The following post is from Patrick Ramage, IFAW's Global Whale Program Director.

"Hey, here's a tip for whomever just took a shower!" Mike bellowed as he came ascended to join us on the upper deck Saturday morning "Put the toilet paper in the dry cabinet before you turn the water on!" He shot me a mildly irritated look as he held up the soggy, half roll of toilet paper -- the last we had left on the boat. He was right, of course, the rookie American non-scientist tagalong was the culprit.

Before this infraction, the morning had gone reasonably well. I had been up at 5:30 a.m., ventured a good distance from the boat during our morning swim, and to the delight of my New Zealand-based colleagues, tried my first helping of "Weet Bix" for breakfast. Weet Bix is a proud sponsor of NZ's outrageously good rugby team the All Blacks, which throughout the 90s featured the amazing Jonah Lomu -- a superhuman player of Tongan heritage who is still a legend of the game. I don't understand the rules of rugby and rarely get to watch, but still marvel at the speed, agility and power of Lomu. Following his retirement, Lomu joined IFAW and other organizations giving his time and talent to draw attention to the plight of humpback whales targeted by the Government of Japan.

While romantic in concept, life on a boat means hard work and long days. Each person on board has a role and responsibility. As we begin our third day of the research voyage together, each member of our team assumes theirs. Mike is at the helm, animatedly yelling helpful instructions, Trish and Greg stand on the bow, at the ready with their cameras as we move slowly out to find the whales, Ellen is poised to plop her hydrophone in the water to pick up new song, and Patrick -- stands at the sink, scrubbing the plates, cups, saucers and cutlery from breakfast. "From each according to his ability!"

 

Dishes done and TP drying, we move out from the coast and encounter 15 whales over the course of the day. The animals are stingy about showing us their flukes. "Fluking right, fluking right," Mike yells. And then "Tease!" as the animal on the right dives without raising its distinctive tail. But the effort is worthwhile. The fluke catalog of the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium (SPRWC) now contains images from across Oceana, from researchers in Morea, New Caledonia, Roratonga, Tonga, Niue, Fijii and Samoa. These are painstakingly reviewed, analyzed and consolidated annually, offering world-class researchers and national, regional and international policymakers rare insights into the status of Oceanic humpbacks. Despite the welcome initial recovery in other humpback populations around the world, Oceana's humpbacks, the very whales the Government of Japan has announced it intends to target as part of its expanding "scientific" whaling program in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary around Antarctica, continue to lag well under historic levels. The reason? Illegal whaling conducted by the Soviet Union well after the ban on commercial hunting of humpback whales was imposed in the 1960s. In addition to generous annual support to the SPWRC, IFAW has also been pleased to assist researchers documenting the incredible scale of illegal Soviet whaling -- including the involvement of Japanese vessels and trade -- and the lasting impact it has had on Oceania's humpbacks. The stark twin lessons of this bloody history -- that bold whale conservation measures actually work, but only when they are meaningfully implemented and enforced by all parties -- are indispensable for anyone genuinely concerned with whale conservation in 2009.

As we photograph the mother and calf pairs we encounter for the rest of the afternoon, I am struck by the fact that half a world away, in Santiago, Chile this month and over the course of the months that follow, government bureaucrats from the 90-plus countries of the IWC will sit in well-insulated conference rooms struggling with these fundamental truths. Hopefully, their decisions will improve the chances that the baby humpbacks playfully splashing off the bow of our boat, will survive another season. I am pulled from my thoughts by the sound and spray of a massive male humpback leaping into the air a short distance in front of our boat. The power of the splash and concussion impact when it lands are astonishing. To our surprise and her delight, Trish has managed to capture a perfect shot of the humpback in mid-flight. No small feat!

 

Using hand signals and pantomime to communicate buying some fish from local fishermen we meet on the water and enjoy them with a delightful pineapple salsa Mike whips up for dinner that evening. I lay down on the floor of the upper deck that night with visions of leaping humpbacks still dancing in my head.

