Saving Lolita Special ~ Captive Orcas

Help work towards Marine Captivity Ban! Stop the Miami Seaquarium.
HELP BRING LOLITA HOME!
Shelby Proie on CNN Headline News with Lolita's story. (more)

Saving Lolita Special, six part special on YouTube:


Saving Lolita Special -part 1
From: PSam1776
Added: April 29, 2008
youtube.com/watch?v=gLM-BJzHDnU&feature=related
posted by PSam1776 on YouTube. Part 1 of 6.
daring and controversial documentary that may just change the way we view wild animals in entertainment.

On Mother's Day 2002, Valerie Silidker and Tim Gorski set out to uncover the real life story of the world's oldest performing whale. Their journey delivered them from Miami Florida to San Juan Island. The intimate, heart-rending tale unfolded before them as they unearthed many heavily guarded secrets of the multi-billion dollar Marine Theme Park industry.

Viewers travel with Gorski and Silidker as they visit Lolita's immediate family in the wild and interview the renowned orca biologist Ken Balcomb who wants her back.

A whale hunter hired to capture Lolita and hide crucial evidence finally comes clean after 33 years.

Former Flipper trainer turned activist/writer Ric O'Barry exposes the lies as he speaks out against the industry, which made him a star.

And self-proclaimed "abusement park" slayer Russ Rector takes no prisoners in his relentless campaign against marine mammal exploitation. Together, armed with little more than a camera and a voice, they confront a very powerful industry.

Experience the sad life of Lolita the killer whale who has been caught in a net of lies for over 3 decades. Littered with Haunting Images and painful sound bites, Lolita: Slave to Entertainment offers audiences an engaging peek behind closed doors, exposing an entire industry of injustices, greed, and lies. Make no mistakes, this is no "Free Willy"; there is no Hollywood ending here.

This Provocative and Revealing must-see documentary uniquely addresses man's relationship with wildlife. It speaks not only to animal lovers and activists, but to anyone at all who may have been duped by marine theme park propaganda. In fact, this is the film that an entire industry would rather you not see. And whether you like it or not, Lolita is assured to ignite conversation -- if not heated debate.
Category: Education
Tags: whales dolphins Documentary orca lolita

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www.orcanetwork.org/captivity/captivity.html

Update: January 23, 2008 (Newsweek magazine) For more than a decade, Howard Garrett has worked tirelessly out of his home on Whidbey Island, Wash., to return an orca whale named Lolita to her native waters. In 1995--inspired by the campaign to release Keiko, the "Free Willy" whale--he teamed with local politicians, offering the Florida aquarium where Lolita works a million dollars to reunite her with the pod of whales she grew up with, off the coast of Washington state. In 1997, he spent two years in Miami--unpaid--working to garner public attention for Lolita's cause; after nearly four decades in captivity, she's served her time, Garrett believes. Every year since then, his organization, the nonprofit advocacy group Orca Network, has held a beachside commemoration of the day Lolita was plucked from her family in the icy waters of Puget Sound.
But 12 years is a long time for anyone to stay committed--even in the Pacific Northwest, where the orca is treated as an icon. "There have been times I've wanted to give up," Garrett says. "Everyone keeps telling us it's hopeless, and even when there's a surge of enthusiasm, eventually it dwindles."
In late November, however, Garrett got a call that, in spite of his usual doubts, stirred the fight inside him. Raul Julia-Levy, the Hollywood producer and son of actor Raul Julia, wanted to sign on to help free Lolita, and with him, promised to bring every last Hollywood contact he could persuade. He immediately put Garrett on the phone with the wife of Jean Claude Van Damme, and within days, had a list that included Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford and even 50 Cent. Now Levy says he's got a benefit concert in the works that will include R&B singer Truth Hurts, Snoop Dogg and 50 (who did not return NEWSWEEK requests for comment, though Levy says "the man loves animals like you have no idea"). Nearly a dozen local politicians have signed on, as well. "We have some of the most powerful Hollywood producers behind this campaign, and I have spoken with some of the most prominent scientists in this field," Levy says. "This beautiful animal does not deserve to die in a stinky little tank, and we are not going to take less than a full victory." (more)

Brian Skerry, underwater photographer

http://www.brianskerry.com/commercial.html

Commercial Assignment

In addition to his editorial work, Brian Skerry is also available for commercial assignments. If your campaign involves anything underwater from a swimming pool to sharks in the sea, Brian will deliver the results you want.

