Professional Documents
Culture Documents
creative
Contents 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Atlantic Whale Foundation 4-5
Tenerife
6-8
9 - 12
House
13 - 15
27 Whale Species
16 - 24
On the Boats
25 - 34
35 - 36
Threats
37 - 43
General Information
44 - 53
Marine Life
54 - 58
Contact Information
59
The AWF
AWF
Encouragaing individuals to make a difference through positive actions within communities, the environment and in nature globally
The AWF s Volunteer Programme provides opportunities for young people to use their skills towards conservation goals, learning through experience - Photographers, artists, media people, film and video makers, web designers, graphic and product designers, educationalists, theatre and street actors and creative writers. In addition to contributing to conservation, these programmes facilitate extraordinary experience and portfolio development. The WhaleFund is designed to bring together ordinary people working across the world to conserve nature, the environment and communities under threat - to enable people to promote their own grassroot projects and to show where individuals can make a difference, either in volunteering their time, helping in campaigning, acquiring resources or providing funding. People to people, no government, no bureaucracy, no organisations but, rather, a growing global network of ordinary people wanting to make a difference.
Have you seen our web-site? Find out so much more at www.whalenation.org
Tenerife
AWF
What a country chooses to save is what a country chooses to say about itself - Mollie Beattie
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest of the seven islands that make up the Canary Islands. The island is just over 300 km from the African coast, and around 1,300 km from the Spanish Mainland. Pico del Teide rises up to 3,718 metres and is the 3rd largest volcano in the world, The rugged island terrain and the variety of climates has produced a territory of many different landscapes and forms. From the Teide National Park to Los Gigantes Cliffs, with semi-desert areas with their drought-resistant plants in the south to valleys of tropical and sub-tropical crops.
Mount Teide
Mount Teide is the 3rd largest volcano on Earth. Elevation at the summit of the volcano is 3,715m. Most recent eruption was in 1909. Teide is due to errupt every 100 years. The plants that grow there are unique, such as the Teide Violet.
Masca
Situated in an imposing gorge on the north west of the island, the village of Masca is generally considered to be Tenerife's prettiest village. The old stone houses look out over lush vegetation and steep ravine walls towards the shimmering Atlantic Ocean. This remote outpost was connected to the rest of the island when a road was built in 1991. Today the population stands at over one hundred who service the constant stream of tourists to this beautiful corner of the island.
Volunteering
AWF
Activities
Tenerife is an extraordinary island, stunningly beautiful and with a strong south American culture uninterrupted by the tourism developments of the south. Volunteers must see it. There are also a huge number of educational activities that you can engage in, most at heavily discounted prices for our volunteers.
Tango Dancing
Each village has a fiesta at some point during the summer and these tend to run from late evening through to the early hours of the morning.
Dardo is Argentinean and comes from a long family line of Tango dancers, he learnt his trade in Paris and now operates out of an old hotel the back end of Guimar.
Diving
One of the most enjoyed activities. We use a long established dive centre in Los Gigantes which offers both CMAS and PADI instruction. The waters are clear and offer rays, shark, dolphins and octopus amongst other marine life.
La Gomera
A neighbouring island and a visit there is like stepping back in time. With echoes of an old plantation (banana) culture all around.
Other activities you can participate in include spanish lessons, mountaing biking, horse riding, doing the Masca or Pilgrims walk or just chilling out on the local beaches.
The House
AWF
Accomodation
Accomodation is provided free in the research station itself, 3-4 people in a room (more if we are busy), and in surrounding properties. Breakfast and evening meals are prepared by volunteers on a rota basis as are cleaning duties. Lunches are inexpensive and if on site people can raid the kitchens and put 1 Euro into a kitty, which we are donating to pay the wages of Sri Lankean teachers. They only need 1 euro per day!! The washing machine can also be used with washing powder provided. We ask you to put 1 euro in the teachers kitty for this too.
Meetings
Meetings are held every night for the rota of next day and progress of the each research projects. Friday evening meetings are to debrief. Sunday evenings are the most important as it sets goals for the coming week.
