Seeing, hearing the beaked whales

A beaked whale is any of at least twenty species of small whale in the family Ziphiidae.

They are one of the least-known families of large mammals: several species have only been described in the last two decades, and it is entirely possible that more remain as yet undiscovered. Six genera have been identified.

Whilst sailing (or drifting as we were at the time) from Portugal to Lanzarote we enjoyed the company of these two beautiful beaked whales for most of the afternoon and early evening. One was a lot more curious than the other.

Three of these, Indopacetus, the Hyperoodon and the Mesoplodon, are united in a single subfamily, the Hyperoodontinae.

Beaked whales are creatures of the ocean deeps, feeding, so far as is known, on or near the sea floor. They have an extraordinary ability to dive for long periods—20 to 30 minutes is common, and 85 minute dives have been recorded—and to great depths: 1,899 metres and possibly more.

Blainville's beaked whale.
Image courtesy of Victor Gonzalez Otaola, University of La Laguna, taken under permit from the government of the Canary Islands.

The Blainville beaked whale is seen around the Canaries
Environment correspondent Richard Black joins researchers on board the yacht Song of the Whale as they look and listen for whales around the Canary Islands.

Beaked whales are probably the least understood large mammals on the planet, but sound can help us track their mysterious movements.

MONDAY 29 SEPTEMBER: FIRST SIGHT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7634123.stm

Two months after Cyclone Nargis flounced across Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta, taking an approximately 134,000 lives and destroying crucial farm lands the military rulers are as secretive as ever and its people still linger far and removed from the rest of the world.

Burmese saved by survival instincts

SEVEN weeks have passed since Cyclone Nargis swept through the Irrawaddy Delta in southern Burma, leaving a trail of flattened villages and broken lives and arousing international sympathy that turned to anguish as the military government obstructed foreign aid.

While it is estimated that the cyclone may have killed 130,000 people, the number of lives lost subsequently is much lower than at first feared, in part because of the resilience of villagers used to coping with a brutal junta.

Reports from Burma, obtained despite heavy media restrictions which don't allow this journalist to give their name, find relief workers continuing to criticise the government's secretive posture.

They say the main problems include an obsession with security, restrictions on foreign aid experts, and weeks of dawdling that has left bloated bodies befouling waterways and survivors marooned with little food.

But the specific character of the cyclone, the hardiness of villagers and aid efforts by private citizens have helped prevent further death and sickness, according to aid workers

More...

news.scotsman.com/Burmese-saved-by-survival-instincts

One day you've got everything and the next absolutely nothing, but there's hoipe since we're going to help out!

DEADLIEST RECENT STORMS

Hurricane Katrina, US, 2005 - at least 1,836 dead
Orissa Cyclone, 1999, Northern India - at least 10,000 dead
Hurricane Mitch, 1998, Central America - at least 11,000 dead
Typhoon Thelma, 1991, Philippines - 6,000 dead
Bangladesh cyclone, 1991 - about 138,000 dead
Bhola cyclone, 1970 - at least 300,000 dead

Animated guide: Hurricanes

Burmese storm toll 'tops 10,000'

More than 10,000 people were killed in a devastating cyclone that hit western Burma on Saturday, Foreign Minister Nyan Win has said on state TV.

He said his government was ready to accept international assistance. Aid shipments are now being prepared.

Thousands of survivors of Cyclone Nargis are lacking shelter, drinking water, power and communications, but in many regions help has not yet arrived.

Five regions in which 24 million people live have been declared disaster zones.

Read more!

So now the big question is, where's all that money stored? Can the authorities get the money back? If yes, will the government keep it, and on what grounds can they? Could the victims get their money back? How long will this take to be ironed out for a fair deed?

Amelie

NZ teen convicted of cyber crime

A New Zealand teenager accused of being the ringleader of an international cyber-crime network has been convicted. Owen Thor Walker, 18, admitted six charges of using computers for illegal purposes and will be sentenced in May.

Police allege the group infiltrated more than one million computers and used them to skim at least $20.4m (£10.3m) from private bank accounts. He was detained last November as part of an FBI investigation into global botnets - networks of hijacked PCs.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7323733.stm

Pages: 1 2

The symbolic campaign was launched last year in Sydney, Australia, and 24 cities took part on Saturday. Environment Minister Jane Davidson said it was a "simple yet powerful way" to show how everyone can play their part.

The minister said: "Climate change is one of the greatest challenges we all face today and cutting down on the energy we use will be one of the most effective ways to reduce the C02 emissions that contribute to climate change."

Assembly government offices in Cathays Park, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Carmarthen, Llandrindod Wells, Caernarfon and Colwyn Bay all took part in the one-hour blackout.

Nelley has done a brilliant VIDEO about Earth Hour.... here

Phil Jenkins took this picture of Sydney Harbour Bridge just before they switched off the lights during 'Earth Hour'.

This was the first one in 2007!

Sydney in climate change blackout

Lights have been turned off across Australia's largest city, Sydney, in a hour-long event aimed at raising awareness of global warming.

At 1930 (0930 GMT) the city's skyline dimmed and normally bright landmarks like the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge went dark.

The so-called Earth Hour is supported by the New South Wales government, environmental groups and businesses.

Sydney hopes the event will make a very big statement on climate change.

The city of four million people is aiming to become the first anywhere to achieve a blackout on this scale.

The BBC's Phil Mercer, in Sydney, says by and large Sydney had never been this dark.

He says lights were off in the majority of the central business district's office blocks and large parts of the suburbs were also in darkness.

Read more!

Rhinos are hefty mammals, second in size to the elephant, with limited eye sight, with dire temper but outstanding to look at. Unfortunately there aren't too many left these days due to poaching. Rhino horns are used for a mythical medicinal purposes, is much prized in the Middle East and the Far East whereas it’s seen as valuable as gold.

The WWF's African Rhino Programme is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Until the mid-1990s, many feared that the animals were staring extinction in the face as a result of extensive hunting. Since 1995, the population of the critically endangered black rhino has grown, on average, by 4.5% each year.

Factsheet: African Rhinoceros

08 Mar 2006

Just 150 years ago, Africa's savannas teemed with rhinos and other wildlife. However, relentless hunting by European settlers saw rhino numbers and distribution quickly decline. The southern white rhino particularly suffered from this colonization, and in the late 19th century was actually thought to be extinct.

www.panda.org/news_facts/publications/

If you have never been to New Zealand:

Rotorua is one of the very well known thermal wonderland of New Zealand. Its hot springs and geysers have attracted tourists for over a hundred years.

click on the image to see more

If you have never been lucky enough and favourable to hike to the top of any mountain in Auckland (NZ), as you may be fortunate to see from up there the hazy clouds floating on the plane, that seemed to be designed by nature as a reward for anyone to make the trek up there… then you have never witness the best sunset as I have seen the mystical thermal wonderland of Rotorua...

Amelie

Rotorua sits on the shores of Lake Rotorua. There are several other lakes nearby. Along with the geothermal wonders, there are also the more usual water activities such as fishing and boating.

More here: ...

Map of Roturua

MORE "IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN" at Nelley's other spiritual trip...