More than 70 years after American forces sank it, the legendary Japanese battleship Musashi has been discovered resting on the seafloor at a depth of 3,280 feet (1KM) below the water’s surface.
The expedition, headed up by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, discovered the wreck of the Musashi off the coast of The Philippines.
Allen’s private yacht, the 414-foot-long (125 meters) M/Y Octopus located the wreck in the Sibuyan Sea earlier this month, but the team has declined to offer details regarding the ship’s exact location.
Mr. Allen is known to have been fascinated by the riddle of the lost battleship and has been searching for its final resting place for 8 years.
The Mushashi met its end during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944, and it is thought that over a thousand men, almost half of the ships 2,399-strong crew compliment was killed during the sinking.
The Musashi is a well-known battleship of the era because it was considered to be one of the largest â€"and most technologically advanced- warships ever built at the time. The Musashi was 862 feet long and weighed in the region of 66,225 metric tonnes. However, despite her immense size and reliable eyewitness accounts of her sinking, the precise location of the wreck remained unknown for over 7 decades.
The Musashi’s sister ship, The Yamato, met its end in 1945. The wreck was lost until the 1980’s, when shipwreck hunters discovered her remains 180 miles southwest of Kyushu. The ship was split in two and was found at a depth of 1,120 feet (340 m).
Some underwater footage of the Musashi has been released to the public already. The footage reveals the catapult system once used to launch planes, a 15-ton anchor and the turret from a naval gun.
The ship took her name from the famous Japanese samurai, philosopher and artist Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi was known for his psychological approach to duelling, as well as his unorthodox fighting style. His ‘Book of Five Rings’ (Go Rin No Sho) is considered a classic text on the subject of conflicts and personal discipline.
Musashi made his first kill at just 13 and won his most famous bout by killing the renowned samurai Sasaki Kojiro on the island of Funajima (using a modified oar that he had taken from the boat that carried him to the island). He is the founder of the Niten Ichi-ryu (‘the school of the strategy of two heavens as one’ â€" loose translation) School of swordsmanship. Musashi partook in around sixty duels, many of then to the death. He retired undefeated and died in 1645, probably from cancer.
Returning to the present, a statement on Paul Allen’s website says that, by discovering the legendary battleship, his team hopes to “bring closure to the families of those lostâ€.
Mr. Allen has further pledged that he and his team plan to work closely with the Japanese government in order to ensure that the wreck of The Musashi is treated "respectfully and in accordance with Japanese traditions."
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
The Barcelona connection
Luis Enrique arrived at the Camp Nou famous for being a man that likes to take care of every tiny detail. One of the most striking techniques that the manager uses is the use of advanced technology during the game to improvise and adopt new tactics on the fly.
It is common to see Juan Carlos Unzue, his assistant manager, wearing an earpiece with which he receives vital information. But who is at the other end of this technology and what is being said?
Two people from Luis Enrique's team position themselves higher up in the stadium. From their elevated position, Robert Moreno and Joan Barbara can see how everyone is moving around on the pitch, the spaces that are being made, the chances that might be had. With this privileged information, they speak directly to Unzue down in the dugout, who in turn talks to the Barca manager.
Barbara has known Luis Enrique since the Asturian coached Barcelona's B team. The man's keen eye and experience in evaluating the other team's strengths and weaknesses are invaluable. What he thinks is relevant he tells Moreno, who passes it on directly to Unzue wearing the earpiece.
This way of working is nothing new. Guardiola used the mobile in his time at Barcelona. One of his assistants used to talk to him on the phone from high up, giving his perspective of the game. The man doing the calling was Carlos Naval. Today, Luis Enrique has now perfected the technique that he adopted when training Barca B in the 2010-11 season.
It is common to see Juan Carlos Unzue, his assistant manager, wearing an earpiece with which he receives vital information. But who is at the other end of this technology and what is being said?
Two people from Luis Enrique's team position themselves higher up in the stadium. From their elevated position, Robert Moreno and Joan Barbara can see how everyone is moving around on the pitch, the spaces that are being made, the chances that might be had. With this privileged information, they speak directly to Unzue down in the dugout, who in turn talks to the Barca manager.
Barbara has known Luis Enrique since the Asturian coached Barcelona's B team. The man's keen eye and experience in evaluating the other team's strengths and weaknesses are invaluable. What he thinks is relevant he tells Moreno, who passes it on directly to Unzue wearing the earpiece.
