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National Observer
a day ago
- Politics
- National Observer
What really is a UN Ocean Summit?
From June 9 to the 13, I joined the official Canadian delegation in Nice, France, at the third United Nations Ocean Summit. I was likely the youngest person at UNOC3, not just on Canada's delegation, but in the entire diplomatic zone. At 16, I wasn't attending as a guest or observer — and it was clear: there were no people under 20 anywhere in the room, even from NGOs. We need more young delegates at these summits, not for symbolic reasons, but because our generation will live with the consequences of these decisions. Youth engagement shouldn't be treated as a checkbox. It should be the natural result of aligning experience, interest and readiness — even if that person happens to be 16. This high-level gathering brought countries, institutions and advocates together to confront the growing threats facing our oceans — from overfishing and pollution to legal gaps in international waters, as well as our blue economy. Some of the major issues on the table this year included the Plastics Treaty, the BBNJ Agreement (better known as the High Seas Treaty), and global momentum for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. The Plastics Treaty would be the first binding global agreement to limit plastic pollution across the lifecycle of production and waste. The High Seas Treaty, adopted by the UN last year, aims to protect marine life in international waters. Meanwhile, organizations like Ocean Wise, Oceans North, and the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition called forcefully for an end to deep-sea mining before it accelerates unchecked. Despite the urgency, the practice remains unbanned in Canada. Canada came to the table with a number of meaningful commitments. We've pledged to protect 30 per cent of our oceans by 2030, support the High Seas Treaty, and remain active in treaty negotiations on plastic. But we are still falling short. Canada has not yet fully ratified key international frameworks, and implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water) remains uneven across provinces and territories. These global goals can't remain symbolic — they need institutional follow-through. The conference was filled with research briefings, diplomatic receptions and panels — but some of the most important discussions came from Indigenous voices and frontline coastal communities. There was an easily hard truth uncovered in some of the more 'down to earth' conversations: we know more about outer space than the depths of our oceans. Yet, decisions are being made today that will define how these ecosystems survive — or collapse. Small island developing states like Mauritius and others in the Pacific are facing the harshest impacts of rising sea levels, acidification, and marine degradation — despite contributing the least to global emissions or ocean pollution. It was deeply frustrating to see China send only a small delegation, and even more troubling that the United States didn't show up at all. If major emitters don't attend international forums meant to address the damage they are most responsible for, what message does that send? In 2025, we will live with more plastic in the ocean than at any other point in history, record-breaking CO₂ levels, and the highest number of climate-displaced people ever recorded. Yet in many rooms, the economy still takes precedence over urgent climate action. Canada deserves credit for showing up — but we must also lead. We know more about outer space than the depths of our oceans, writes Jaden Braves This includes accelerating ratification of key ocean frameworks and ensuring real domestic implementation of our global commitments such as the commitment to the moratorium on deepsea mining, as well as meeting all of SDG14. It's nice to see a new government hoping to become the strongest economy in the G7, something I think is highly achievable. But we must not forget that global warming hasn't gotten any better and if our focus isn't on the planet, we may not have one. What wasn't discussed nearly enough in Nice is the intersection between climate and security. While perhaps more of a focus for the NATO summit this week, we cannot ignore how melting ice in the Arctic compromises Canada's northern sovereignty. Russian and Chinese radar systems have already appeared near our coastline. The geopolitical dimensions of ocean protection are real — and increasingly urgent. Ice is a natural conduit to security and it must be regarded as such. Hopefully, reversing climate change in Canada could be part of our new two per cent (and growing) GDP spending towards defence. After all, you are literally defending your country by having a natural border, (the icy Arctic). On June 12, I had the honour of hosting a press conference to announce that Young Politicians of Canada (YPC), the organization I founded, is partnering with the United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC) to launch a Sustainable Development Goal Council. This council, led by UNAC, will work toward implementing the SDGs — not just federally, but across all levels of government. It positions Canada as one of the few countries with a youth-led, policy-focused mechanism to advance SDG accountability and uptake across sectors. It's a big step — and one I'm proud to help lead as a co-chair beside my friend and colleague at UNAC, Dheeksha Reddy. There's something mildly absurd about flying thousands of people to the French Riviera to discuss environmental protection without involving the generation most affected by the outcomes. But if we're going to do this — and we must — then the least we can do is ensure those who will live with the consequences have a seat at the table.
