4 The Love Of Animals

AUGUST 7, 2013

August 6, 2013) – For the first time in SeaWorld’s history, a Cesarean section has been performed on a shark. A team of shark experts and veterinarians performed the groundbreaking procedure on a whitetip reef shark at Discovery Cove, SeaWorld’s sister park, in Orlando on July 18, 2013. Six months into the shark’s gestation, the park’s animal team noticed a complication with her pregnancy and determined an emergency C-section was necessary. sharks wildlife

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Sharks 2013 Gestation Dolphins 192

Critter News

JUNE 20, 2011

million sharks each year for their fins. taiwan shark fins sharkA local group claims Taiwan kills up to 3.86

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Taiwan Sharks 2011 Killing 100

4 The Love Of Animals

JULY 19, 2017

SharkFest, television’s second-best-known week of sharks, returns to Nat Geo WILD on Sunday, July 23 at 8 PM ET. In addition, decorated Olympian Ryan Lochte makes a splash to help spread the word about the most sharks per square inch … Continue reading → sharks tv wildlife

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Sharks 2017 Wildlife 100

Critter News

FEBRUARY 21, 2010

The shark's fins had been cut and he was still alive when found, but sadly died. Ironically, this was just after a conference on saving sharks held in the Phillipines. Last week, representatives of some 50 countries attended the third meeting of the International Cooperation on Migratory Sharks (SHARKS III) hosted by the Philippines in Manila. Eleven of them signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) pledging to protect the whale sharks.

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Sharks 2010 Philippines Whales 100

4 The Love Of Animals

NOVEMBER 23, 2011

The following is a guest post about the horrors of shark finning. Sharks are a regular feature on television channels like the Discovery Channel, with even entire weeks devoted to this majestic sea creature. from home often does not give weight to the real struggles and dangers that many sharks face, including the barbaric practice of shark finning. The shark is thrown back because shark fins are often more valuable than the meat itself.

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Sharks 2011 Asia China 122

4 The Love Of Animals

NOVEMBER 24, 2011

They aren’t cute and cuddly, but sharks are still very important! Nat Geo Wild is airing an amazing show tonight called Shark Attack Experiment: LIVE! Shark Attack Experiment: LIVE will feature a team of free-divers and conservationists putting their safety on the line to separate myth from reality and dispel negative myths about sharks while raising public awareness about shark species which are being driven to extinction.

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Experience Experiments Sharks 2011 109

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2012

Researchers at Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama conducting a two-year study focusing on the diets of Tiger Sharks in the Gulf of Mexico have made an alarming discovery: not only are these sharks eating the expected fish and other assorted marine organisms, but they’re also eating land-based songbirds! ABC reports that the sharks are now known to devour migrating birds such as woodpeckers, tanagers, meadowlarks, catbirds, kingbirds, and swallows. Asides sharks

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Sharks Alabama 2012 Tigers 55

Critter News

DECEMBER 29, 2011

California SB 917 Two new laws in Oregon and California prohibit the possession, sale, trade or distribution of shark fins. The California law specifies that a person must hold a license in order to possess shark fins for scientific purposes. In addition, restaurants may possess and sell shark fins purchased before Jan. neglect california legislation shark fins shark animal welfare animal lawFrom Hometown Station AM 1220.

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Laws California 2011 Sharks 109

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2017

Shark Bay is one of the most famous tourist destinations in West Australia, and until recently was therefore not a place I was particularly interested in visiting. Shark Bay is pretty. Shark Bay is an enormous feature, a huge bay surrounded by deserty-scrub right on the edge of the tropics. The same trip also found me a White-spotted Guitarshark , a large ray that’s an odd cross between a shark and a ray.

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Sharks 2017 Monkeys Dolphins 40

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2016

Comparing it to “my” bird, I can’t help but feel I’ll have to jump the shark … Birds Europe Germany vagrant vagrants wagtailsI recently saw and photographed what appears to be a Baikal Wagtail ( Motacilla alba-or-not baicalensis ) in Germany. If I am correct, this would apparently constitute a first record for the Western Palearctic. So it may turn out to be a bit of a big deal. Or a bit of a PR disaster for my birding skillz if I am not correct.