This way of working is nothing new. Guardiola used the mobile in his time at Barcelona. One of his assistants used to talk to him on the phone from high up, giving his perspective of the game. The man doing the calling was Carlos Naval. Today, Luis Enrique has now perfected the technique that he adopted when training Barca B in the 2010-11 season.
Friday, 24 April 2015
How To Wear A Police Radio Earpiece?
meant especially for the people in uniform, Through this they communicate with one another. A message which is passed on by one police officer to another can be heard by the use of this earpiece. This is really very beneficial for the policemen. You will even find it worn by reporters or commentators during matches and reports. This helps one to hear communications while communicating.
Why To Wear These Earpieces?
The police radio earpiece comes in different forms it can be a loop or also a simple earbud like an earphone which you can fit into the ears. But often earbuds can come out while running or moving. Loops are said to be more comfortable and can easily fit into the ears. You can wear this easily in the ears. The police men wear these earpieces because â€"
These earpieces are designed for professional purposes. Mainly security personnel, police officers, detectives, militaries and armies use these kinds of earpieces while they are at work or on duty. Often they feel a need to convey some message to other officers on duty. Then with the help of walkie-talkie or a radio they transmit the message to others. This is indeed a very useful device for professional people.
How To Wear?
The police radio earpiece is available in 3 different sizes â€" small size, medium size and large size. You have to buy the one according to the shape and size of your ear. Otherwise you may face some problems and the earpiece will either come out because it is loose or it will not fit for being smaller than your ears. So, choosing the right size is very much important. Second thing is that it comes in a pair for both right ear and left ear. But mainly policemen wear it in one ear so that they can focus on the other sounds and noises too.
You have to find out in which ear you are comfortable. Mainly people who are right handed are more comfortable in right ears and just the opposite for the left handed people. Then you have to take the earbud of the earpiece and push it properly into your ear. Make sure that it has fitted properly into your ears and will not come out. If it is loose then adjusting it in right away is necessary. Now when you are done with the earbud take the loop over your ears and push it to adjust. Use your finger to push it back to ears and make it comfortable.
Now it is the testing time. If you are comfortable with the earpiece check the sounds and noises. Is everything working properly and whether or not you can hear clearly? Once all are okay and done properly, the job is complete. Now you can tuck it inside your shirt or jacket whatever you feel more comfortable. Customized earpieces are also available which are made exactly according to the size of your ears. This will, undoubtedly, fit best in your ears. You will not even feel uneasy or uncomfortable wearing it, like most of the other earpieces.
Some Important Tips
Since the police radio earpieces are worn often and regularly, keeping it clean is very important. When you are done with it, open it and put it inside the box carefully. The wires are delicate and if you do not take proper care, it will become broken and will not work properly. Mainly these earpieces are made up of plastic and are coated with silicone adhesive. This silicon ensures a better durability of this product. Buying the right piece for your ears is essential. So, buy from a reliable store that sells excellent products. It can be an online or offline store but make sure it is reliable by checking the reviews and feedbacks of previous customers.
Why To Wear These Earpieces?
The police radio earpiece comes in different forms it can be a loop or also a simple earbud like an earphone which you can fit into the ears. But often earbuds can come out while running or moving. Loops are said to be more comfortable and can easily fit into the ears. You can wear this easily in the ears. The police men wear these earpieces because â€"
- To communicate with one another easily whenever they need
- These earpieces offer better audio so that one can clearly hear the messages passed on to them
- It is small and comfortably fits into the ears and hardly anyone around you can hear it
These earpieces are designed for professional purposes. Mainly security personnel, police officers, detectives, militaries and armies use these kinds of earpieces while they are at work or on duty. Often they feel a need to convey some message to other officers on duty. Then with the help of walkie-talkie or a radio they transmit the message to others. This is indeed a very useful device for professional people.
How To Wear?
The police radio earpiece is available in 3 different sizes â€" small size, medium size and large size. You have to buy the one according to the shape and size of your ear. Otherwise you may face some problems and the earpiece will either come out because it is loose or it will not fit for being smaller than your ears. So, choosing the right size is very much important. Second thing is that it comes in a pair for both right ear and left ear. But mainly policemen wear it in one ear so that they can focus on the other sounds and noises too.