National Geographic
18-06-2025
- Science
- National Geographic
These dolphins have orca ‘friends.' They may have an ulterior motive.
Scientists have documented what might be the first case of friendly interactions between killer whales and smaller cetaceans. Here's what they think is going on. Pacific white-sided dolphins swim off the coast of British Columbia. Dolphins and porpoises in this region have been spotted swimming alongside a population of killer whales known as northern resident orcas. Scientists have theories about why. Photograph By Paul Nicklen, Nat Geo Image collection A pod of Dall's porpoises sped toward an adult orca, swimming under and around her for a few minutes before getting 'bored' and moving on to her companions—a mother orca with a young calf. As soon as the porpoises appeared, the calf seems to have gotten excited, speeding up and trying to catch the porpoises. The mother eventually got frustrated, but 'the calf looked like it was having a great time,' says Brittany Visona-Kelly, a whale biologist with Ocean Wise, a nonprofit conservation organization in Vancouver, Canada. Eventually the mother's annoyance boiled over into tail slaps on the surface of the water, but the porpoises didn't pay much attention, hanging around for a few more minutes of play before taking off. Experts suspect that dolphins and porpoises off the coast of British Columbia swim alongside northern resident orcas in hopes they'll be protected from less friendly orcas that share their habitat. Video by Brittany C Visona-Kelly This playful moment, captured by drone, is just one of many such interactions between northern resident orcas, also known as killer whales; Dall's porpoises; and Pacific white-sided dolphins off the coast of British Columbia. These interactions may be the first known case of other cetacean species interacting positively with killer whales, apex predators of the ocean. Researchers believe the smaller species might be using the friendlier orcas as a shield against predatory orcas along the coast of British Columbia. 'The dolphins and porpoises seem to be attracted to northern residents,' Visona-Kelly says. Northern resident killer whales are found from the northern part of Vancouver Island and up the British Columbia Coast into southeastern Alaska, overlapping with the ranges of Dall's porpoises and Pacific white-sided dolphins. Northern resident orcas don't have exclusive control over their range though—southern resident killer whales overlap parts of their southern range, while Bigg's killer whales and other transient groups patrol up and down the coast. '[All three types of killer whales] are almost thought of as different species,' says Visona-Kelly. From scuba diving to set-jetting In a study published recently in Ecology and Evolution, Visona-Kelly and her colleague Lance Barrett-Lennard analyzed 42 interactions between northern residents, Dall's porpoises, and Pacific white-sided dolphins that they captured by drone between 2018 and 2021 in Johnstone Strait, between Vancouver Island and the British Columbia mainland. These videos revealed dimly understood interactions that had previously only been observed by boat or shore. Dolphins swim with orcas off the coast of British Columbia. As apex predators, orcas don't typically befriend smaller animals—which makes these interactions that researchers have documented particularly intriguing. Video by Brittany C. Visona-Kelly In these encounters, the dolphins and porpoises actively approached the northern residents. The videos showed the smaller cetaceans swimming with the orcas in formation—sometimes all three species at the same time. Porpoises and dolphins would also play with orca calves, usually for a few minutes but occasionally for more than an hour. Visona-Kelly and her colleague aren't sure why the porpoises and dolphins did this, but they have a few theories. One possibility is they use the northern residents, which feed on chinook salmon, as a shield against Bigg's killer whales that prey on other marine mammals, including porpoises and dolphins. Even though their ranges overlap, Bigg's typically avoid northern residents, which usually travel in larger groups. While visually similar, Visona-Kelly says that dolphins and porpoises may differentiate from the two by picking up on the northern residents' chatter—Bigg's rely typically on stealth and are quieter. It's also possible that these smaller species might just be trying to get a closer look at a less threatening predator so they know what they are up against if attacked by Bigg's orcas, Visona-Kelly says. 