Over his thirty-year career, Brian has worked with art directors and coordinators to produce specific looks to images and campaigns. We use a wide variety of lighting equipment and techniques from surface and underwater HMI lighting (movie lights), banks of underwater strobes, slaves, tungsten lights and more to create the perfect image.

We also have underwater communication equipment, so the art director doesn’t ever have to get wet! Surface communications equipment allows directors to talk to Brian underwater and make adjustments until the shot is in the can. The combination of underwater communication gear and digital cameras and feeds to surface monitors make underwater shoots easy for the surface team to direct.

Swimming pools can be turned into studios where fashion models or athletes are photographed in stunning detail. Or if the campaign requires ponds, lakes, coral reefs or the deep sea, we’ve got you covered.

For commercial assignments, Brian is represented by National Geographic Assignments. For more information please contact Alice Keating at akeating@ngs.org and visit www.nationalgeographicassignment.com

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Brian speaking at the Boston Sea Rovers clinic, 2003.

Upcoming Events

For nearly two decades Brian has presented programs to tens of thousands of people in numerous locations worldwide. His adventurous programs combine stunning imagery with science, environmental issues, unique historical perspectives and an entertaining sense of humor. Using a fresh speaking style, Brian will take the audience around the world and deep beneath the sea. He will guide you inside and around historic shipwrecks and bring you eye to eye with mythical sea monsters.

Programs can be tailored to specific audiences ranging from corporate executives to first grade children. For corporate audiences, themes such as risk management, perseverance and teamwork can be highlighted through Brian’s experiences in planning and executing complex expeditions.

Brian’s lectures also offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at how his photographs are made. While on assignment Brian has been lost at sea, nipped by a shark, chased by a sperm whale, "stabbed" by a German U-Boat and once surfaced in a blizzard from a dive in 28-degree water to witness his dive boat sinking. These personal anecdotes of “surviving the assignment” are often more compelling than the story itself!

Brian is also available for book signings either in conjunction with speaking engagements or separately. Signings can be accompanied by an arrangement of Brian's Fine Art Prints on lighted easels, grouped behind the signing table, creating the perfect backdrop.

Periodically Brian offers underwater photography workshops in locations throughout the Unites States and around the world. The dates and locations of workshops will be posted on this page.

To schedule a presentation or workshop with Brian Skerry, or for more information, please contact us.
Lectures

February 29, 2008 – NANPA (North American Nature Photographers of America) Annual Summit – Keynote Speaker, Outreach Event – Destin, Florida

April 23, 2008 – Tri-Beta National Biological Honor Society,
Worcester State College, Annual Induction Ceremony –
Worcester, Massachusetts

July 24, 2008 – Massachusetts Audubon Society, Visual Arts Center
Canton, Massachusetts

October 31, 2008 – WildPhotos 08, Royal Geographical Society
London, England

November 6, 2008 National Geographic Society,
Masters of Photography Series, Grosvenor Auditorium -
Washington, DC

February 13-15, 2009 – Whale Quest Conference
Kapalua Resort, Maui, Hawaii
Exhibits

Ocean Wild – Audubon Visual Arts Center,
May 18 – September 21, 2008
Canton, Massachusetts

Right Whale ~ photos by Brian Skerry

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1062892/Pictured-A-photographers-close-encounter-majestic-right-whale.html

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:14 PM on 26th September 2008

This is the amazing moment when a 50-ton right whale decided it needed to take a closer look at a wildlife photographer and his assistant. Pictured: A photographer's very close encounter with a majestic right whale

Brian Skerry, underwater photographer, was shooting pictures off the coast of Aukland Islands, New Zealand, when the giant mammal came within a few feet of his colleague Maurricio Handler.

He said: 'It look at me with great curiosity. But no aggression.'

Right whales are baleen whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Four right whale species are recognised in this genus. Photos by Brian Skerry of right whale.



Hello there: the right whales takes a closer look at photographer's assistant Maurricio Handler. Whale and Man Meet

Sometimes the family Balaenidae is considered to be the family of right whales. Bowhead Whale, which has its own genus, Balaena also belongs to the Balaenidae family, and so is sometimes considered a right whale. However, this article focuses on the Eubalaena species.

Right whales can grow up to 60 feet long and weigh up to 100 tons. Their rotund bodies are mostly black, with distinctive callosities (roughened patches of skin) on their heads.

They are called 'right whales' because whalers thought the whales were the 'right' ones to hunt, as they float when killed and often swim within sight of the shore.