The next morning we head well offshore for a final series of survey runs before heading back to the Moorings to prepare for a public presentation that evening at The Aquarium, an outdoor restaurant just down the beach. Word has spread and we are greeted by more than 120 people -- yacht owners, whale watchers, tour operators and local business owners eager to learn about the team's work and what they can do to help protect Vavau's main tourist attraction -- the humpback whales!

As Mike introduces each of us and gives an excellent Power Point presentation about our work, I am once again struck by the passion each member of the audience has for protecting whales, their good questions, their receptiveness to our message, and their desire to get involved. "The whales swimming here off Vava'u and in oceans around the world face more threats today than at any time in history," I tell them. "And decisions our generation makes over the next five years will have a critical impact on their chances for survival." The children sitting on the ground up front, and the adults behind them, listen raptly for almost two hours before we finally adjourn for informal discussions. Person after person approaches to thank us for our work, and I am hopeful some of the connections made this evening will ultimately translate into meaningful support for IFAW's whale protection efforts in Vava'u and well beyond.

On board the Chatham Air Service flight back to Tongatapu the next morning I stare out the window at the fragile islands floating in the blue green sea below. I am tired but tan and happy, certain that the inspiration I have drawn from the whales themselves and the intrepid team of researchers onboard Sylvester will be like fresh fuel to the embers of my own passion and commitment as I travel to dry and distant conference rooms and political capitols over the months ahead. Onto Auckland, and then to Tokyo, the seat of political power in the Land of the Rising Sun. 

The following post is by Patrick Ramage, IFAW's Global Whale Program Director

We are all up and at 'em at 6:30 this morning, and will be quickly underway -- follwing an early morning swim!  Not wanting to tempt the fates too much, I stay close to the swim ladder, while the rest of them paddle about.  Trish and Ellen and I tease each other good naturedly about all the bloodthirsty sharks lurking just out of view.  In Tonga, this is a nervous joke.  There have been several shark attacks over the past decade including the death of a Peace Corps volunteer.  Local IFAW collaborator Felipe Tonga, a native of Vava'u, was severely bitten by a shark and lucky to survive.  

Rinsed and ready to face the day, we make our way slowly out from shore and take another kind of "dip", dropping the hydrophone listening device over the side so Ellen can take a listen and record any singing humpbacks in the area.  "I can hear some poor song in the distance," she tells me, "but nothing close by."  Humpback males all over the world sing songs, and they share the exact same song in specific regions, with slight variations across oceans.  Ellen is analyzing changes to Humpback song across the South Pacific and the process by which males across the region acquire, memorize and adapt and repeat the very same song for a full season, but then learn an entirely new song the following year.  Her delight in the study is contagious.  "I got the best song of the season so far yesterday," she gushes.  She let's me listen to her recording of the complex strains as we get underway.

As we move further out toward the deep waters off shore, a gorgeous wooden sailing vessel the Timata  a stunning modern replica of an ancient Polynesian "waca" or sailing canoe comes into view.   SPWRC scientist Nan Hauser is aboard together with 15 others including my longtime friend Jeff Pantukoff of the Whaleman Foundation and Magnus Danbolt, who until recently served as first mate of IFAW's  research vessel Song of the Whale.  It is a surprise and a  joy to see these friends from distant shores on the exotic, gorgeous vessel.  We call out greetings to each other and admire the mother and calf pair of humpbacks just off Timata's starboard side.    Nanny, the gifted Maori actor Rowry Paratene and the rest of the gang are filming on the vessel as the specially recruited team of sailors trains in the traditional sailing and navigation techniques used for millennia by the native people of this region, who conquered wind and waves to reach islands across the mighty Pacific without compass, map or GPS!  

We leave Timata and move on in search of whales, who prove elusive for the rest of the morning.  Mike teases me, telling the others it "wasn't so dull till Patrick came aboard," and that I must prefer it dull.   

Our luck changes at lunch time as two adult whales shadow the boat near shore.  As the five of us share bread, cheese and veggies, the whales repeatedly circle back to check on us out, and I am reminded of Charles Siebert's excellent recent article "Watching Whales Watching Us" in the New York Times magazine. Who, exactly, I wonder, is watching whom?  

