SPOTLIGHT ON NARWHAL WHALES

The narwhal is a toothed whale of the dolphin family, which ranges in size from 12.5-16.4 ft, excluding the tusk and can weigh up to 3,528 pounds. The narwhal is considered near threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), which is the world’s main authority on the conservation status of species. The tusk of the narwhal is actually a tooth, which protrudes from their skull. A variety of functions have been suggested for the tusk, such as feeding or sound transmission, but none has been confirmed. The narwhal is mainly found in the Canadian Artic and in Greenland waters. They have a varied diet, which include fish such cod, halibut and deep-sea squid. An estimated 500 narwhals are trapped in ice on the northern end of Canada’s Baffin Island and are being killed by the local Inuit population. The narwhals are reportedly breathing through cracks in the ice that are slowly closing. The closest open water is 30 miles away.

DOLPHIN MANUAL

“All about Dolphins” provides information about dolphins, their daily lives and the dangers they are exposed to. With the involvement of the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), and TUI AG, the dolphin manual has been produced and distributed in eight languages.

The manual can be downloaded in all eight languages at:
www.yod2008.org

DOLPHINS ARE REALLY WHALES !

Did you know that dolphins are really small, toothed whales? Here is a shot of a humpback in Antarctica taken in the Gerlach Strait in February 2006. The photo was taken by international award winning photographer Sebastian Copeland, who traveled to Antarctica to photograph the frozen tundra and its unique marine life. He recently published a book called Antarctica The Global Warming. For more information, check out the website at:

www.antarcticabook.com

DOLPHINS IN THE NEWS

Dolphins rescued by IFAW sighted at sea
March 29, 2010

Dolphin found beached in Norwalk
March 29, 2010

Study urged on rising dolphin deaths
March 24, 2010

New digs for Winter the Dolphin
March 24, 2010

Workshop to focus on technology on dolphin conservation
March 23, 2010

SeaWorld trainers now tend killer whales from a distance
March 22, 2010

Dolphin rescued from fishing line, twice
March 19, 2010

Turkish captive dolphin site protested
March 19, 2010

9 of 16 dolphins rescued at Cape Cod
March 12, 2010

11-day-old dolphin calf at National Aquarium dies
March 11, 2010

Killer whales don’t kill people in the wild
February 25, 2010

Death at SeaWorld reopens killer whale debate
February 25, 2010

DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN DOLPHINS AND PORPOISES?



Porpoises are smaller than dolphins and swim much faster. Porpoises have rounder faces. Dolphins and porpoises are actually both small whales.

UNITED NATIONS CAMPAIGN
“YEAR OF THE DOLPHIN” RECOGNIZES
PIER2PIER AS TOP INITIATIVE

Pier2Pier has been recognized as one of the top 20 achievements of the Year of the Dolphin campaign. Supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Year of the Dolphin (YOD) in 2008 is a joint initiative between the

United Nations Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and its dedicated regional agreements on dolphin conservation as well as the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS). Year of the Dolphin raises awareness of dolphin species and informs decision makers. Pier2Pier is an initiative under YOD.

More information about YOD can be found at www.yod2008.org

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