27 Whales Species
AWF
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children - Native American Proverb
The Common Dolphin can sometimes be seen migrating through here. They are noisy and acrobatic.
hale Sperm W
The Blue Whale, the biggest animal ever, migrates through deeper waters out at sea.
Profile
Weight at Birth: 60 Kg (135 lbs) Adult Weight: 1 - 4 tonnes Average Adult Length: 3.6 - 6.5 metres Male Maximum Age: 45 years Female Maximum Age: 63 years Distribution: Distributed in all tropical, subtropical and warm temperate oceans. Diet: Fish, squid, octopi Threats: Hunting/whaling, entanglement in fishing nets, pollution, habitat destruction, human disturbance.
ID Check Females can live for up to 60+ and males up to 45 years There are usually between 10 and 30 whales in each pod When the females are over 45 they become grandmas and look after all the other calves in the pod when their mothers go to feed They were called pilot whales because they are always found in deep, calm water. This would show ship captains the way to go They can dive for 20 minutes down to 500m to catch squid, fish & octopus. They use echolocation to locate their prey Jet black or dark grey colour Rounded, bulbous head Fin set forward on body Fin sweeps backwards Stocky but elongated body Strong blow Frequently lobtails and spyhops Prefers deep waters Indifferent to boats
Profile
Weight at Birth: 15 - 30 Kg (35 - 65 lbs) Adult Weight: 150 - 650 Kg (330 - 1,435 lbs) Average Adult Length: 1.9 - 3.9 metres Male Maximum Age: 30-40 years Female Maximum Age: 40 + years Distribution: Widely distributed in cold temperate to tropical seas. Diet: Fish, squid, octopus Group Size: 1 - 10 (inshore), 1 - 25 (offshore), up to 500 may occur offshore Threats: Hunting/whaling, entanglement in fishing nets, pollution, habitat destruction,
Bottlenose
Dolphin
ID Check They feed on squid, octopus and small fish in groups to avoid danger. They travel in social groups called pods. Between 1 and 25 friends and relations swim together. Females live for 40 years and males between 30 and 40 years. They find their way using echolocation just like bats. Very fast sound waves bounce off everything and tell them what is around them. Sometimes lone bottlenose dolphins with no pod will bond with humans for company. Their brain is twice the size of a humans. They only sleep half of their brain at a time, otherwise they would drown. Jet black or dark grey colour Rounded, bulbous head Fin set forward on body Fin sweeps backwards Stocky but elongated body Strong blow Frequently lobtails and spyhops Prefers deep waters Indifferent to boats
- Females are post reproductive at 45 years and take on a grandmother role and are responsible of the offspring whilst mothers go to feed. Short-finned Pilot whales are most active at night when they feed.
- During the day they can be seen logging on the surface. Other behaviour sometimes observed are travelling, milling, wake-riding, fluke slapping, spyhopping and very occasionally breaching. - Other cetaceans, such as the bottlenose dolphin will often associate with pilot whales, as they have very advanced echolocation systems, which makes them good at hunting for giant squid and other food in the deep waters.
- Females have a large network of associates and are linked to most other females. They seem to help each other through life, such as helping with new-borns. Males associate in groups of two or more to both deter other males that approach their females or to take females from another group. - Bottlenose dolphins are powerful, acrobatic swimmers. They are often seen carrying out various different activities like bow riding, tail slapping, porpoising, breaching, fluking, wake riding and beach rubbing.
The diagrams show basic external anatomy of the pilot whale and bottlenose dolphin, which are similar except for the bottlenose dolphins beak.
Key
1. Beak 2. Melon 3. Eye 4. Ear 5. Blowhole 6. Pectoral Fin (Flipper) 7. Dorsal Fin 8. Dorsal Ridge 9. Fluke 10. Median Notch
Travelling - when the pod are swimming generally at speed, together in one unified direction.
Travelling
Milling - most of the pod moving slowly in various directions.
Milling
Logging - resting on the surface, motionless.
Logging
Bow Riding - swimming in the pressure waves created at the front of the boat as it moves through the water.
ding Bow Ri
Wake Riding - swimming in the waves produced at the back of the boat.
Wake Ri ding
Surfing - swimming / surfing waves or swell.
Surfing
Porpoising
Breaching - launching themselves into the air and then falling into the water on back or side.
