Latest news with #Oceans
Miami Herald
16 hours ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Killer whales seen ‘kissing' for the first time in the wild, photo shows
For the first time, a pair of killer whales were seen 'kissing' in the wild, photo and video evidence reveals. The intimate encounter took place in October 2024, near the Kvænangen fjords of Norway, located above the Arctic Circle in the country's far north. A group of snorkelers witnessed the 'rare and previously undocumented' encounter below their boat, according to a study published June 11 in the journal Oceans. One snorkeler captured video of it with a handheld GoPro camera. The footage, available online, shows the two marine mammals touching mouths while floating motionless below the waves. The amorous affair 'lasted nearly two minutes and involved repeated episodes of gentle, face-to-face oral contact,' according to the study, published by researchers from Spain and the Netherlands. At the time of the observation, onlookers said the orcas 'appeared to be 'kissing' beneath the boat.' While it's the first time such behavior has been recorded in 'free-ranging' or wild orcas, it has been documented in captivity on a few occasions. For example, in 2013, a pair of killer whales in Loro Parque, a Spanish zoo, were seen engaging in tongue-to-tongue contact. The behavior, dubbed 'tongue-nibbling,' has also been observed in other species under the care of humans, including in beluga whales at a SeaWorld in Texas. In most instances, it takes place between younger individuals. Researchers described the curious conduct as 'a socially affiliative behavior' that is 'likely involved in reinforcing social bonds, particularly among juveniles.' The fact that it has been documented across time and geographical settings 'suggests remarkable behavioural continuity,' they added.
Cision Canada
20 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Media Advisory - Kick-off Canada Day with Parks Canada at Signal Hill National Historic Site for the annual sunrise event Français
ST. JOHN'S, NL, June 27, 2025 /CNW/ - Parks Canada will kick off Canada Day celebrations with a special sunrise event at Signal Hill National Historic Site. The Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard will bring greetings on behalf of the minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages. Please note that this advisory is subject to change without notice. The details are as follows: Date: Tuesday July 1, 2025 Time: 6 a.m. (NDT) Location: Signal Hill National Historic Site - Upper Parking Lot St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador **Note - media will be permitted to park their vehicles at the upper parking lot (adjacent to Cabot Tower). SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Winston Peters apologises for calling Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris a 'dickhead' in the House
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has apologised for calling Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris a "dickhead" in the House. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has apologised for calling Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris a "dickhead" in the House, but is questioning whether the word is offensive. The Speaker will review the incident, and report back to the House on Thursday. Peters was answering questions from Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson on behalf of the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones. "Does he think it's hypocritical that last year Aotearoa pledged $16 million to the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, yet this year we've had the largest coral by-catch event in 15 years, dredging up to six tonnes of ancient coral from the sea floor?" Davidson asked. "No such pledge was made by any such country as named by that questioner," Peters responded. Peters has repeatedly bristled at other MPs referring to the country as Aotearoa. The Speaker, however, is no longer hearing points of order over the use of the word . "Are you sure?" asked Ferris. "Yes, I am positive. Unlike you, you dickhead," Peters responded. The comment could be heard on the hot mic, and has been recorded in Hansard, the official record of things said in the House. Ferris later raised a point of order. "I've witnessed many times in this House disparaging comments being made between sides, and I'm quite sure that being called a 'dickhead' would fall in line with that tikanga of the House," he said. The Speaker said he had not heard the allegation until Ferris brought it up, and encouraged Peters to withdraw and apologise. Peters initially refused to apologise, arguing that Ferris had not raised the matter of offence. Ferris said he had taken personal offence, so Peters apologised. "On the basis that when I was trying to get my thoughts together on the answer to Marama Davidson's questions, he was interrupting me. I apologise for calling him what I said he was." As the matter was now in the hands of the Speaker, Peters would not answer questions about the incident on his way out of the House. The New Zealand First leader is often critical about the language used by other MPs . But in this case, he questioned whether the word he used was offensive. "Is it bad language?" he asked reporters. Peters instead said it was "wrong" that another MP was interfering with him being able to hear a question.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Urgent rescue mission underway to free a whale trapped in a shark net along the Gold Coast
An urgent rescue mission is in underway to free a whale trapped in a shark net along the Gold Coast.
