Playful Short-beaked Common Dolphins, including quite a few calves, ride the bow wave of our research ship during a cetacean survey in 2015. I'm leaving to a take part in another survey in the North Atlantic & won't be back here again until mid-August. Take care, folks 🐬

Thank you to the amazing students @bayviewglenps1 for being such well informed passionate animal advocates!

I lost someone very close to me and just haven’t been in the mood for social media lately, but will be posting again soon! Thank you to all who’ve been sending me messages of concern, it was truly appreciated.

Except for the planktonic and nektonic organisms on Twitter, I can't imagine anybody else thinking that an endangered species like Whale Sharks are "hideous."

In 2015 Georgia Aquarium tried to buy 18 Russian Belugas captured from the same Sea of Okhotsk population that the notorious Srednyaya Bay "Whale Jail" belugas were later taken from, but a Federal judge issued a ruling denying the importation of the whales.

Georgia Aquarium is one of the absolute worst facilities in the captive cetacean industry. They’ve had 8 Belugas die there since they first began keeping the whales in 2007. Every Beluga calf born at Georgia Aquarium has died since 2012, all within just days of their birth.

Good News! New Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale Calf Spotted Off Cumberland Island: This marks the 14th calf recorded this season. North Atlantic Right whales are in danger of extinction with fewer than 350 remaining. https://t.co/mwZdziK71z

The Vaquita porpoise has been a critically endangered species since 1996, so there was plenty of time for the U.S. & Mexican governments to do something about saving them and yet they chose to do nothing until almost the last possible moment.

There was an ill-advised attempt to capture Vaquitas for a captive breeding program in 2017. The team captured two porpoises: One, a calf, had to be released because it was stressed; the other, an adult female, died before it could be released. The program was quickly abandoned.

I pointed out years ago when the surviving Vaquitas left fell below the critical threshold of 50, it was unlikely the species could be saved. Functional extinction would happen when tiny population remaining cannot sustain itself due to inbreeding depression & genetic drift.

U.S. Files Environmental Complaint on Mexico for Not Protecting Nearly-Extinct Vaquita Porpoise: Mexico has largely abandoned all attempts to enforce a fishing-free zone in the Vaquita's habitat. As few as 10 Vaquitas now remain in the Gulf of California. https://t.co/Y74ybwYbxd

Police Investigate Deaths of 2 Sea Eagles Reintroduced to the Isle of Wight: The number of birds of prey shot, trapped or poisoned hit record levels last year. It's almost a certainty these two white-tailed sea eagles were deliberately killed by hunters. https://t.co/S56tDTFAca

Tokitae — as she was named by Lummi Nation — was stolen from Puget Sound during a sad chapter of PNW history when whale catchers drove baby orcas into coves, trapped and shipped them across the country. Many are still fighting for her return 50+ years later.

Some of the Gray whales I’ve been seeing lately have a noticeable post-cranial dip behind their head where fat deposits should be (top), indicating malnourishment and poor health, while a healthy whale's head should look like the bottom photo.

video by Mark Girardeau

Some of the Gray whales I’ve been seeing lately have a noticeable post-cranial dip behind their head where fat deposits should be (top), indicating malnourishment and poor health, while a healthy whale's head should look like the bottom photo.

Much of the early research points to climate change as the main culprit behind the Gray whales precipitous population decline. As Arctic sea ice continues to retreat, the whales have to travel further north to find diminishing quantities of gammarid amphipods, their primary prey.

Fantastic drone video of a Gray whale mom & her calf migrating south towards the calving lagoons of Baja California. I've been recording fewer Gray whales sightings lately than in previous years as the population has dropped from an estimated 27,000 in 2018 to about 19,000 today.

Lolita the Orca Is Sick at Miami Seaquarium: An earlier Federal inspection of the park showed that virtually none of the animals kept there are being properly cared for. Lolita’s living conditions at the Seaquarium are "legally and ethically unacceptable." https://t.co/e5CeJOfZnl

This is so awesome. And a welcome break from chaos in Ottawa.

narwhal childe engaging in whale memes https://t.co/GbatqyUr2e — awe yeah hes got the tuna drip https://t.co/kt1iaEawrz