtle Crisis in Australia: 

This is a recent video from "CollinwhocaresRiddell" on Facebook about the Dugong and Sea Turtle Crisis.  These important sea creatures are steadily and quickly reaching the point of extinction if man and the environmental elements continue to kill them at this alarming rate.  Although there is a limit on take for Australians, there is a loophole that is causing them harm... Unfortunately for them, the indigenous people of Australia are not under any ban for capture and kill quotas, and there is over-killing and cruelty enforced upon these helpless creatures by certain members of this group thereby pushing the animals towards endangerment and extinction.  Some of the Indigenous people have seen this peril and offer a moratorium.  But this is not law and is under their own intent.  Unfortunately, those in power do not seem to think this is even a problem so have not taken a stance to help by enforcing a moratorium.  So, Colin Riddell, Bob Irwin of Bob Irwin Wildlife Fund, and James Epong,  Dugong and Turtle Protection Officer, are calling on the people to help... They are asking ALL Australians to Support them on a Moratorium for Turtle and Dugong Hunting in Australia. 

Please see the video clip below for more info:

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150320757434604

Colin Riddell and Bob Irwin's Save Australian Dugong and Sea Turtles Site:  http://dugongandturtles.webs.com/

Article by "The Independent Nature"

Famine threatens Australia's gentle sea cows

Extreme weather has destroyed the dugong's feeding grounds – just the latest menace facing this already endangered species
By Roger Maynard in Sydney
Sunday, 28 August 2011

"An underwater famine is posing the latest threat to one of Australia's most endangered marine species, the dugong, which lives entirely on sea grass. At least 100 have starved to death in recent months and many more are likely to follow in the absence of their only food source.... "In addition to climatic and industrial threats to the dugong population, indigenous fishermen have also been accused of endangering the species. Next month a television campaign will be launched by animal activists who believe Australia's Native Title laws are allowing the "uncontrolled" and "unmonitored slaughter" of dugongs and turtles. Australians For Animals has accused some aboriginal groups of "appalling cruelty".

Campaign organiser Colin Riddell says: "We have a confirmed report of a dugong calf being tied to the back of a boat, its cries bringing in the mother so they can both be killed. We have reports in our office of indigenous groups going out in motor boats with a GPS to find dugongs. Once found, they radio their mates and entire pods of dugongs are slaughtered."

Dugong hunting has been an accepted part of Australia's indigenous culture for thousands of years. Their ivory and bones are used in traditional crafts and their meat, which is said to be similar to high quality beef, is regarded as a delicacy. The Native Title Act allows dugongs to be caught by aborigines for personal, domestic or non-commercial needs, but, according to Mr Riddell, some are being sold for profit. He claims the meat sells for nearly £100 a kilo and is even being exported.
Now he is urging the government to call a moratorium on dugong hunting until population numbers are established. "I don't have a problem with Native Title hunting if it's done sustainably," he insists. "But let's just see how many are left."...  (click on link below for full article)


http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/famine-threatens-australias-gentle-sea-cows-2345167.html

Colin Riddell and Bob Irwin's Save Australian Dugong and Sea Turtles Site:  http://dugongandturtles.webs.com/

Saturday, August 27, 2011

"Petition & Pledge to Stop the Dolphin Slaughter In Taiji, Japan"

 If you love dolphins, and want to do something to stop the assault on their lives, please check out the following video and sign the petition to stop the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji Japan.

Together We Can End It : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyqJwjFb8Aw&feature=share
 via http://www.championsforcetaceans.com

Petition to Stop the Dolphin Slaughter, Taiji Japan

Monday, August 15, 2011

Sept 1st 2011-The International Day of Awareness for the Dolphins of Taiji

 aka "Save Japan Dolphins Day"

September 1st is the start of the Dolphin Hunt in Taiji Japan. During the 2010-2011 drive hunt, the Taiji Fisheries Union killed 850 dolphins. An additional 171 were sold into captivity. These numbers are multiplied annually without stopping... In the past even more dolphins (and whales) were killed annually in Taiji and other Japanese port hunts.  This traditional slaughter has been happening every year for decades in Taiji Japan and right now there is absolutely no desire by the dolphin hunters to stop their targeted killing.