Breachin
Spy-Hopping - body held vertically in water with eyes and head above the water to see what is happening on surface.
Spy-Ho
pping
Flipper Out - when cetaceans roll on to their side, at the surface, pectoral fins stick out of the water.
ut Flipper O
Fluke Out - fluke and body vertically held purposefully out of the water.
Fluke Ou t
Fluke Slapping - slapping the fluke against the water as a sign of aggression or communication.
lappin Fluke S
Canarian waters home 27 cetacean species. A third of all species of whale and dolphin either live or pass through Canarian waters.
False Killer Whale Pseudorca crassidens (3.7-6.1m) Pan-tropical Spotted Dolphin Stenella attenuata (1.6-2.6m)
Short-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala macrorhynchus (3.6-7.2m) Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba (1.8-2.7m)
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Stenella frontalis (1.6-2.3m) Frasers Dolphin Largenodelphis hosei (2.3-3.1m)
Brydes Whale Balenoptera edeni (10-15m) Killer Whale Orcinus Orca (4.5-9.8m)
On the boats
AWF
Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world - Nelson Mandela
Boat Rules
1. When out on the boats there will often be two people. One person to take the xphotographs, the other fills in the data sheets. It is both of your responsibilities to go around and talk to the tourists, giving them as much information as you can, and posters if allowed. 2. Get as many petition signatures and contacts of people who would like to help us in our work. 3. What you should know and be able to tell people if asked: About the work we do here at the AWF, Education, Conservation, Research, Awareness, Be very knowledgeable about cetaceans, Refer people to places where they can get more information, books, websites. Know what information is in the didactics and able to regurgitate this to tourists and answer questions they may have on this information. 4. Be knowledgeable about conservation issues especially those that threaten marine life. 5. Keep your self up to date with work and projects other volunteers are doing. 6. The owners of the boats do not have to let us on their boats, so it is important we act in a professional manner. You should help with the general running of the boat where possible, do not get on the boat until most if not all of the tourists have got on, unless asked to do so by the crew, you should make sure you are wearing your t-shirt well before you arrive at the boat - it looks unprofessional to start getting changed in front of the boat and keep your T-shirts clean. 7. Volunteers should try to communicate with the tourists in their native tongue using an appropriate didactic or find someone who can speak their language well. We are on the boats to communicate to tourists how amazing nature is, the dangers that are facing it and what we can do to protect it. It is essential you try and communicate with all tourists, no matter how little of their language you speak. 8. Our ultimate goal is to become a part of the crew so help out with chores around the boats, such as giving people ashtrays, clearing up around the boat, serving food, drinks and handing out sick bags and tissues! If you make yourself useful on the boat it will generally be appreciated. 9. Only eat food, when offered or when all the tourists have eaten. 10. Dont swim for too long, unless told to do so by the crew. 11. Always ask in the office, the captain or owner of the boat if it is alright for you to go on, do NOT assume you can just walk on. 12. ALWAYS thank the captain, crew and owners after a trip (if they are there). 13. ALWAYS keep a professional distance from the crews. 14. NEVER sunbathe or get drunk on the boats. We are on there to do a job, not look like tourists. 15. All boats have different personalities and rules. Act conservatively at first until you get to know them but we expect people to act with professionalism at all times. Anyone who does not makes it harder for everyone who does and they WILL be asked to leave the project.
Recording cetaceans
The Data Explained Our volunteers go out on 15 different boats over 3 different ports on the west coast of Tenerife.