'Like every animal, they live in a landscape of fear,' says Sarah Teman, a PhD candidate in marine mammal science at the University of Washington who was not involved in Visona-Kelly's study. 'So, it makes a lot of sense that dolphins and porpoises want to alleviate that for a bit by catching a ride with some bigger animals that aren't going to cause them some damage.' When traveling, both porpoises and dolphins are also known to ride the bows of boats, and they could be doing the same with northern resident orcas to surf off their current, Visona-Kelly adds. Finally, she notes, the smaller species may just be mooching food off orcas in some cases, though the videos didn't directly observe that. Drone footage of a pack of dolphins swimming alongside several northern resident orcas (killer whales). Northern resident orcas are thought to be friendlier than their southern resident counterparts—which might be why the smaller cetaceans cozy up to them. Video by Brittany C Visona-Kelly It's difficult to say whether the orcas are deriving any mutual benefit from these episodes, Visona-Kelly says. Northern residents don't usually share a diet with the smaller cetaceans, who eat smaller fish than chinook salmon. Visona-Kelly says it seems like the adults, at least, usually just tolerate the dolphins and porpoises, occasionally getting annoyed and lashing out at them. Teman compares it to playing with a relative's kids at a party. At first, it's fun. But 'eventually, you're like, 'I need some space.'' On the other hand, Teman and her colleagues published a study on interactions between southern residents and porpoises—both Dall's and harbor—and it doesn't go nearly as well for the smaller cetaceans. In these cases, it's nearly always the orcas that initiate the encounter. They flipped porpoises out of the water or rammed them. While the orcas never ate them, they still sometimes killed porpoises in the process. They would sometimes also play a 'game' in which two or three orcas would swim in unison, cradling a porpoise above the water between them. The fun was one-sided, however—stress from these whole interactions likely 'did the porpoises in,' Teman says. Amy Van Cise, a marine biologist at the University of Washington who was not involved in either study, is surprised how much the southern and northern residents differ in their behavior to porpoises. 'Those two populations are right next door to each other and they have the exact same ecology,' she says. As far as she knows, Visona-Kelly's study may be the first case of an animal seeking out killer whales for positive interactions. In many other cases, interaction with orcas tends not to end to well for marine creatures. 'It was nicer to see these northern resident killer whales have a little bit of a gentler interaction with these porpoise,' Teman says.
Vancouver Sun
09-05-2025
- General
- Vancouver Sun
Grey whale 'Little Patch' mesmerizes, sparks connection in Metro Vancouver
A grey whale known as Little Patch has been mesmerizing onlookers in the waters off of Vancouver for weeks, sparking a sense of connection as it stops to feed in the busy region before migrating northward. Cari Siebrits first went to the seawall along the shores of West Vancouver on April 9 in hopes of seeing Little Patch, and arrived to find the whale so close to shore she could hear it breathing as it surfaced. 'It's hard to describe the excitement of seeing a whale that close. It feels a little bit like being a kid at Christmas,' the North Vancouver resident said. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Siebrits said she immediately called her parents to meet her at the seawall, and the family sat for hours watching the whale as the sun set, surrounded by crowds of people doing the same. 'Everyone was just so captivated and mesmerized by him, you know, watching him slowly feed and move and surface and disappear and reappear,' said Siebrits, who is a wildlife photographer. 