Summer Time again

Its summer time in the South Pacific, but that does not mean its all fun times. The Humpback Whales are now on their way down to the Antarctic for feeding, as are also the whaling ships.

Sea Shepherd is as usual making its way down there in their own ways to prevent the Japanese to stop whaling, but in a recent news report the Australian PM Kevin Rudd has re-issued his campaign speech to put increased pressure on the Japanese whaling industry.

Japan is not the only country that hunts whales, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands also have annual whale hunting seasons. In the Faroe Islands, Pilot whales are slaughtered annually, though recent studies show that the meat contains such high contaminant levels that it should not be eaten.

Other countries are also involved in subsistence whale hunting including America, Australia and other nations.

Many species are being hunted, it is not just whales. Some shark species are becoming increasingly threatened through shark finning and long lining, Krill is being harvested to make fish food and vitamins, and tuna species are not getting any help as fishing catch quotas are not being reduced.

Whale Entanglements

During the recent whale watching conference in Vava'u, we had a talk from Mike Morrissey who works for the Department of Conservation in NZ. His main job is the disentanglement of whales. In NZ crab pots and lines get Humpback Whales caught in them when they cross the shallower shores in Kaikoura.

To disentangle a whale is very difficult, the process can take many hours and should not be done by people who have not been trained. The whales that are entangled are extremely stressed out and can cause harm to anyone who is trying to disentangle them as well as further stressing the whale out.

Over in Hawaii, a juvenile Humpback Whale is trailing over 400ft of line, one rescue attempt was not successful as the weather and seas were strong. Another attempt will be made and we can only hope it will be successful.

Here in Vava'u, we are lucky not to have the crab pots and other lines that whales are exposed to, however as they migrate through the ocean from the feeding to the breeding grounds they are able to pick up discarded nets, long lines, crab pots and much more. As a whale swims with this attached to it, the lines become more deeply imbedded in their blubber, causing lice and infections to the skin.

Whales are also getting caught up in nets in Australia, which are put near swimming areas. Luckily the 6 whales caught this year were all released.

If you see a whale that is entangled, contact your local Fisheries or Environment and let them know what you saw, where you saw it.

Still lots of Cetacean species to photograph

Though the Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae have returned south to the feeding grounds of the Antarctic, we still have many species of Cetaceans that inhabit these waters.

Below are some pictures of Spinner Dolphins, Stenella longirostris. These playful small dolphin inhabit coastal tropical waters, feeding on small schools of fish. Seeing any dolphin or whale species in the wild is always a great experience.

Last week, members of Tongan Government, operators, Department of Conservation from NZ, SPREP and others met up here in Vava'u, to discuss the industry. The meeting was a great success, with new proposals and research being looked at to further the whale watching industry. The meeting was opened by HRH Princess Pilolevu Tuita and chaired by the Governor of Vava'u Lord Luani, as well as the NZ High Commission.