You have to find out in which ear you are comfortable. Mainly people who are right handed are more comfortable in right ears and just the opposite for the left handed people. Then you have to take the earbud of the earpiece and push it properly into your ear. Make sure that it has fitted properly into your ears and will not come out. If it is loose then adjusting it in right away is necessary. Now when you are done with the earbud take the loop over your ears and push it to adjust. Use your finger to push it back to ears and make it comfortable.
Now it is the testing time. If you are comfortable with the earpiece check the sounds and noises. Is everything working properly and whether or not you can hear clearly? Once all are okay and done properly, the job is complete. Now you can tuck it inside your shirt or jacket whatever you feel more comfortable. Customized earpieces are also available which are made exactly according to the size of your ears. This will, undoubtedly, fit best in your ears. You will not even feel uneasy or uncomfortable wearing it, like most of the other earpieces.
Some Important Tips
Since the police radio earpieces are worn often and regularly, keeping it clean is very important. When you are done with it, open it and put it inside the box carefully. The wires are delicate and if you do not take proper care, it will become broken and will not work properly. Mainly these earpieces are made up of plastic and are coated with silicone adhesive. This silicon ensures a better durability of this product. Buying the right piece for your ears is essential. So, buy from a reliable store that sells excellent products. It can be an online or offline store but make sure it is reliable by checking the reviews and feedbacks of previous customers.
Friday, 17 April 2015
Lost Copy Of Shakespeare's First Folio Discovered
A lost copy of Shakespeare's First Folio has been discovered in Northern France.
The First Folio is the name commonly given to the 1623 collection entitled Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories Tragedies. The book contains 36 plays, a great many of which had never been published prior to 1623, which makes The First Folio an extremely important document, as it represents the only original source for all subsequent printings/performances of many of Shakespeare's works, such as The Tempest, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of The Shrew, Twelfth Night and Julius Caesar.
Counting this new addition, there are only 233 first edition copies of this book left in the world, and each have small textual variations that shed new light on Shakespeare's writing style, creative process and (possibly) his personal life.
The book was discovered in the public library of Saint-Omer, a small town near Calais. Prior to this, it had been held in a Jesuit college in the town. It was moved to the library following The French Revolution, which ended in 1799.
In addition to being a major literary event in its own right, the discovery of the book has sparked new debates as to The Bard's religious affiliation.
For over 150 years, some scholars have suggested that Shakespeare had links to secret Catholic sects that were outlawed (and severely punished) in the 16th and early 17th centuries.
Elizabethan England was officially a Protestant country and Catholics were brutally suppressed under this regime. Proponents of this theory cite examples in Shakespeare's writing (in particular King Richard The Second) and the presence of the mysterious William Shakeshafte at the home (and later in the last will and testament) of Alexander Hoghton, a known underground Catholic.
This previously unknown First Folio is thought to have made its way to France in the possession of Edward Scarisbrick, a well-known English Catholic who is believed to have studied at Saint-Omer in the 1630's. Scarisbrick was known to go by the name Nevill â€" and this book is inscribed with the same name.
The Jesuit College that originally owned the book sheltered Catholic exiles and also trained Englishmen who wished to become priests. Today, the institution still exists, although it has been relocated to Lancashire.
Other works of Shakespeare have also been discovered in the Jesuit College at Douai, Northern France.
Of course, this evidence alone merely proves that English exiles enjoyed reading Shakespeare. As Dr. Martin Wiggins, a senior fellow at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-Upon-Avon told The Independent, “He was admired and studied by English Catholics. We already knew that. Now we have more evidence. That doesn't mean that Shakespeare was himself a Catholic sympathiser,â€
The book will be put on display in Saint-Omer as part of an exhibition of old English texts, something that is expected to draw tourism from interested parties.
Dr. Wiggins has also suggested that the copy, which has been annotated with stage directions by an unknown party, probably represents the earliest known school production of Shakespeare.
The First Folio is the name commonly given to the 1623 collection entitled Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories Tragedies. The book contains 36 plays, a great many of which had never been published prior to 1623, which makes The First Folio an extremely important document, as it represents the only original source for all subsequent printings/performances of many of Shakespeare's works, such as The Tempest, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of The Shrew, Twelfth Night and Julius Caesar.
Counting this new addition, there are only 233 first edition copies of this book left in the world, and each have small textual variations that shed new light on Shakespeare's writing style, creative process and (possibly) his personal life.