One of our objectives whilst on the boat is to collect data on cetacean behaviour. There will often be two volunteers on the boat, one to fill in the data sheets and the other to take photos (see the photo identification guidelines) One person on each boat is responsible for monitoring cetacean behaviour. This is carried out by filling in the Cetacean Behaviour and Interactions Form. Part of this form are the snapshot boxes, in which drawings have to be made that give an overview of the situation at different times. The other part is a summary of all the relevent data. Before the interaction has started the top of the observation sheet should be filled in and photographed. The fields should be filled in like the shot below. As soon as you are close enough to the cetaceans, to be able to se what they are doing, record the start GPS coordinates and the time. Then start to fill in the snapshot boxes. Proper drawings should give a simple and instant overview of the situation of boats and cetaceans at a certain time. In each pack that you take out on the boats with you or attached to your clipboard there will be guidelines on how to fill out the sightings sheets. The box below is shown on this sheet and is a reminder on how to fill in the snapshot boxes correctly. A completed snapshot box contains three basic elements (see diagram). 1. In the middle of each snapshot box a simple boat has been drawn, which is the starting point of every drawing. The boat in the middle represents the boat the observation is done from. Boat shapes represent other boats as well, with the nose pointing into the appropriate direction. On every boat drawn on the snapshot, including the boat you are on, the boat code and speed should be written on. These can be obtained from the table on the bottom of the data sheet guidelines. 2. Lines (I) are used to represent the cetaceans. One line represents one cetacean. They should be enclosed in circles, if there is more than one species present. This makes it obvious to the viewer where the different species were and if they were interacting with each other or not. The lines should be drawn where the individuals are in relation to the boat at the start of the snapshot. If the age class of the cetacean can be determined this should be written on next to the line, using the abbreviations as shown on the guidelines sheet. It is especially important to mark on where mother and calves are in the pod if they are present.
3. The line to the right hand side of the box represents the coast line and should always be drawn on. The boat shapes and the circles/ovals should both contain a code of two elements. - What boat / species it is. The abbreviations should be used and they consist of two letters. If you use an abbreviation that is not on the guideline sheet, write in the notes section what the abbreviation stands for. - What it is doing. For the cetaceans this will be a single letter abbreviation of the typxe of behaviour being observed i.e. logging / travelling etc and for a boat it will be the speed it is travelling at which is a single number between 0 and 4.
General Activities
Logging: Animals Floating, Stationary At the Water`s Surface Travelling: Animals Travelling Through Water In Same Direction often at speed Milling: Animals Moving Slowly In Various Directions Surfing: Animals Gliding / Swimming in Wave or Swell
Group Formation
Tight: One group of animals tightly grouped Loose: One group of animals loosely grouped Groups Tight: Two or more groups of animals in the same area, each group tight Groups Loose: Two or more groups of animals in the same area, each group loose
Age Classes
A - Adult: 3-4m for bottlenose dolphins, 5-7m for pilot whales. Adult males are large often with Muscle Hump ahead of Very Curved Dorsal Fin J - Juvenile: an individual that is about half the size of an adult C - Calf: only individuals swimming within 1m of a female and around 1/4 to 1/3 the size of an adult can be recognised as a calf
Photo Identity
Photo identification used to identify different individuals by their dorsal fins
This is important to us, because it is the only way we are able to identify these creatures. It allows us to create associations between individuals and us to see which individuals belong to each pod. It also allows us to see the unique behaviour of each individual. It is also useful for us to provide whale watching vessels that are not only educational to the tourists but so that the boat owners can see we are serious and want to make their boats active research vessels. Identification of the cetaceans is worth while and shows the boats that us being on their boats is a benefit to them. Dorsal fins are used for identification because each fin is unique, like the fingerprint of a human. The dorsal fin shape can also be used to determine the sex of the whales, because its shape shows sexual dimorphism. The males have a broad-based, thick, falcate, dorsal fin and the females having distinctly narrower dorsal fins at the base and a sharper tip. Photos are taken on the whale watching boats from 3 different ports on the west coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. While one person takes the photos, the other one writes information down about the sighting, like the species, number of cetaceans, GPS coordinates and so on. Every day digital cameras are taken on the whale watching boats that we use for research and these images are processed every evening when the volunteers return from the boats. They are then identified by the volunteers and a coordinator checks their identifications. Once checked the coordinator will upload the data to the main database and also update the filed sightings sheet.