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2016 Germany Sharks Morocco 40

4 The Love Of Animals

JULY 7, 2013

If you want to see a virtual fly through of what the new facility will look like, here is a video: I am pretty excited about the new building, especially because there will be a tunnel of sharks to walk under, and more penguins! I also really love the sea turtle, and the “petting” area where you can touch little sharks and rays. Of course, the gift shop is a lot of fun too, they even have this big “Bruce the shark” hanging out there.

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2013 Sharks Utah Penguins 188

10,000 Birds

JUNE 22, 2017

The long reef is home to an annual coral spawning event that attracts enormous numbers of charismatic marine megafauna, from whales to Whale Sharks and Manta Rays. The purpose of our trip up Western Australia’s coast was to allow Mum to celebrate her significant birthday milestone of turning 40 by swimming with whale sharks. One one of the swims I even had a small and curious Silky Shark swim past, a lifer shark for me! Whale sharks are amazing!

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2017 Sharks Whales Whaling 40

Critter News

MAY 5, 2010

The animals threatened most by the spill are bluefin tuna, sea turtles, brown pelicans, shrimp and sharks. That's when the full impact of the oil spill on wildlife will be seen. Right now, there are still no confirmed deaths due to the spill, but rescue groups are gearing up for the worst.

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2010 Sharks Sea Turtles Turtles 100

Critter News

MARCH 23, 2010

Delegates to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) conference in Qatar voted down three of four proposals to protect sharks. This really sucks. According to the New York Times. China, by far the world’s largest consumer of the cartilaginous fish, for sharkfin soup, and Japan, which has battled to keep the convention from being extended to any marine species, led the opposition.

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2010 Qatar Sharks New York Times 100

Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 8, 2007

Dolphins appear to have saved a human from a shark. See here

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Sharks Dolphins 2007 Humane 40

Critter News

JUNE 19, 2010

Like forest creatures trying to escape a fire, marine animals such as dolphins, sharks, mullets, crabs, rays and fish are congregating in surprisingly shallow waters off the Florida coast line as they flee the encroaching oil spill. From ShortNews.com.literally, short, short news!

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2010 Sharks Dolphins Florida 100

Critter News

MARCH 13, 2010

Apart from issues like combating elephant poaching for ivory in Africa and banning trade in polar bear skins, those focusing on sharks and tuna are likely to be among the most contentious. Oh look, more meetings. From Al Jazeera. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or Cites that opened in the Qatari capital on Saturday will be discussing 42 proposals during the next two weeks.

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Marine Life Agenda 2010 Monaco 100

Critter News

FEBRUARY 1, 2012

The animal protection group Seal Sitters says a necropsy showed that the sea lion had suffered a shark bite and had twisted intestines in addition to a bullet wound. This has happened before. I don't know whether these are disgruntled fishermen or regular jerks. Here's the whole story from the Washington Post National. Washington wildlife officials say eight sea lions have been found dead in the Puget Sound region in recent weeks — all apparently shot.

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Sea Lions Lions 2012 Wounded 109

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2013

Dolphins are basically just smart sharks that breath air. Sure, you might say that sharks eat people and dolphins don’t, but most sharks don’t eat people, and we can’t rule out the possibility that dolphins are simply better at doing it without getting caught. But I like sharks too, in fact given the choice of swimming with a shark or a dolphin I’d take either, but secretly I’d want the shark.

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Dolphins 2013 Sharks Albatross 54

4 The Love Of Animals

MAY 1, 2009

This episode takes a look at four very different animals; the Lemon Shark, Emperor Penguins, Red Kangaroos, and Parasitic Wasps. Want to celebrate all the mothers? Not just the human kind? Then I have a show and book for you! In the Womb: Extreme Animals is premiering just in time to celebrate Mother’s day! The show airs on Sunday May 10th, 2009 at 9:00pm ET/PT.

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2009 Kangaroos Sharks Penguins 109

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2014

The list kinds crystalized during my first big trip, on which I knocked off my two big targets (the manta ray and whale shark) but since then beyond seeing an antelope (and then many other different kinds), it hasn’t budged much at all. Hammerhead shark. Technically I have seen one of these, but it was the weird runty mangrove species the other hammerhead sharks don’t talk about (the Bonnethead). Hammerhead shark by Barry Peters (CC).