The book was discovered in the public library of Saint-Omer, a small town near Calais. Prior to this, it had been held in a Jesuit college in the town. It was moved to the library following The French Revolution, which ended in 1799.
In addition to being a major literary event in its own right, the discovery of the book has sparked new debates as to The Bard's religious affiliation.
For over 150 years, some scholars have suggested that Shakespeare had links to secret Catholic sects that were outlawed (and severely punished) in the 16th and early 17th centuries.
Elizabethan England was officially a Protestant country and Catholics were brutally suppressed under this regime. Proponents of this theory cite examples in Shakespeare's writing (in particular King Richard The Second) and the presence of the mysterious William Shakeshafte at the home (and later in the last will and testament) of Alexander Hoghton, a known underground Catholic.
This previously unknown First Folio is thought to have made its way to France in the possession of Edward Scarisbrick, a well-known English Catholic who is believed to have studied at Saint-Omer in the 1630's. Scarisbrick was known to go by the name Nevill â€" and this book is inscribed with the same name.
The Jesuit College that originally owned the book sheltered Catholic exiles and also trained Englishmen who wished to become priests. Today, the institution still exists, although it has been relocated to Lancashire.
Other works of Shakespeare have also been discovered in the Jesuit College at Douai, Northern France.
Of course, this evidence alone merely proves that English exiles enjoyed reading Shakespeare. As Dr. Martin Wiggins, a senior fellow at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-Upon-Avon told The Independent, “He was admired and studied by English Catholics. We already knew that. Now we have more evidence. That doesn't mean that Shakespeare was himself a Catholic sympathiser,â€
The book will be put on display in Saint-Omer as part of an exhibition of old English texts, something that is expected to draw tourism from interested parties.
Dr. Wiggins has also suggested that the copy, which has been annotated with stage directions by an unknown party, probably represents the earliest known school production of Shakespeare.
Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Former NASA Employee Claims Astronauts Visited Mars in 1979
A mysterious former NASA employee, using the pseudonym Jackie (presumably for protection from the fibre optic aliens that live in the follicles of her hair) has claimed that she witnessed two astronauts walking on the surface of Mars in 1979.
According to Jackie, she was part of a downstairs team working on downlink telemetry, as it arrived from the Viking Lander. As space-enthusiasts will know, the Viking mission was totally unmanned, but it was the first vehicle to send back images from the surface of Mars.
Apparently fearing neither ridicule nor assassination by the government whose secrets she was wantonly exposing, Jackie broke her nearly 30-year silence and phoned American radio station Coast To Coast FM with her story.
“I wonder if you can solve a 27-year-old mystery for me†she said, “That old Viking rover was running around. Then I saw two men in space suits â€" not the bulky suits we normally used, but they looked protective. They came over the horizon walking to the Viking Explorer.â€
Apparently, Jackie and her colleagues subsequently ran upstairs to see more, but the NASA higher-ups slammed the door in their faces and employed their special training to make sure that national security was not breached any further (e.g. they covered the window with paper so no one could see inside).
Quite how a radio DJ was supposed to clear up this mystery for her remains unclear (perhaps Jesus told her to make the call?), but, in any instance, here I am writing about this nonsense and here you are reading it, so its safe to say that Jackie got what she wanted.
Of course, conspiracy theorists, who never require even a shred of hard evidence to back up their ridiculous claims (and for whom the term Occam’s Razor apparently denotes some sort of shaving utensil) have latched on to the idea (I was going use the phrase gone nuts over it, but when you genuinely believe that the US President is an alien reptile, that becomes far too much of an understatement).
In fact, some nutters are already linking it to the notion that alien life forms were retrieved from a crash site in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947.
Conspiracy theories also abound that Human beings are already living on Mars, despite the fact that anyone who knows anything about space exploration will confidently tell you that this would be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to accomplish now, much less in the late 1970’s.
The greatest geniuses at NASA are working on it as I write these words, so they’ll probably be really p*ssed if it took their professional lifetimes to figure out something that had already been achieved some 30-odd years earlier...
Besides, the Viking Lander, despite being very sophisticated for its time, was still a relatively simple looking design. It seems wildly unlikely that NASA would develop futuristic super-spacesuits, but still employ bulky, moon mission looking tech for its Landers. Unless, of course, they wanted us to think that we were less advanced than we actually are...