Lighting is also important when trying to take a good fin shot. As with most photos the sun should be behind you, which is sometimes difficult especially on the whale watching boats where you have no control of where the boat is going. But taking shots in to the sun can cause over exposure or a black silhouette of a fin with no notches visible. The shutter release button has two different positions. Pressing it halfway down will turn on the auto-focus system and exposure meter. When the lens has focused on the object it will make some sort of noise to indicate that it has focused or there will be a light that comes up in the LCD of the lens to let you know that it is ready to take the shot. Pushing the shutter release button all the way in, will actually take the photo. You should get used to this before using the camera on the boats. Any queries should be referred to the coordinators who should have a pretty good idea how to work the cameras and if not can find out the manuals for them. A good tip is to follow te individuals with the camera, on autofocus, then the second they surface press the button the whole way down. A shot of the top of the observation sheet should be taken at the start of every new trip. In between interactions a control shot should be taken. This can be a photo of anything, the crew, your feet, tourists or if you are very organised another shot of your observation sheet. This will make it easier for you to see which shots belong to each interaction and make it much quicker for you to sort your photos out. Once the photos have been filed away into the correct files on the computer, one of the volunteers will go through the images and see if they can be identified. If they can not, the problem with identification is written in the file name. Those that can be identified are, and the individuals number and name is saved as the file name. A coordinator will then check this. Once they have done so they will put their initials at the end of the file name, so it is obvious which files have been checked. The individuals that have been identified will then be linked to the interaction data in the main databases and entered by a coordinator. They will also ensure that the individuals that have been identified are attached to the sightings sheet. If you are unsure if you have taken good fin shots, ask a coordinator for help, or just put them onto the system. Please dont just delete them.
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Its horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment - Ansel Adams
Data Processing
Data Sheet after the boat
The data should be entered into either, the bottlenose dolphin, pilot whale or migrating species data entry sheets. Migrating specie is anything that is not a pilot whale or a bottlenose dolphin! To access this, you need to open the database file from the desktop, select the relevant folder i.e. pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins or migrating species, and then select the spreadsheet that has volunteer in the title. This is the sheet where you should enter the data off the sheets. The first two columns are for you to enter your name and the date you are entering the data on. Further explanation on entering the data is pinned up next to the computers in the resource room, but it is pretty self explanatory. When entering data it is important that you save you work at regular intervals or you will lose it! Once the data has been entered you must sign or initial the top of the sheet and put the date on it. Then put it into the relevant tray ready for filing. Sheets should NOT be left floating around the resource room or left in packs. Mixed species interaction sheets should be given to a coordinator once the data has been entered.
Threats
AWF
What is Pollution?
The act of making dirty, contaminating, corrupting. The introduction by man into the environment of substances or energy liable to cause hazard to human health, harm to living resources and ecological systems, damage to the structure or amenity or, interference with the legitimate use of the environment.
Source of Input
Shipping Ships carry toxic substances, oil, natural gas, pesticides etc. Shipwrecks and other accidents! Offshore All materials dumped at dumping grounds, litter, dredging spoil, sewage sludge etc. Atmospheric Discharges from the sea, returned to the sea, via rain or particulate fall out.
In 1972 the estimated annual incidental kill of dolphins in fishery tuna exceeded 400,000
Either exhausted and stressed from the high speed chase or paralysed with fear can become entangled and drown. Those caught alive are dragged through the boats power block and crushed. Even if released are shocked and injured being easy prey for sharks. Explosive devices are used to disorientate the dolphins to herd them into the nets, but they aim and kill.
Cetaceans at Risk
Long-Finned Pilot Whales in the north Atlantic are currently vulnerable to prey depletion due to over-fishing of squid. Irrawaddy Dolphins are threatened by a reduction of fish in Indonesian rivers.
Habitat Degradation
Natural habitat of marine life, including cetaceans is being affected by the combination of pollution, ozone depletion and climate change. Global warming will alter the current pattern of cetacean prey species and hence cetacean distribution and abundance. Climate change will rob these species of their vital habitat.
A wild female Orca can live up to 80 yrsand a male up to 50yrs. In captivity the average life span of an Orca is 5.2 yrs.