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2014 Sharks Leopards Gabon 59

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Fall is the transition season, and for a while I used to be the transition guy, linking up the crazy summer seabird season on the Farallon Islands with the slightly more laid back fall landbird and shark season there. Come September most of the summer seabird people had left, but there were a small number of seabirds still breeding and so I stayed behind for three years to continue their monitoring and do the migrant landbird surveys, as well as the Great White Shark surveys.

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California 2013 Sharks Porpoises 55

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2017

Oh, to be birding at Shark Bay in Australia. Mid-June causes confusion in the United States, in that summer hasn’t officially started but life post-Memorial Day definitely carries that summer feeling, Except, of course, that some parts of the country have been downright chilly. What season are we in right now? Conditions vary wherever you are, but take comfort in the fact that birds hang around whatever the season.

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2017 Sharks United States Australia 42

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

Forget lions, tigers, and bears – if Internet listicles are to be believed, all of Oz is full of crocodiles, sharks, jellyfish, snakes, spiders – even magpies – that are dead set on killing, maiming, or injuring any humans they encounter.

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2019 Fowl Sharks Lions 74

4 The Love Of Animals

JUNE 14, 2012

Looks like sharks really aren’t so bad after all. What do you think of this “Deadliest Animals in the United States” infographic? Pretty interesting, isn’t it? Maybe they should have “Deer Week” on the Discovery Channel instead (ha, ha, ha). Via: ZoologyDegreeOnline.com. wildlife

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United States Sharks 2012 Deer 109

10,000 Birds

APRIL 24, 2021

Unexpected, sudden moments of excitement came in the form of a few leaping Thresher Sharks (!), “That bird! Get it! That bird, chase it! Chase it!”

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Costa Rica Dolphins Sea Turtles Sharks 87

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2018

In November, I visited the Shark Valley Visitor Center and nature trails with my mother and husband, neither of whom have ever seen this part of the Everglades before. All birders love the Everglades. There are so few places on Earth where one can see thousands and thousands and thousands of wading birds on a single visit, their white and blue and pink bodies contrasting with the golden swishing of marsh grasses or the deep green of cypress swamps.

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2018 Alligators Sharks Turtles 43

Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 16, 2009

Though some commercial fisheries have been well managed, others have been a disaster (Atlantic halibut, Atlantic cod, Hawaiian lobster, sharks). To the Editor: “ Last Act for the Bluefin ” (editorial, Nov. 9) has it right. The bluefin tuna needs an immediate respite from all fishing. No wildlife species, especially a migratory one shared in common by many nations, can withstand commercial hunting without end.

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New York Times New York Sharks Hunting 40

10,000 Birds

APRIL 23, 2013

The surrounding waters are also home to Whale Sharks year-round and on my recent visit I was very fortunate to hop overboard after coming across not one, but two, of these gentle giants. Swimming with a whale shark on the boat-trip to Isla Isabel. Its amazing to me that there are still places on earth where wildlife is blissfully unafraid of humans. Isla Isabel, a picturesque volcanic island situated 15 miles off Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit coast, is just such a place.

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Mexico 2013 Whales Whaling 83

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Some birds, reptiles, and sharks have nictitating membranes as well as a few mammals. A nictitating membrane is a third eyelid that is translucent or clear. It is used as an extra level of safety for the eye and allows the creature that has it to still see while affording its eyes an additional amount of protection. Though many mammals have a vestigial nictitating membrane that does not cover the whole eye.)

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2014 Sharks Reptiles Mammals 67

10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2015

It was a pelagic trip organized by See Life Paulagics and it was a pretty memorable trip with five species of shearwater, Leach’s Storm-Petrels , Wilson’s Storm-Petrels , a variety of dolphins, some sharks, and a variety of other sea life. Back on the last day of May I boarded a boat in Brooklyn and headed out onto the Atlantic Ocean in search of seabirds.

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New York 2015 Penguins Sharks 56

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Not to mention, Sirena station is only accessible by a plane ride, or a 17 kilometer infamous beach march that involves wading across a river or two where crocodiles and Bull Sharks wait at the mouth (this is no exaggeration). Although there aren’t any crocs or sharks, during the rainy season, you may have to contend with being washed away. For the birder, roads are an ironic boon. Whether made of asphalt, gravel, or dirt, they help us reach more birding sites in less time.