Over the years, many supposed former NASA employees have turned up with information about the government’s secret deals with aliens and whatnot. In fact, if these sources are to be believed, pretty much everyone who works for NASA subsequently gains a secondary career as a whistleblower.
According to conspiracy theorists, the CIA will even go as far as to dispatch Men in Black to kill witnesses, or threaten them into silence. These M.I.B’s (uh, here come the M.I.Bs...), however, are apparently so ineffectual that they cannot convince any of these whistle-blowers to shut the heck up. Not even when said whistleblowers show up on The Discovery Channel, their faces blacked out by green and black lighting, talking about piloting flying saucers alongside our secret alien overseers.
As a final thought, if you really believe that NASA faked the moon landings in 1969, are you still willing to believe that a community of Human beings now live on Mars? Just asking.
According to Jackie, she was part of a downstairs team working on downlink telemetry, as it arrived from the Viking Lander. As space-enthusiasts will know, the Viking mission was totally unmanned, but it was the first vehicle to send back images from the surface of Mars.
Apparently fearing neither ridicule nor assassination by the government whose secrets she was wantonly exposing, Jackie broke her nearly 30-year silence and phoned American radio station Coast To Coast FM with her story.
“I wonder if you can solve a 27-year-old mystery for me†she said, “That old Viking rover was running around. Then I saw two men in space suits â€" not the bulky suits we normally used, but they looked protective. They came over the horizon walking to the Viking Explorer.â€
Apparently, Jackie and her colleagues subsequently ran upstairs to see more, but the NASA higher-ups slammed the door in their faces and employed their special training to make sure that national security was not breached any further (e.g. they covered the window with paper so no one could see inside).
Quite how a radio DJ was supposed to clear up this mystery for her remains unclear (perhaps Jesus told her to make the call?), but, in any instance, here I am writing about this nonsense and here you are reading it, so its safe to say that Jackie got what she wanted.
Of course, conspiracy theorists, who never require even a shred of hard evidence to back up their ridiculous claims (and for whom the term Occam’s Razor apparently denotes some sort of shaving utensil) have latched on to the idea (I was going use the phrase gone nuts over it, but when you genuinely believe that the US President is an alien reptile, that becomes far too much of an understatement).
In fact, some nutters are already linking it to the notion that alien life forms were retrieved from a crash site in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947.
Conspiracy theories also abound that Human beings are already living on Mars, despite the fact that anyone who knows anything about space exploration will confidently tell you that this would be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to accomplish now, much less in the late 1970’s.
The greatest geniuses at NASA are working on it as I write these words, so they’ll probably be really p*ssed if it took their professional lifetimes to figure out something that had already been achieved some 30-odd years earlier...
Besides, the Viking Lander, despite being very sophisticated for its time, was still a relatively simple looking design. It seems wildly unlikely that NASA would develop futuristic super-spacesuits, but still employ bulky, moon mission looking tech for its Landers. Unless, of course, they wanted us to think that we were less advanced than we actually are...
Over the years, many supposed former NASA employees have turned up with information about the government’s secret deals with aliens and whatnot. In fact, if these sources are to be believed, pretty much everyone who works for NASA subsequently gains a secondary career as a whistleblower.
According to conspiracy theorists, the CIA will even go as far as to dispatch Men in Black to kill witnesses, or threaten them into silence. These M.I.B’s (uh, here come the M.I.Bs...), however, are apparently so ineffectual that they cannot convince any of these whistle-blowers to shut the heck up. Not even when said whistleblowers show up on The Discovery Channel, their faces blacked out by green and black lighting, talking about piloting flying saucers alongside our secret alien overseers.
As a final thought, if you really believe that NASA faked the moon landings in 1969, are you still willing to believe that a community of Human beings now live on Mars? Just asking.
Monday, 13 April 2015
Blue Whales Make Startling Recovery
The California blue whale, the largest creature that has ever existed in the history of our planet, has finally recovered from centuries of whaling.
According to recent figures, the majestic creatures’ numbers are returning to historic levels, with an estimated 2,200 individuals currently living on the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean.
The figures, reported in the journal Marine Mammal Science, suggest that California blue whales are now at 97% of their original levels.
It is incredible that the species even survived in the area, considering that between 1905 and 1971, an estimated 3,400 whales were killed in the Pacific. Sadly, in Antarctica, where whaling was far more severe, blue whales only number at about 1% of their original population.