Cetaceans are highly sociable animals, they live in very close family groups and it is unnatural for them to be split from their families. Whales in captivity die form capture shock, pneumonia, intestinal disease, ulcers, chlorine poising and other stress related illnesses. Whales and dolphins are forced to breed with cetaceans that they would not normally breed with, cetaceans from other pods or other parts of the world. A wild Orca can travel up to 100 miles a day not even the largest tank can allow for this type of activity. Aggression has never been witnessed within or between wild Orca families, several such acts have been witnessed in captivity. Currently there are 48 killer whales in captivity, hundreds of bottlenose dolphins, pacific white-sided dolphins, beluga whales, common dolphins and even a grey whale. Whales and dolphins of marine parks entertain millions of visitors every year. Sea World has 10 million visitors every year generating an income of $400-500 million. 173 Orcas have been taken into captivity or born in captivity since 1961. 125 of these are now dead. 31% of all captive-born Orcas have died within 42 days of birth70% of which is generated by the 19 Orcas they have captive.
Human exploitation of whales dates back over 6000 yrs in Alaska and 4000yrs in Norway, Whales are an extremely valuable source of meat, skin, bone and oil. Although subsistence whaling would have had an effect on whale populations, it was not until the 1850s when commercial whaling began that a significant impact was felt. More whales were killed in four decades than in the previous four centuries. The great whales soon became over exploited, beginning with the easiest to catch and the most profitable.
Since this ban on whaling over 22,000 of great whales alone have been killed.
The Northern Right Whale was the first to suffer, being a slow swimmer containing a vast amount of oil and floating when dead. It is now the rarest in the world, with only 300 individuals left today. Named the right whale, as it was the right one to catch! In part of Japan fishermen surround and trap pods of dolphins driving them inshore until they beach, once stranded they are massacred and sold on the black market. Japan kills more than 500 minke whales each year for scientific whaling, more than 400 of these are taken from the Southern Ocean Sanctuary which was declared free from whaling in 1994.
Photo Identity
The shutter release button has two different positions. Pressing it halfway down will turn on the autofocus system and exposure meter. When the lens has focused on the object it will make some sort of noise to indicate that it has focused or there will be a light that comes up in the LCD of the lens to let you know that it is ready to take the shot. Pushing the shutter release button all the way in, will actually take the photo. You should get used to this before using the camera on the boats. Any queries should be referred to the coordinators who should have a pretty good idea how to work the cameras and if not can find out the manuals for them. A good tip is to follow te individuals with the camera, on autofocus, then the second they surface press the button the whole way down. A shot of the top of the observation sheet should be taken at the start of every new trip. In between interactions a control shot should be taken. This can be a photo of anything, the crew, your feet, tourists or if you are very organised another shot of your observation sheet. This will make it easier for you to see which shots belong to each interaction and make it much quicker for you to sort your photos out. Once the photos have been filed away into the correct files on the computer, one of the volunteers will go through the images and see if they can be identified. If they can not, the problem with identification is written in the file name. Those that can be identified are, and the individuals number and name is saved as the file name. A coordinator will then check this. Once they have done so they will put their initials at the end of the file name, so it is obvious which files have been checked. The individuals that have been identified will then be linked to the interaction data in the main databases and entered by a coordinator. They will also ensure that the individuals that have been identified are attached to the sightings sheet. If you are unsure if you have taken good fin shots, ask a coordinator for help, or just put them onto the system. Please dont just delete them.
General Information
AWF
Washing ones hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the power ful not to be neutral - Paulo Freire
Classifications
The order CETACEA is divided into three subgroups: ODONTOCETI or toothed whales - All of these species have teeth, feeding largely or fish and squid - They have an external blowhole - Their throat pleats are absent MYSTICETI or moutached whales - A series of plates grow down from the roof of the whales mouth made of baleen (keratin),the outer edge is smooth, the inner edge is bristly in structure allowing the whales to act as giant filter feeders. - They feed on small krill, copepods & small schooling fish. - They have two external blow holes - Throat pleats are often present to allow expansion when feeding ARCHAEOCETI or ancient whales Now Extinct!
Cetaceans share the majority of mammalian features with their terrestrial counterparts:
- They give birth to live young and produce milk from mammary glands - Theyre warm blooded, maintaining a core temperature of 36 - 37oC - Breathe air with the aid of lungs
Adaptations
- Torpedo shaped, streamlined for ease of movement and to reduce drag lateral expansion of the integument of the tail to form a pair of flukes, these caudal fins serve as the main propulsive surface.