Populations were vastly reduced by intensive harvesting during the active years of the whaling industry. Today, instead of hunting them, people often watch these acrobatic whales for pleasure.



Graceful: The giant mammal seemed to perform a beautiful dance for the photographer. Whale dance by Brian Skerry




Up and away: Two right whales swim towards the surface

The four Balaenidae species live in distinct locations. Approximate population figures: 300 North Atlantic Right Whales live in the North Atlantic; 200 North Pacific Right Whales live in the North Pacific; 7,500 Southern Right Whales are spread throughout the southern part of the Southern Hemisphere; 8,000–9,200 Bowhead Whales are distributed entirely in the Arctic Ocean.

The right whale's diet consists primarily of zooplankton and tiny crustaceans such as copepods, as well as krill, and pteropods, although they are occasionally opportunistic feeders.

They feed by "skimming" along with their mouth open. Water and prey enters the mouth but only the water can pass through the baleen and out again into the open sea.

Thus, for a right whale to feed, the prey must occur in sufficient numbers to trigger the whale's interest; be large enough that the baleen plates can filter it; and be small enough that it does not have the speed to escape.

The "skimming" may take place on the surface, underwater, or even close to the ocean's bottom, indicated by mud occasionally observed on right whales' bodies.

The full story of the right whale is in the October 2008 issue of National Geographic.

Map of New Zealand:

Right Whale

RIGHT WHALE by Jeffrey C. Domm


Southern Right Whale or Eubalaena australis is on average 16 - 18 metres long. It is rotund, with a large girth relative to its length, and an enormous head - approximatley 1/3 the length of its body. Southern right whales do not have dorsal fins; their flippers are broad and relatively short. Southern right whales weigh between 36,000 - 73,000 kg. For more information, visit http://www.rightwhale.ca/




North Atlantic right whale raising its
smooth-edged, all-black tail high out of the water.

North Atlantic right whales have been roaming the ocean for thousands of years. Over 800 years of extensive hunting for their valuable baleen and oil resulted in a significant decline in their population. Despite being protected internationally since 1935, the species is still hovering on the brink of extinction - only about 400 remain. (more)


Rightwhale.ca was created to highlight and publicize ongoing conservation and stewardship efforts for right whales in Canadian waters.

Man and whale sharks in Mozambique

whale shark man swimming
A man swims with a feeding whale shark in Indian Ocean off Mozambique.
http://dsc.discovery.com/sharks/shark-pictures/whale-shark-pictures.html

Turtle Graveyard

(Neil Osborne contributed photo)
Santa Cruz researchers identify largest turtle graveyard in world
Genevieve Bookwalter - Sentinel staff writer, 10/22/2008

SANTA CRUZ -- Two Santa Cruz scientists have pinpointed a Baja California beach as the sandy graveyard of more dead sea turtles than anywhere else in the world, and they blame poor fishing practices for the deaths.

Next week one of the researchers plans to visit Mexico City and ask the Mexican government to create an ocean preserve to limit fishing off Baja California Sur to help stop the turtle deaths.

"Our goal is to convert that knowledge into some kind of action that makes that part of the ocean safer for animals," said Davenport researcher Wallace J. Nichols with the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

"We weren't counting them just for the heck of it," Nichols said. "There was an agenda, and that was to make sure these animals don't go extinct."

Nichols and UC Santa Cruz graduate student Hoyt Peckham have spent the past five years counting dead loggerhead sea turtles along the 43-kilometer Playa San Lazaro, near Lopez Mateos in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

During that half-decade, researchers counted nearly 3,000 loggerhead carcasses on the beach. Peckham and Nichols estimated that the two fishing fleets in nearby waters killed 1,500 to nearly 3,000 loggerhead turtles each year. Those deaths were caused by long lines and gill nets on the sea floor, Nichols said, which hook or trap the turtles and stop them from surfacing to breathe.

"We saw what are apparently the highest documented stranding and fisheries bycatch rates in the world," said Peckham, lead author of a research paper published last week in a special issue of Endangered Species Research.

Visiting the pristine Playa San Lazaro is not easy: Scientists must take a boat across the bay from Lopez Mateos, then four-wheel drive on a "cardboard highway" over barrier-island sand dunes to the breakers. The cardboard was put down years ago to help trucks gain traction as they navigate the sand.

Nichols spotted the magnitude of the turtle deaths when he first visited Playa San Lazaro 10 years ago. He and Peckham are now working with local fishermen to build tourism based on seeing the turtles, making them more valuable alive than dead, Nichols said.