( The following press release was in advance of the actual event held on Sept 1st 2011)

Press Release for The Houston Site Event Held Outside the Japanese Consulate

I am the 2011 Houston Area Coordinator for the "International Day of Awareness for the Dolphins of Taiji" also referred to as "Save Japan Dolphins Day".  We are one of many locations rallying together to call attention to this atrocity and bring it to a grinding halt.  This dolphin drive is driven by greed and public demand for the dolphin meat and entertainment.   Many people are not aware that the Inland Dolphin Shows are directly tied to this drive.  The sale of one dolphin to the Aquariums that are captured from Taiji or similar hunts is from $100,000 to $300,000 dollars.  The dolphin hunts are very bloody and pods of dolphins are forced into and annihilated in The Cove, while a few are chosen each time to be sold to live out their lives in captivity, performing for the masses. Dolphins are a very social loving group, and the death of an entire pod of parents, siblings, & babies weigh heavily on the few that remain alive to be trained & sold to the Dolphin and Whale Entertainment Aquarium Centers.  Many captured dolphins  live very short lives dying from stress and disease. Their confined living conditions are not conducive to life.   The general public is unaware of the huge turnover of dolphins for their entertainment.

A Houston educational and demonstrative Event will be held on Sept 1st  in front of the General Consulate of Japan at 909 Fannin Street to bring attention to the general public that Taiji Japan dolphin hunts and slaughter will begin this day, and continue on until March of next year.  It will continue Every Year unless we cause it to Stop.  Our message is simple:  JAPAN, LET THE DOLPHINS LIVE & BE FREE!!!

I am Inviting Anyone and Everyone that can, to come and participate in the educational demonstration here or any of the other places listed (a global map of participants is available @ http://www.savejapandolphins.org/).  This will be a peaceful protest and we ask that the Message at this gathering be Positive.  The Target of Focus is to be centered on education towards awareness and change in reference to the actual acts of condoning and killing of the dolphins, and not on the Japanese People .

There will be many things to look at at the Educational Table at the site of the Japanese Consulate, and there will also be a "Cove Guardian" here on site to explain her own experiences and the happenings at Taiji first hand.  We also plan to have gifts for donations to the Cause of "Save Japan Dolphins". The following location/schedule is for Houston, but this is a World Wide Event, and is happening at Japanese Embassies, & Consulates in quite a number of Ppaces.  If you cannot make it to the one in Houston, please note that there are other things you can do to support this Cause.  (see "More Info" Below)

Houston Location & Time:
909 Fannin Steet
Houston , Tx. 77010
Outside the Japanese Consulate
from 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

For MORE INFO:

http://www.countdowntocove.com/ and "International Day of Awareness for the Dolphins of Taiji" created by Save Misty the Dolphin
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=196605907054900
https://www.facebook.com/Savemistythedolphin and
"The Cove" watch the free Cove documentary on line @ www.documentarywire.com
http://www.savejapandolphins.org/blog/post/celebrate-japan-dolphins-day
Houston Pictures:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2039098937266.2104253.1238049312
Cheryl Gordon, Event Coordinator for Houston's Event: "International Day of Awareness for the Dolphins of Taiji Japan" also referred to as "Save Japan Dolphins Day"



A SYNOPSIS OF THE SEPT 1ST INTERNATIONAL EVENT 
TO SAVE THE JAPAN DOLPHINS

I believe that the Sept 1st 2011 International Day of Awareness for the Dolphins of Taiji Event was a Great Success!  The Houston Texas Event was my own group, but there were 40 + other dolphin activists in numerous cities participating in this world-wide protest to save the dolphins of Japan. 

Our group alone included 15 participants outside the Houston Japanese Consulate on Sept 1st, protesting the killing and sales of dolphins and whales in Taiji.  We gave away over 800 handouts of postcards and business cards regarding this event.  We had multiple contributions to the Save Japan Dolphins Fund. We gathered signatures for a Petition to Save Japan Dolphins.  We cultivated much interest and won many hearts for the dolphins... We held a peaceful demonstration, and I believe it was an informative and successful event.  We were proud to have a former Cove Guardian as a Speaker... As the Houston International Day of Awareness for the Dolphins of Taiji, I am indebted to all who helped make this happen and be successful.

We were but one group of many collaborating to make this Cause known to the World in hopes of  getting more people to take a stance in saying NO and in stopping this senseless slaughter.  Some groups were perhaps of ten, and others were much larger...  Whatever the size, there are similar success stories of each participating activist group, reaching out to the public through different ways & means of approaching and telling the story ~ All around the World.  But words do not get the point across as well alone as with inclusion of visual so I am including the compilation event video to help to drive this point to where it must go, that is: The Peoples Hearts.