- Neck vertebratae are fused into a single mass giving the neck region an ill-defined external appearance.
- External hinds limbs absent, forelimbs modified to form flippers (pectoral fins), with fingers enclosed within a common integument.
- The back bears an extension of the integument forming a triangular or sickle - shaped dorsal fin.
- Ear pinnae are absent, the external ear is a small hole which reduces friction.
- In toothed cetaceans the upper lip is hypertrophied to form a large bulbous mass of fat, the melon. Hair has been virtually lost and to help maintain a stable body temperature have an insulating layer of subcutaneous blubber.
- The nostrils blowhole are situated on the top of the head allowing a quick breath at the surface. For diving the blowhole is closed by a special ring of muscle to prevent water flooding the nasal passage.
- The eyes of cetaceans are protected from the salt water by a greasy secretion from the tear ducts, and the curvature of the lens can be changed to allow focusing in and out of water.
- Cetaceans are able to attain large size, as water supports their body weight. The skeleton is formed of relatively light spongy bone, which would be inadequate to support the equivalent weight on land.
- Phytoplankton are the bottom of the marine food chain and responsible for 90% of the primary productivity of the oceans. - Phytoplankton include diatoms, dinoflagellates, protozoans - all capable of photosynthesis - the primary producers. - Primary producers provide the food for primary consumers, the zooplankton which are larval forms of marine animals. - These provide food for the nekton - free swimming animals. Energy is transferred through the marine food chain.
Plankton
- The distribution of different species of Cetaceans is determined by the productivity of the oceans, which is determined by the plankton.
- Concentrations of plankton usually occur in areas where nutrients are plentiful and surface waters provide light and warmth for photosynthesis. - These concentrations are referred to as plankton fronts, and may be induced by tides, the meeting of currents of different temperatures, changes in the topography of the continental shelves etc. - Concentrations of plankton form focal points for fish predators & seabird & cetaceans feeding
directly on the plankton or the associated fish. - This explains why cetaceans are not distributed randomly throughout the worlds oceans.
Feeding
The ways different Cetaceans obtain their food depends on the type of food they prey upon and its own behaviour The Mysticeti (baleen) whales feed singularly or in twos - their food intake is such that plankton concentrations may rarely be sufficient to support larger numbers of animals. The Odontoceti (toothed) cetaceans feed upon prey that is distributed in a clumped manner locating the schools of prey is a collective group experience. This assumes the animals will communicate with each other & co-operate. Echolocation play a major role here to provide an acoustic picture of the surroundings by their reflection off solid surfaces.
Humpback whales use bubble netting. This is when a group of humpbacks swim in a shrinking circle blowing bubbles.
Humpbacks also flick-feed using its tail. used when feeding on the surface. Humpback use a flick of a tail and a bubble cloud to corral fish.
Blue whales engulf large quantities of krill which distend their throat pleats. In order to sieve the krill from the water, the tongue forces water through 270 - 400 tightly spaced 1metre long baleen plates that hang from the lower jaw. Blue whales need 1.5 million calories per day but only feed for half the year (the other half is spent in warmer waters where they breed).
Female
- The vagina appears as a smooth slit in the ventral surface, but internally takes the form of a series of folds leading to the uterus. - The cervix is thick walled and has a narrow entrance which may help to keep seawater out the main body of the uterus. growth of the offsprings by transferring large amounts of fat.
- Migratory whales will travel to warm, shallow waters with an abundant food supply to give birth.
- The calf is born tail first and blowhole last to minimise the risk of drowning known as caudal presentation.
- The umbilical cord is thick and the intertwined blood vessels make it tough and rigid this prevents it from getting crushed during the birthing process.
- When the calf emerges, the umbilical cord is put under strain and snaps.The placenta, foetal membrane and the remaining portion of the umbilical cord are produced after a considerable time 8 or 9 hours after the actual birth.
- The mother urges the newborn calf to the surface in a matter of seconds after birth.