'It really just made you feel such a profound sense of connection to this bigger world around you,' she said. Siebrits likened the seawall to a classroom, with Little Patch as the teacher, sparking important conversations about marine traffic, conservation, biodiversity and the health of Metro Vancouver waters. 'I think it's really turning all of us into these advocates for the wildlife in our backyard and that's pretty powerful,' said Siebrits, adding she recently spotted a pod of transient killer whales in Burrard Inlet. Jessica Scott, senior manager of the Ocean Wise whales initiative, said Vancouver's harbour typically sees a couple of grey whales each year, so the extended visit by Little Patch is quite rare. Scott has also seen Little Patch from the West Vancouver seawall. 'He was cruising up and down the shoreline,' she said. 'They feed in the sand on these little benthic invertebrates. He was likely feeding on ghost shrimp.' Scott said there have also been many sightings of killer whales, harbour porpoises, and Pacific white-sided dolphins in the area. 'As someone who lives in a big city, you don't think there's going to be these opportunities to view wildlife, especially non-invasively from shore,' she said. 'I think it really reminds us of our impact on those animals and the fact they are inhabiting these very busy waters.' Little Patch is part of a group of about a dozen grey whales known as 'sounders' that break off from the typical migration route to feed in the waters of Washington's Puget Sound, she said. Scott said researchers first identified Little Patch in 1991, making him about 35 years old, and this spring marks his first-known visit to Vancouver. The nickname comes from a distinctive white patch on the side of the whale's body, she said. Metro Vancouver's waters are also brimming with shipping vessels, tankers and recreational boats, and whales face the risk of ship strikes, Scott said. 'Typically, grey whales, humpback whales, they're slow to move away from oncoming vessels,' she said, adding the whales are focused on feeding. 'So, it's our responsibility to keep them safe.' The Cascadia Research Collective said in a Facebook post on May 2 that another 'sounder' was found dead in San Francisco Bay a month earlier. A necropsy found a ship strike had killed the whale, said the group, which is based in Washington state. Scott said anyone on the water, from kayakers to captains of large vessels, should give whales space and report sightings on the WhaleReport app. 'We've delivered over 75,000 alerts to mariners from over a hundred organizations in B.C., Alaska, and Washington state,' she noted. Siebrits said 'there's a collective sense of concern' among people who are captivated by Little Patch and feel invested in the whale's well-being. 'I hope it almost extends beyond him, you know, to caring about the wild spaces and wild creatures we share our ocean and our city with.' Frank Lin, a wildlife photographer and educator at the Stanley Park Ecology Society Nature House in Vancouver, has also been a frequent visitor to the seawall since the first sightings of Little Patch last month. 'I still can't believe the shots that I've gotten over the past little while,' he said. In one photo, Lin said he captured Little Patch peeking above the water, with the park's distinctive Siwash Rock towering in the background. 'You could see the huge line of people just looking at him,' Lin said. 'I could even recognize people I knew from across (the water), like with my camera.' Little Patch and killer whales aren't the only water-dwelling wildlife drawing excited visitors to Stanley Park, Lin said. 'There is one duck that's kind of been bringing people together,' he said. 'In the same way as Little Patch, people are wondering about, where is the tufted duck?' A Eurasian tufted duck recently spent a few days at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, Lin said. He said he's been watching for an 'odd one out' as the purplish-black tufted duck blends with similar-looking lesser scaups, which are common in the park. 'It's kind of bringing people together in terms of observing wildlife and appreciating what we have,' Lin said.