For the rest of the afternoon, we are seemingly surrounded by whales, following individuals, pairs and mothers and calves hoping to capture fluke shots, unique sounds and skin samples left after breaching.  A breaching humpback, leaping from the water is one of the most impressive sights in all of nature, and it's impact on the water like an explosion.

 

As the sun begins to set that evening we make our way back to port, pausing to photograph  a mother and playful calf  we encounter on the way.  As darkness falls, Mike whips up some pasta and salad and we spend the evening ooohing and ahhing over the spectacular whale photos Trish, Ellen and Greg have captured that day.

The distant points of the Southern Cross and Orion are just as spectacular as I lay on the floor of the upper deck of the boat, happily stretched out on seat cushions and pillows, bedding down for the night.  I ponder the stars a while, listening to the tunes on my i-pod, then turn it off and try for sleep.  The evening is still and cool, and nothing but the sound of the waves lapping at the shore as I drift gently into the starry, starry night. 

 It’s a good thing that California has more parcels of ocean set aside as protected than most other states because a study published in today’s jounal Conservation Letters revels that every single spot of ocean off the California coast is adversely impacted by humans in one way or another. In fact, according to Ben Halpern, a scientist at the University of California Santa Barbara, the states oceans are affected by “10 to 15 human activities annually.”

This study looked at the location of twenty five human caused sources of ecological stress including commercial fishing, climate change, and land based sources of pollution and used this information to the composite map you see below.

Halpern says that the dramatic results mean that "Ocean management needs to move beyond single-sector management and towards comprehensive ecosystem-based management if it is to be effective at protecting and sustaining ocean health.”

These waters are also home to some of the most beautiful Marine Sanctuaries in existence and waters which are critical to many species of whale and dolphin. Blue Whales, the largest animal to ever live on earth, regularly migrate along these waters and Grey Whales migrate through these troubled waters annually on one of the longest known migrations between feeding grounds near the bearing sea and calving grounds in Baja California.

"The results are a wake-up call," Halpern says "We are significantly affecting the oceans."  This isn't just a wake up call for California, but one which echo’s continued plea’s to protect our oceans and the wildlife within them. Human's are impacting nearly every possible inch of ocean in a bad way and we're working for innovative solutions for both animals and people. Learn more about IFAW’s work on both the California grey whale and the critically endangered Western Pacific Grey Whale. By supporting IFAW you can help us protect these wonderful species and many others.

Volunteers are needed for a whale study in Iceland. The fieldwork primarily involves cetacean mapping and behaviour observations from a land-based station. Also, the fieldwork includes boat-based line-transect observations (1 – 2x a month) and behavioural observations during whale watching tours. 

Releasing a stranded animal is always an exhilarating experience, but there is a wide range of emotions that go through our heads whenever an animal is released. Often there is an initial sigh of relief after the arduous task of recovering, stabilizing, and transporting the dolphins. As you stand in the surf, squinting your eyes to try and spot a dorsal fin in the suns glare another question starts to quietly pop up in the back of your head. “How will I know if they’re ok?” Responders will ask themselves. As the dorsal fins disappear among the swells that question becomes a nagging one that’s always in the back of your mind. It used to be that if a stranded animal came ashore deceased you pretty much knew the rescue was a failure and if you never saw the animal again you hoped everything was ok.

Cape Cod juts out from the Massachusetts coast like a flexed arm and has historically been a hot spot for marine animal strandings due to this feature. It’s reputation held true with a stranding event yesterday in Wellfleet, MA. Often times whales, dolphins, and even sea turtles will be migrating along the coast and find themselves trapped on the beaches of Cape Cod. Yesterday morning a Fin whale and four Common Dolphins were reported to IFAW’s Marine Mammal Rescue Team. Instantly the team rapidly assembled a response and headed to Wellfleet.

While some marine mammals, such as seals, naturally spend time on shore, most everything else stays in the water. (ok, another exception that just popped in my head is Sea Turtles coming ashore to lay eggs) When a whale or dolphin winds up on land it’s a life threatening situation that requires quick action. With powerful tails (called a fluke) and a streamlined shape these have evolved to live life in the water. A whale that weighs 30-tons moves effortlessly through the water, but will quickly crush its internal organs under its own weight when on land.