Marine Life
AWF
Earth provides enough to satisfy every mans need but not every mans greed - Ghandi
Turtles
Marine turtles are reptiles that are adapted to the marine environment. Most of their life is spent offshore although they must come onshore to lay their eggs. As turtles have lungs rather than gills they must surface to breathe. They feed mainly on small fish, molluscs, jellyfish and zooplankton. Instead of having teeth turtles have a powerful beak made of horn. Turtle make long migrating journeys related to their reproductive cycle. To lay eggs the females must come on shore and lays their eggs in deep nests on the beach. The young hatch after 60 days. The turtles found in the waters off the Canary Islands are generally migrating and so it is rare to come across a large group. Live specimens are rarely seen in the canary islands although dead leatherbacks occasionally wash up on the shore or found drifting in nets. A well as being the only species with a soft hell, the leatherhead is also the largest marine turtle reaching 2m in length and weighing over 100kg. Rarely reported in the Canary Islands, this species makes only very small migrations in the mating season and is commonly considered to be a sedentary species, as it can be found along all the coral reefs in the world.
The smallest of the marine turtles not exceeding 75cm in length this turtle follows the gulf stream occasionally reaching the coasts of the Canary Islands.
Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Common in the waters of the Canary Islands the green turtle can grow to over 1m and weigh up to 200kg. The green turtle additionally feeds on small algae.
The most frequent turtle in the Canary Islands can occasionally be seen in small groups. It can grow up to 1.5m and weigh up to 100kg.
Rays
Represented globally by nearly 500 species, rays account for over half of all elasmobranch fish; they are sedentary fish commonly living on rocky or sandy seabeds.
Round stingray, live mainly on muddy and sandy bottoms near the shore to a depth of 90cm, but in summer can be found basking in shallow inlets. They feed during the day using a combination of sight, smell and vibrations. Often found in small groups of 10.
Manta ray, unlike most ray species these fish prefers open water. Often spotted in the summer months in groups of several dozen. They can grow to have a wingspan of over 4m.
Other rays that can also be spotted: marbled electric, butterfly ray, common stingray, Black and white, eagle and bishop rays.
Giant Squid
Giant squid are the largest invertebrates on earth, reaching lengths of 20 m. The average size of the giant squid is 6 to 13 meters. The mantle alone would be about 1 to 2.5 meters. The average weight is estimated to be 50 to 300 kg. Even at half-size, giant squid will have outgrown all potential predators except sperm whales These mysterious creatures are rarely seen alive and live at depths above 400 metres. Giant squid can be found in the deep waters between Tenerife and La Gomera. Squid can release ink when they are threatened which clouds the surrounding water, hiding them from predators. These huge beasts have been described in European legends about sea monsters for centuries, even today we cannot fail to be impressed by their size.
Sharks
Sharks are cartilaginous fish, making up around 1% of all living fish. In the waters around Tenerife and the Canary Islands 7 species can be found Basking shark - this is a massive shark up to 9m which swims slowly with its mouth open collecting plankton. It is occasionally seen around the canaries Smooth hammerhead - this is the one most likely to be seen from a boat. Can grow 2-3 m. easily recognised by its hammer shaped head and its olive to grey colouring. They migrate in a clockwise pattern around the N. atlantic following the currents. Mako shark - can grow upto 4 m and is potentially dangerous. Can reach speeds of 70km per hour. It has crescent shaped tail fin and an indigo blue back. Angel sharks, Blue shark, Whale shark and smooth hound sharks are also found in the canaries.
Sea Birds Common birds seen on Tenerife whale-watching boats: Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) Osprey sea eagle (Pandion haliaetus Aguila Pescadora) Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Little Shearwater (Puffinus assimilis) Corys Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) Snowy/Little Egret (Egretta Garzetta Garceta Comun)
Little Egrets are often seen flying together in the afternoon, where they will find a spot to roost together for the night. Herring Gulls are opportunistic feeders, and will eat anything, including the eggs of other sea birds Ospreys live in the cliffs of Los Gigantes, and are one of the only raptors that primarily eats fish
Contacts 1
Atlantic Whale Foundation London
St Martins House 59 St Martins Lane Covent garden London WC2H 4JN Tel: 00 44 7847324440 edb@whalenation.org
Mobile Numbers
- 639976045 - 686165319 - 606220255
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creative
With thanks to Laura Bevan & James Charman for providing single images for this induction pack.