For thousands of years, whales of all kinds have been hunted and killed by Humans, usually for food. However, in the 17th century and into the 19th century, whale oil became a greatly valued commodity and let to an enormous amount of overhunting.
In the early part of the 20th century, whale harvesting emerged as a concept, which caused whale numbers around the world to plummet.
Despite bans on commercial whaling taking effect throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the countries of Japan, Norway and Iceland still slaughter 2000 whales a year between them. Since the first ban on commercial whaling was introduced in 1986, countries exploiting loopholes in the ban have killed over 30,000 whales. These include endangered species such as humpbacks and fin whales.
An adult blue whale can grow up to 33 metres in length and weigh up to 190 tonnes, but, despite their great size and strength, they are largely docile creatures that feed on plankton.
It is encouraging to know that whales, the majority of which are slow to mature and reproduce, can, if left alone, bounce back from Human predation. Clearly, it is not too late to save other whale species from extinction.
The news of the blue whale’s incredible resurgence comes in the same month as several countries agreed to ban the trade of certain shark and manta ray species that are threatened by overfishing.
Many of these species are used for traditional medicine or shark fin soup. Sharks, of course, pre-date dinosaurs and play such a large role in the ecosystems of our oceans that the natural world would be in a great deal of trouble without them.
The recent ban represents a landmark in shark protection, despite the shortsighted refusal of several nations (Canada, Greenland, Guyana, Japan and Iceland) to adhere to its rules. The new laws now protect five of the shark species that are most at risk from overfishing, along with manta rays. These laws will be supported across 180 countries, which is a monumental result.
As encouraging as these results are, it is still worth remembering that today there are only 3% of the whales that existed 200 years ago, when commercial whaling began in earnest.
To donate to the charity WDC (Whale Dolphin Conservation) go to this website
According to recent figures, the majestic creatures’ numbers are returning to historic levels, with an estimated 2,200 individuals currently living on the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean.
The figures, reported in the journal Marine Mammal Science, suggest that California blue whales are now at 97% of their original levels.
It is incredible that the species even survived in the area, considering that between 1905 and 1971, an estimated 3,400 whales were killed in the Pacific. Sadly, in Antarctica, where whaling was far more severe, blue whales only number at about 1% of their original population.
For thousands of years, whales of all kinds have been hunted and killed by Humans, usually for food. However, in the 17th century and into the 19th century, whale oil became a greatly valued commodity and let to an enormous amount of overhunting.
In the early part of the 20th century, whale harvesting emerged as a concept, which caused whale numbers around the world to plummet.
Despite bans on commercial whaling taking effect throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the countries of Japan, Norway and Iceland still slaughter 2000 whales a year between them. Since the first ban on commercial whaling was introduced in 1986, countries exploiting loopholes in the ban have killed over 30,000 whales. These include endangered species such as humpbacks and fin whales.
An adult blue whale can grow up to 33 metres in length and weigh up to 190 tonnes, but, despite their great size and strength, they are largely docile creatures that feed on plankton.
It is encouraging to know that whales, the majority of which are slow to mature and reproduce, can, if left alone, bounce back from Human predation. Clearly, it is not too late to save other whale species from extinction.
The news of the blue whale’s incredible resurgence comes in the same month as several countries agreed to ban the trade of certain shark and manta ray species that are threatened by overfishing.
Many of these species are used for traditional medicine or shark fin soup. Sharks, of course, pre-date dinosaurs and play such a large role in the ecosystems of our oceans that the natural world would be in a great deal of trouble without them.
The recent ban represents a landmark in shark protection, despite the shortsighted refusal of several nations (Canada, Greenland, Guyana, Japan and Iceland) to adhere to its rules. The new laws now protect five of the shark species that are most at risk from overfishing, along with manta rays. These laws will be supported across 180 countries, which is a monumental result.
As encouraging as these results are, it is still worth remembering that today there are only 3% of the whales that existed 200 years ago, when commercial whaling began in earnest.
To donate to the charity WDC (Whale Dolphin Conservation) go to this website
Monday, 6 April 2015
Blue Whales Make Startling Recovery
The California blue whale, the largest creature that has ever existed in the history of our planet, has finally recovered from centuries of whaling.
According to recent figures, the majestic creatures’ numbers are returning to historic levels, with an estimated 2,200 individuals currently living on the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean.