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Costa Rica 2014 Sharks San Jose 79

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2013

Sharks, Cape Fur Seals and even Killer Whales will prey on them in the ocean. White Sharks, especially young ones, will prey on African Penguins. I grew up in one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Cape Town, South Africa. The birdlife in the Cape is nothing short of spectacular, with a healthy dose of charismatic endemic species. In fact, there is no other region in Africa that offers such a fantastic level of endemism in such an accessible location.

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Penguins 2013 Sharks Leopards 71

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 25, 2017

In addition to sharks, barracuda, rays, and fishes, we had also spotted Double-crested Cormorants , Brown Pelicans , and Magnificent Frigatebirds. We felt awash in blues as our tour boat skirted the waves to anchor near a shallow sand flat off of Key West, Florida. The aquamarine water gave the sky a run for its money, so clear and sparkling beneath a noon-day sun.

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2017 Pelicans Sharks Groups 40

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2014

They’re also more vulnerable to attack from large cold-blooded predators like sharks. Across the world’s northern oceans, 24 species of auklets, murres, puffins, guillemots, and related seabirds make a living catching food beneath the waves and breeding, often in large colonies, on coastlines and islands.

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2014 Penguins Puffins Sharks 73

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

In Hawaii I stood on a beach as albatrosses fledged and Tiger Sharks prowled for the less successful ones. There is no feeling in the world like knowing your helping something you care about, whether its sharks or puffins, protecting forests or reefs, advancing science or communities. Well, it’s official. Over a decade since I was last there, I am finally heading back to Africa late this year.

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2014 Sharks Uganda Belize 56

10,000 Birds

MARCH 27, 2011

We saw 5 sharks in the reef and 2 Hawksbill Turtles, lots of sea cucumbers, clams, brittle stars, feather stars, our first eel, large cod that jumped from pool to pool once they saw you and numerous unidentified creatures. Eel…we put it back in a rock-pool Unidentified shark-striped It was amazing that despite all of the coastal erosion during this year’s cyclone season it has had very little effect on the reef.

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2011 Sharks Turtles Research 53

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

This Yellow-crowned Amazon was not quite as vociferous as his Central American cousins And like many of these birds, I too love to spend time beneath the water – there are few things better than free diving or scuba diving with dolphins, whale sharks or coral reef fish. You should know by now that there are a good number of birds that spend an appreciable amount of time underwater. There are, for example, the Penguins and Diving Ducks.

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2011 Sharks Thailand Dolphins 65

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 11, 2012

Sharks cruise off the city’s beaches, and just yesterday a deadly species of snake was found in a suburban railway station. Further afield, there is a poisonous mammal, the platypus, many waterways are filled with the carnivorous Saltwater Crocodile, and a species known as the box jellyfish is so dangerous that it causes the closure of every beach across the entire north of the continent for several months each year, and achievement that the sharks can only look at in wonder.

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2012 Sharks Boars Endangered Species 73

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2011

Carpet Shark washed up Carpet shark being returned to the sea I hope you have enjoyed this little insight into our varied wildlife here in the north of Australia. Speaking of pregnant snakes, do sea snakes lay their eggs ashore like sea turtles or do they keep them internally until the young are ready to hatch/ be born, like some sharks?

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Australia 2011 Sharks Wounded 53

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2015

There isn’t too much I could write on the subject that isn’t dealt with much better by David Shiffman, a shark conservationist from Florida. Another day, another dead lion erupting in the world’s media, another opportunity for me to annoy my few remaining anti-hunting friends. Go read his take. I’ll wait. . I do want to elaborate a bit on some themes I’ve discussed before next week.

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2015 Sharks Hunters Lions 58

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2012

There is a reason why birds (and mammals and large, predatory sharks) like alcids, albatrosses, penguins, and other seabirds are restricted to the poles or areas of cold water upwellings — tropical waters lack the ability to hold onto as much oxygen as colder water. Razorbills ( Alca torda ) have invaded the coastal waters of Florida on an unprecedented scale this December of 2012.

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Florida 2012 Cuba Bahamas 71

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2011

When we were not talking about birds we talked about sharks and sea snakes! Well I have done a lot of travelling in the week since I last wrote a post! I flew out of Broome and across the Northern Territory and Queensland and changed planes in Brisbane. I then flew south to Sydney to have the weekend with my sister and family. It is lovely to see the influence that Grant and I have had on our two young nephews from afar.

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2011 Penguins Sharks South Korea 56