National Observer
09-05-2025
- General
- National Observer
Grey whale 'Little Patch' mesmerizes and sparks connection in Metro Vancouver
A grey whale known as Little Patch has been mesmerizing onlookers in the waters off of Vancouver for weeks, sparking a sense of connection as it stops to feed in the busy region before migrating northward. Cari Siebrits first went to the seawall along the shores of West Vancouver, BC, on April 9 in hopes of seeing Little Patch, and arrived to find the whale so close to shore she could hear it breathing as it surfaced. "It's hard to describe the excitement of seeing a whale that close. It feels a little bit like being a kid at Christmas," the North Vancouver resident said. Siebrits said she immediately called her parents to meet her at the seawall, and the family sat for hours watching the whale as the sun set, surrounded by crowds of people doing the same. "Everyone was just so captivated and mesmerized by him, you know, watching him slowly feed and move and surface and disappear and reappear," said Siebrits, who is a wildlife photographer. "It really just made you feel such a profound sense of connection to this bigger world around you," she said. Siebrits likened the seawall to a classroom, with Little Patch as the teacher, sparking important conversations about marine traffic, conservation, biodiversity and the health of Metro Vancouver waters. "I think it's really turning all of us into these advocates for the wildlife in our backyard and that's pretty powerful," said Siebrits, adding she recently spotted a pod of transient killer whales in Burrard Inlet. Jessica Scott, senior manager of the Ocean Wise whales initiative, said Vancouver's harbour typically sees a couple of grey whales each year, so the extended visit by Little Patch is quite rare. Scott has also seen Little Patch from the West Vancouver seawall. "He was cruising up and down the shoreline," she said. "They feed in the sand on these little benthic invertebrates. He was likely feeding on ghost shrimp." Scott said there have also been many sightings of killer whales, harbour porpoises, and Pacific white-sided dolphins in the area. "As someone who lives in a big city, you don't think there's going to be these opportunities to view wildlife, especially non-invasively from shore," she said. "I think it really reminds us of our impact on those animals and the fact they are inhabiting these very busy waters." Little Patch is part of a group of about a dozen grey whales known as "sounders" that break off from the typical migration route to feed in the waters of Washington's Puget Sound, she said. Scott said researchers first identified Little Patch in 1991, making him about 35 years old, and this spring marks his first-known visit to Vancouver. The nickname comes from a distinctive white patch on the side of the whale's body, she said. Metro Vancouver's waters are also brimming with shipping vessels, tankers and recreational boats, and whales face the risk of ship strikes, Scott said. "Typically, grey whales, humpback whales, they're slow to move away from oncoming vessels," she said, adding the whales are focused on feeding. "So, it's our responsibility to keep them safe." The Cascadia Research Collective said in a Facebook post on May 2 that another "sounder" was found dead in San Francisco Bay a month earlier. A necropsy found a ship strike had killed the whale, said the group, which is based in Washington state. Scott said anyone on the water, from kayakers to captains of large vessels, should give whales space and report sightings on the WhaleReport app. "We've delivered over 75,000 alerts to mariners from over a hundred organizations in BC, Alaska, and Washington state," she noted. Siebrits said "there's a collective sense of concern" among people who are captivated by Little Patch and feel invested in the whale's well-being. "I hope it almost extends beyond him, you know, to caring about the wild spaces and wild creatures we share our ocean and our city with." Frank Lin, a wildlife photographer and educator at the Stanley Park Ecology Society Nature House in Vancouver, has also been a frequent visitor to the seawall since the first sightings of Little Patch last month. "I still can't believe the shots that I've gotten over the past little while," he said. In one photo, Lin said he captured Little Patch peeking above the water, with the park's distinctive Siwash Rock towering in the background. "You could see the huge line of people just looking at him," Lin said. "I could even recognize people I knew from across (the water), like with my camera." Little Patch and killer whales aren't the only water-dwelling wildlife drawing excited visitors to Stanley Park, Lin said. "There is one duck that's kind of been bringing people together," he said. "In the same way as Little Patch, people are wondering about, where is the tufted duck?" A Eurasian tufted duck recently spent a few days at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, Lin said. He said he's been watching for an "odd one out" as the purplish-black tufted duck blends with similar-looking lesser scaups, which are common in the park. "It's kind of bringing people together in terms of observing wildlife and appreciating what we have," Lin said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