The Citizen
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Attenborough's message about the oceans
'If we focus on protection, we buy time. And in that time, nature begins to heal.' It is not on land, but under the sea, where Sir David Attenborough said, lies the most important place on Earth. After producing and narrating wildlife and natural heritage documentaries for most of his life on the planet, the master storyteller has been deeply affected by the careless destruction of our oceans. In a new documentary, Oceans, Attenborough lends his voice to a visual and scientific account of what we stand to lose should the world continue to neglect the seas, but also what we could still save, if we acted quickly. Directed by Toby Nowlan, Oceans is more than a film. He said that it is a visual confrontation to audiences, captured over two years and filmed across the globe. From the wild Pacific to the Mediterranean, from the kelp forests of California to the bleached remains of coral reefs, the documentary offers a view into worlds that many will never see or never really comprehend. Nowlan said the reason is simple. 'The ocean is out of sight, so it becomes out of mind,' he said. 'We cannot breathe underwater, and we do not spend time down there the way we do on land, so we have no idea what is happening below the surface.' Devastation of marine ecosystems The documentary features footage of bottom trawling, a fishing method that has devastated marine ecosystems yet remains legal in many parts of the world. Heavy nets are dragged along the ocean floor, destroying habitats and scooping up everything in their path, including unwanted species and animals. This occurs, even within supposedly protected marine zones. 'We released a ninety-second clip of it on social media to premiere some of the challenges captured in the film,' Nowlan said. 'Within a week, tens of millions had seen it. That was more than any of the scientists or even the people working on those boats had ever witnessed. That is the power of bringing these images to the screen.' And the potential muscle it must change mindsets. ALSO READ: TV's 'The Four Seasons' makes you think For marine biologist and National Geographic explorer Enric Sala, the experience of working on Oceans was very personal. 'We are destroying our life support system,' he said. 'But I have seen what happens when we protect even small parts of the ocean. Life comes back. Coral reefs recover. Fish populations return. It works. It is the one thing that works.' Absolute dedication to conservation Sala left academia nearly two decades ago to dedicate his life to conservation. During his sortie, he has helped create some of the world's largest marine reserves through his Pristine Seas initiative. Yet, he said that the challenges facing the oceans have grown more severe. 'People feel overwhelmed when they hear that we need to fix everything at once,' he said. 'But if we focus on protection, we buy time. And in that time, nature begins to heal.' A key moment in Oceans is a narrative showing the most extensive coral bleaching event ever caught on film. Coral bleaching occurs when ocean temperatures rise, causing corals to expel the algae they rely on for food and colour, leaving them weak, pale and at risk of dying. A compass jellyfish off the coast of Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom. (Credit: Olly Scholey) A pod of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins swimming across the coral reefs of the Red Sea, Egypt. (Credit: Olly Scholey) The coral reefs of Raja Ampat, Indonesia. (Credit: Olly Scholey) 'It happened while we were filming,' said Nowlan. 'We activated crews across the globe, in the Maldives, Florida, Australia, and Mexico, to capture it. 'We had a very short window to show it in its full, white devastation. But we also followed what happened afterwards, and the reefs that were protected began to recover. Not all of them, but enough to prove that it can be done.' We can still save our seas Sala said we can still save our seas. 'Marine protected areas make ecosystems more resilient. If we manage to reduce carbon emissions and give the ocean space, it will meet us halfway. But we must act now.' Nowlan said not everything in Oceans is doomsday. 'There is a lot of bad news out there,' said Nowlan. 'People switch off when they feel like everything is doom. This film had to offer something else. Not false comfort, but proof. Tangible hope, too.' The good news is told via successes. The largest school of yellowfin tuna ever filmed appears in the documentary, a species once thought too elusive to benefit from marine reserves. Yet, off the coast of the Phoenix Islands, populations surged by more than fifty percent in surrounding waters after protection measures were introduced. Working with Attenborough on Oceans was incredible for Nowlan. 'I have worked on several of his documentaries before, but this one is different,' he said. 'This is Sir David's most personal project. He said so himself. And when he speaks about the ocean, you can feel that it is not just about the science or the visuals. It is about the future. He believes this is the last great frontier where we can still make a difference.' Oceans airs on National Geographic on 13 June and is available on Disney+ from 8 June. Now Read: Local star shines in new global Pepsi campaign