Nichols plans to petition the Mexican government to create an ocean preserve limiting fishing in the waters off Playa San Lazaro, similar to the reserves in place off of the California coast.

The new research draws attention to the devastating effect small fisheries can have in biological "hot spots," Nichols said. Until now, he said, conservation efforts focused more on the effects of larger fisheries than small ones.

Peckham saw the findings as an opportunity. "By working with just a handful of fishermen to diminish their bycatch, we can save hundreds of turtles," Peckham said.
Contact Genevieve Bookwalter at 706-3286 or gbookwalter@santacruzsentinel.com.

Save Our Seas Foundation

Save Our Seas Foundation
Awareness, protection, preservation and conservation of the global marine environment are the heart of the Save Our Seas Foundation's mission.
www.saveourseas.com

Save Our Seas Foundation - Manta Rays, Mozambique
PUBLICATIONS · PRIVACY POLICY · TERMS OF USE · INTRANET. © 2000 - 2008 Save Our Seas Foundation.
www.saveourseas.com/manta-rays-mozambique

Project Leader: Andrea Marshall
Manta Rays, Mozambique

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently lists manta rays (Manta birostris) as ‘near threatened’. It’s known that several populations around the world are severely depleted, but not enough scientific work has been carried out to properly assess the species as a whole. Almost nothing is known about their population ecology, use of critical habitat, movements or reproduction, all of which are vital in order to accurately assess the state of the species.

As part of project leader Andrea Marshall’s PhD thesis for the University of Queensland, SOSF is currently funding a five-year project in Mozambique to enable her to carry out a unique in-depth study of the biology and behaviour of manta rays.

Andrea Marshall ~ Women Divers Hall of Fame

Manta Mania in Yap May 24-30, 2007 Famous Biologist Andrea Marshall and Photo Pro Tim Rock


Women Divers Hall of Fame

http://www.wdhof.org/scholarships/2004scholarships.shtml

Hillary Viders, Ph.D. 2004 Scholarship

A scholarship awarded to a qualified woman of any age, diver or non-diver, who is enrolled in an accredited academic or research program in the field of marine science and conservation.

Awarded To: Andrea Marshall

Andrea Marshall is an avid underwater photographer and marine biologist whose documented scientific expeditions have appeared in various books and magazines worldwide. She holds Marine Biology degrees from the University of California and the University of Queensland, Australia. Andrea specializes in the study of sharks and rays. Currently she is researching a population of many rays off the coast of Eastern Africa in rural Mozambique. She plans to use her scholarship to pay for expenses related to her field work.

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http://www.shootunderwater.com/

2008/9 Yap Manta Seminar and Indo Trips



(Dr. Andrea Marshall pictured above) This will be a week of combined science, underwater photography and fun with Dr. Andrea Marshall and Tim Rock. (more)
www.shootunderwater.com

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Trip: http://shootunderwater.com/_wsn/page2.html

Manta Mania in May - Yap, Micronesia Manta Ray Bay Hotel & Yap Divers are proud to host Manta Mania 24th - 31st May 2008. This will be a week of combined science, underwater photography and fun with Dr. Andrea Marshall and Tim Rock. Andrea is the founder of the Mozambique Manta Research Project and is doing some ground-breaking work in the area of manta study and marine science. Tim is a Lonely Planet author and Micronesia-based photojournalist as well as expert Manta shooter. They will be on the dive boats daily along with Manta Man Bill Acker. The week will include a number of manta dives as well as reefs and walls. Evenings will feature captivating film shows and seminars by Dr. Marshall and Rock about mantas and diving in Yap and throughout the world. Manta Mania participants will do more than dive. They will learn about identifying manta rays and kick-start the Yap Manta Ray ID program. Their photographs and observations will be used as part of a global comparative study on Manta Rays. Ask for Code TR01 and get the 7 night / 10 Dive Packages starting from $1229.00 per person. For more details, visit contact: "Manta Ray General Manager" gm@mantaray.com.

Manta Ray Research, Mozambique

Manta Ray & Whale Shark Research Centre, Mozambique

http://mozmarinescience.googlepages.com/mantarayresearch



Excerpt: Over 600 individuals have been identified at Manta Reef, making the Mozambican Manta Photo Database the largest scientific manta database in the world. [FMP data base]

News : Research : Conservation : Education : Get involved : Adopt a fish! : About us : Sponsors

Andrea Marshall is the founder of the Mozambique Manta Research Project and is doing some ground-breaking work in the area of manta study and marine science.