I believe this is an impressive and persuasive Youtube video production created by "Save Misty the Dolphin" for The International Day of Awareness for the Dolphins of Taiji in colaboration with "Save Japan Dolphins" showing the multi-international participation in this Sept 1st event to save the Japan dolphins ~ click on the video below & then click on the supersize expanded version and sit back in your chair to see for yourself:





If You Want to Help Save the Dolphins I Recommend Joining Save Misty the Dolphin on facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/Savemistythedolphin 
and Check out the Website of Save Japan Dolphins @ 
http:www.//savejapandolphins.org
See you There!

"Who Do You Think You Are"

A Family Standing Up for What they Believe In, Gives Tribute to the Dolphins of Taiji in "Countdown for the Cove" on their Blog "Stand Up for What You Believe In"

See Also, the Video "Who Do You Think You Are" via Save Misty the Dolphin
http://youtu.be/HNW9_ut5ygo



Monday, August 1, 2011

The Taiji Dolphin Killing Drives and "Countdown to the Cove"

Sept 1st Marks the Beginning of the Dolphin Hunt Drives in the Cove of Taiji Japan.  It is not unusual for up to 20,000 dolphins and even some whales to lose their lives in these dolphin drives annually.  They are being killed for money... for their meat, and for providing entertainment to the demanding public who want to swim with the dolphins, and watch them do tricks for their own personal entertainment.

But the world is now taking notice, and the pressure is on to stop the killing from these drives, and the sales of selected dolphins for entertainment parks such as Sea World and other Ocean Aquariums.

"For the first time ever, in 2010 -2011, Cove Guardian Activists from Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Save Japan Dolphins were in Taiji every single day of the dolphin slaughter, which ran from September to March...yet the tragedy continues..." (from Countdown to the Cove)

People are becoming aware of the dark side of this beautiful sea and fishing port called Taiji.   Here, the fishermen have chosen to hunt dolphins & whales (of the dolphin family), which is misleading, for dolphins are not fish but intelligent sentient ocean mammals.  Also of concern is danger from this practice through ingestion of the dolphin meat which has been found to often contain of a higher than acceptable level of mercury contamination.  This mercury presence is generally not publicized, and when spoken of, lightly put aside as not of concern by the Japanese.  Even the children of Taiji are said to be served this meat in their school menu.

But the word is out, with a jump start from "The Cove Movie" which you can watch for free here @  http://www.ovguide.com/movies_tv/the_cove.htm and concern is now escalating around the world.  The media has picked up the story and there is an increase in the publications and public interest regarding the deaths and captures of the dolphins in Taiji.  Perhaps you too are concerned now that you have become aware of the dolphin plight.  But, what can the average concerned citizen of the world do? 

You can help by spreading the truth, and "Join the protest via Facebook International Day of Awareness for the Dolphins of Taiji @ "The Countdown to the Cove"

For more information on "Countdown to the Cove", and the Taiji Dolphins just follow this Web Link:

"Countdown to the Cove"

Action Alert - Tell your Japanese Embassy to End Research Whaling

 Saturday, July 30, 2011

Action Alert - Tell your Japanese Embassy to End Research Whaling 

"On July 28, 2011, Japan’s leading English-language newspaper, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the nation’s Fisheries Agency is weighing the possibility of ending research whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

The Japanese government has historically held fast to a research whaling agenda.  However, for the first time ever, a new report issued by the Fisheries Agency's review committee on research whaling in the Antarctic Ocean includes opinions on both sides of the issue.... Given this development, Save Misty the Dolphin encourages members of our community to contact your Japanese Embassy and applaud a Fisheries Agency report that considers a halt to research whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Santuary.  "
For Full Article and how to contact your Japanese Embassy, Please Click on the link below:

Scientists Name World's Most Important Marine Conservation Hotspots

"Scientists have identified the 20 most important regions of the world's oceans and lakes that are key to ensuring the survival of the planet's marine mammals such as seals and porpoises. Their analysis also shows, however, that most of these areas are already under pressure from human impacts such as pollution and shipping. Marine ecosystems around the world are deteriorating rapidly, according to Sandra Pompa, an ecologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico who led the study, in particular due to habitat degradation, introduction of exotic species and over-exploitation of natural resources. " ... " To find out more, Click below to pull up and read here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/aug/01/marine-life-wildlife