Luckily the Fin whale was herded out to sea yesterday morning and when we arrived on scene four Common Dolphins were sitting on the frozen ground. IFAW’s Marine Mammal Rescue Team and lots of volunteers showed up to help out with the rescue. The animals appeared healthy so we carefully carried them in stretchers to IFAW’s Emergency Response vehicle waiting near by. A brief road trip to Provincetown at the very tip of Cape Cod and they were one step closer to freedom. The reason we move them to this location is so we can release them where they can easily access open ocean. One of the dolphins was outfitted with a satellite tag that enables us to monitor how effectively we do our job of rescuing dolphins. So far two transmissions from the tag shows the dolphin heading away from land and out to sea.

Just another ordinary day for IFAW Marine Mammal Rescue Team and thanks to their efforts a group of dolphins which would have otherwise perished, are swimming free.

Check out the pictures and map below!

Take a look at this map and you'll understand why Cape Cod is such a hot spot for strandings of marine mammals.
View Larger Map

In George Bush’s final days as President he surprised conservationists throughout the world by proclaiming several parcels of ocean as National Monuments. Under the little known Antiquities Act the president has the authority to declare something to be protected as national monument. While it does not have the same ecological significance as a National Marine Sanctuary in the United States, it does offer some recognition to particularly important oceanic habitats.

 Spanning about 195,000 square miles these new protected areas are 50 percent larger than all our national parks combined. About the size of Spain, they are just slightly bigger than the Phoenix Islands reserve established by the Pacific island-nation of Kiribati just last year. Kingman, Palmyra, Howland, Baker, Jarvis, Johnson and Wake Atolls ( known as the line islands.) as well as the Rose Atoll in Samoa have all be declared national monuments. Additionally, the Marianas Trench, the deepest spot on earth where only two humans have ever been, also received protection. These are some of the last few true wilderness areas on Earth. Due to their location within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone they’re also the newest protected areas of US territorial seas. Still, they represent just a fraction of what scientists consider an enough protected habitat to safeguard our sea. Despite the extreme remoteness of these areas, they’re still subject to all the threats our planet faces as a whole.

President Bush was undoubtedly the worst president in history when it comes to Ocean conservation, but looks like he made a few attempts to redeem himself in his final days in office. Now if only he hadn’t been such a huge supporter of offshore drilling, coal power, and put so much effort into disassembling the clean water act! Now that Bush is gone it will be exciting to see how Obama delivers on his promises of protection for the environment.

The U.S. departments of Interior and Commerce today jointly announced the availability of the final Framework for the National System of Marine Protected Areas of the United States, completing a cooperative, multi-year effort to provide a comprehensive approach to the protection of the nation’s natural and cultural marine treasures.

The National System of Marine Protected Areas is the first formal mechanism for coordinating MPAs across all levels of government. The agencies also announced the nomination process for federal, state, territorial, tribal and local sites to join the National System of Marine Protected Areas.

MPAs are defined areas where natural or cultural resources are given greater protection than the surrounding waters. In the U.S., these areas may span a range of habitats including the open ocean, coastal areas, inter-tidal zones, estuaries, and the Great Lakes.

“Today’s announcement highlights a new focus on working together across jurisdictions to conserve our common ocean heritage,” said Timothy Keeney, deputy assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere. “Through the national system of MPAs, we will have a more efficient, effective approach to conservation of the nation’s important natural and cultural marine resources.”

SEATTLE - Seven Puget Sound killer whales are missing and presumed dead in what could be the biggest decline among the sound's orcas in nearly a decade, scientists say. While the official census won't be completed until December, the total number of live orcas now stands at 83. Among those missing since last year's count are the nearly century-old leader of one of three pods, and two young females who recently bore calves. (AP)

A rare Blue Whale was sighted off the Massachusetts coast yesterday.  Blue Whales are the largest animals ever to have lived and can grow to be nearly 100 feet long and weigh close to 100 tons.  The whale was sighted during a research cruise by the Whale Center of New England.  Check out the story by clicking here.