09-05-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Grey whale ‘Little Patch' mesmerizes, sparks connection in Metro Vancouver
VANCOUVER – A grey whale known as Little Patch has been mesmerizing onlookers in the waters off of Vancouver for weeks, sparking a sense of connection as it stops to feed in the busy region before migrating northward. Cari Siebrits first went to the seawall along the shores of West Vancouver, B.C., on April 9 in hopes of seeing Little Patch, and arrived to find the whale so close to shore she could hear it breathing as it surfaced. 'It's hard to describe the excitement of seeing a whale that close. It feels a little bit like being a kid at Christmas,' the North Vancouver resident said. Siebrits said she immediately called her parents to meet her at the seawall, and the family sat for hours watching the whale as the sun set, surrounded by crowds of people doing the same. 'Everyone was just so captivated and mesmerized by him, you know, watching him slowly feed and move and surface and disappear and reappear,' said Siebrits, who is a wildlife photographer. 'It really just made you feel such a profound sense of connection to this bigger world around you,' she said. Siebrits likened the seawall to a classroom, with Little Patch as the teacher, sparking important conversations about marine traffic, conservation, biodiversity and the health of Metro Vancouver waters. 'I think it's really turning all of us into these advocates for the wildlife in our backyard and that's pretty powerful,' said Siebrits, adding she recently spotted a pod of transient killer whales in Burrard Inlet. Jessica Scott, senior manager of the Ocean Wise whales initiative, said Vancouver's harbour typically sees a couple of grey whales each year, so the extended visit by Little Patch is quite rare. Scott has also seen Little Patch from the West Vancouver seawall. 'He was cruising up and down the shoreline,' she said. 'They feed in the sand on these little benthic invertebrates. He was likely feeding on ghost shrimp.' Scott said there have also been many sightings of killer whales, harbour porpoises, and Pacific white-sided dolphins in the area. 'As someone who lives in a big city, you don't think there's going to be these opportunities to view wildlife, especially non-invasively from shore,' she said. 'I think it really reminds us of our impact on those animals and the fact they are inhabiting these very busy waters.' Little Patch is part of a group of about a dozen grey whales known as 'sounders' that break off from the typical migration route to feed in the waters of Washington's Puget Sound, she said. Scott said researchers first identified Little Patch in 1991, making him about 35 years old, and this spring marks his first-known visit to Vancouver. The nickname comes from a distinctive white patch on the side of the whale's body, she said. Metro Vancouver's waters are also brimming with shipping vessels, tankers and recreational boats, and whales face the risk of ship strikes, Scott said. 'Typically, grey whales, humpback whales, they're slow to move away from oncoming vessels,' she said, adding the whales are focused on feeding. 'So, it's our responsibility to keep them safe.' The Cascadia Research Collective said in a Facebook post on May 2 that another 'sounder' was found dead in San Francisco Bay a month earlier. A necropsy found a ship strike had killed the whale, said the group, which is based in Washington state. Scott said anyone on the water, from kayakers to captains of large vessels, should give whales space and report sightings on the WhaleReport app. 'We've delivered over 75,000 alerts to mariners from over a hundred organizations in B.C., Alaska, and Washington state,' she noted. Siebrits said 'there's a collective sense of concern' among people who are captivated by Little Patch and feel invested in the whale's well-being. 'I hope it almost extends beyond him, you know, to caring about the wild spaces and wild creatures we share our ocean and our city with.' Frank Lin, a wildlife photographer and educator at the Stanley Park Ecology Society Nature House in Vancouver, has also been a frequent visitor to the seawall since the first sightings of Little Patch last month. 'I still can't believe the shots that I've gotten over the past little while,' he said. In one photo, Lin said he captured Little Patch peeking above the water, with the park's distinctive Siwash Rock towering in the background. 'You could see the huge line of people just looking at him,' Lin said. 'I could even recognize people I knew from across (the water), like with my camera.' Little Patch and killer whales aren't the only water-dwelling wildlife drawing excited visitors to Stanley Park, Lin said. 'There is one duck that's kind of been bringing people together,' he said. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'In the same way as Little Patch, people are wondering about, where is the tufted duck?' A Eurasian tufted duck recently spent a few days at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, Lin said. He said he's been watching for an 'odd one out' as the purplish-black tufted duck blends with similar-looking lesser scaups, which are common in the park. 'It's kind of bringing people together in terms of observing wildlife and appreciating what we have,' Lin said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2025.