The figures, reported in the journal Marine Mammal Science, suggest that California blue whales are now at 97% of their original levels.
It is incredible that the species even survived in the area, considering that between 1905 and 1971, an estimated 3,400 whales were killed in the Pacific. Sadly, in Antarctica, where whaling was far more severe, blue whales only number at about 1% of their original population.
For thousands of years, whales of all kinds have been hunted and killed by Humans, usually for food. However, in the 17th century and into the 19th century, whale oil became a greatly valued commodity and let to an enormous amount of overhunting.
In the early part of the 20th century, whale harvesting emerged as a concept, which caused whale numbers around the world to plummet.
Despite bans on commercial whaling taking effect throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the countries of Japan, Norway and Iceland still slaughter 2000 whales a year between them. Since the first ban on commercial whaling was introduced in 1986, countries exploiting loopholes in the ban have killed over 30,000 whales. These include endangered species such as humpbacks and fin whales.
An adult blue whale can grow up to 33 metres in length and weigh up to 190 tonnes, but, despite their great size and strength, they are largely docile creatures that feed on plankton.
It is encouraging to know that whales, the majority of which are slow to mature and reproduce, can, if left alone, bounce back from Human predation. Clearly, it is not too late to save other whale species from extinction.
The news of the blue whale’s incredible resurgence comes in the same month as several countries agreed to ban the trade of certain shark and manta ray species that are threatened by overfishing.
Many of these species are used for traditional medicine or shark fin soup. Sharks, of course, pre-date dinosaurs and play such a large role in the ecosystems of our oceans that the natural world would be in a great deal of trouble without them.
The recent ban represents a landmark in shark protection, despite the shortsighted refusal of several nations (Canada, Greenland, Guyana, Japan and Iceland) to adhere to its rules. The new laws now protect five of the shark species that are most at risk from overfishing, along with manta rays. These laws will be supported across 180 countries, which is a monumental result.
As encouraging as these results are, it is still worth remembering that today there are only 3% of the whales that existed 200 years ago, when commercial whaling began in earnest.
To donate to the charity WDC (Whale Dolphin Conservation) go to this website
According to recent figures, the majestic creatures’ numbers are returning to historic levels, with an estimated 2,200 individuals currently living on the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean.
The figures, reported in the journal Marine Mammal Science, suggest that California blue whales are now at 97% of their original levels.
It is incredible that the species even survived in the area, considering that between 1905 and 1971, an estimated 3,400 whales were killed in the Pacific. Sadly, in Antarctica, where whaling was far more severe, blue whales only number at about 1% of their original population.
For thousands of years, whales of all kinds have been hunted and killed by Humans, usually for food. However, in the 17th century and into the 19th century, whale oil became a greatly valued commodity and let to an enormous amount of overhunting.
In the early part of the 20th century, whale harvesting emerged as a concept, which caused whale numbers around the world to plummet.
Despite bans on commercial whaling taking effect throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the countries of Japan, Norway and Iceland still slaughter 2000 whales a year between them. Since the first ban on commercial whaling was introduced in 1986, countries exploiting loopholes in the ban have killed over 30,000 whales. These include endangered species such as humpbacks and fin whales.
An adult blue whale can grow up to 33 metres in length and weigh up to 190 tonnes, but, despite their great size and strength, they are largely docile creatures that feed on plankton.
It is encouraging to know that whales, the majority of which are slow to mature and reproduce, can, if left alone, bounce back from Human predation. Clearly, it is not too late to save other whale species from extinction.
The news of the blue whale’s incredible resurgence comes in the same month as several countries agreed to ban the trade of certain shark and manta ray species that are threatened by overfishing.
Many of these species are used for traditional medicine or shark fin soup. Sharks, of course, pre-date dinosaurs and play such a large role in the ecosystems of our oceans that the natural world would be in a great deal of trouble without them.
The recent ban represents a landmark in shark protection, despite the shortsighted refusal of several nations (Canada, Greenland, Guyana, Japan and Iceland) to adhere to its rules. The new laws now protect five of the shark species that are most at risk from overfishing, along with manta rays. These laws will be supported across 180 countries, which is a monumental result.
As encouraging as these results are, it is still worth remembering that today there are only 3% of the whales that existed 200 years ago, when commercial whaling began in earnest.
To donate to the charity WDC (Whale Dolphin Conservation) go to this website
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