The all mighty whale!!
Humans and whales have significant biological similarities bonding them in the group of mammals. We nourish our young with milk we produce naturally, breathe oxygen through a set of lungs and are warm-blooded.
Although whales are thought to have evolved partly from terrestrial ancestry, they have adapted to life underwater, capable of absorbing more oxygen than mammals on earth.
Along their journeys in the ocean, whales may go without sleep for up to 3 months, without food for 8 months, and wait as long as 2 hours between surface breaths!
Let's protect whales!! ♥
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learning and read this
Thank you for visiting Eco-Odyssey's "Learning and Read This" page!
Here we would like to offer our young visitors the opportunity to have access to interesting and valuable resources dealing with our planet's environment and especially issues pertaining to our mother ocean...
Books, videos, links, and articles will be continually posted so please feel free to read and learn as much as you want!!!
December 17th, 2011
Will we be 'Finding Nemo' in the future?
With the 2003 release of 'Finding Nemo', many of the ocean's hidden treasures came to life, and the enchanting characters of the film, from Nemo the Clownfish to Bruce the shark, brought marine wildlife into our homes and hearts.
Beneath the waves lies an aquatic world with magical webs of life, with creatures too small to see and others too large to fathom. However, like in 'Finding Nemo', the underwater world must contend with a growing human presence above and beneath the waves. Although Nemo was poached from the sea by a man looking to fill his aquarium, there are other threats to marine life such as over-fishing, pollution and habitat degradation.
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 1 in 6 species from 'Finding Nemo' is vulnerable to extinction. Although hard to imagine the wonderful characters from the film loosing their habitat or being fished out of the sea, this is the reality for many of the real creatures found in our oceans.
Marine turtles like 'Squirt' and 'Crush' and 1/2 of all Hammerhead sharks like 'Anchor' are endangered with extinction. Each year, thousands of marine turtles are still hunted in parts of the world, especially in areas where it is tradition to consume turtle meat. Destructive fishing methods such as long-lining and drift-nets claim the lives of innocent turtles every year when the animals get caught in fishing gear.
'Bruce' and 'Chum' tried hard to curb their fishy diets in 'Finding Nemo', but unfortunately they would be facing far more serious challenges if they swam in our seas. Today, over 73 million sharks are killed each year, and these global hunts are taking place in large part due to a high demand for 'shark fin soup'. For thousands of years, Chinese culture has regarded the shark's fin as a sign of affluence or 'high class', and therefore the tradition of the soup evolved by serving the dish at important functions like banquets and weddings. Today, Asian cultures still identify with the soup, which creates a huge demand for the fins, and is therefore contributing to a huge decline in most shark species on our planet.
Remember 'Mr.Ray'? He was the wise Eagle ray who taught Nemo and his friends at school, and although there are a multitude of different species of rays roaming our oceans, the Eagle ray is today threatened along with the majestic Manta ray.
Sometimes we need to be reminded of the things that we cherish (like beautiful ocean wildlife!), and shown that we can always learn from the world around us. Especially when is comes to our living environment.
"Human beings are the stewards of the earth and we are responsible for protecting the species that share our environment" -Simon Stewart, chair of IUCN Species Survival Commission.
Love, and play and nurture your environment. Without our forests, oceans, and the millions of animals that support them, life on earth would cease to exist.
All cartoon images © of Disney & Pixar's 2003 Finding Nemo.
This article was sourced from the IUCN news relearse 'Saving Nemo: Charisma is not enough". December 13th, 2011. http://www.iucnredlist.org/news/saving-nemo
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August 13th, 2011
The Evolution of whales-The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) takes us back in time to explain where modern day whales come from...
The whales that call our oceans home today are very different from the early mammals that are part of their ancestry.
Ancestry: This term refers to individual species which share a genetic (biological) relationship, a common decent with older primitive animals known to have lived on earth.
According to various studies and archeological findings, early records of whales have been found in fossils discovered in certain areas of Egypt, Pakistan, and the U.S. (United States).
Fossils: These are remains or traces of animals preserved over time. Leaving an indent or bone specimen embedded in rock, findings called "fossils" are usually a minimum of 10,000 years old!
The Basilosaurus and the Ambulocetus are two species thought to have lived millions of years ago, and have specific attributes and characteristics leading researchers to confirm they were part of the great whale ancestry.
Basilosaurus: First believed to have been reptilian sea monsters or ancient lizards, Basilosaurus fossils were originally found in America (U.S.) and later suggests that they were in fact the "Giant whales" of their time. Possessing mammalian sets of teeth, fossils also showed the presence of short legs tracing early whales back to a terrestrial (living on land) past.
Ambulocetus: Possibly an early form of 'whale', skeletal remains of Ambulocetus show a set of legs probably used for propulsion and a similar method of hearing as modern whales. With no external ears, these species are likely to have felt vibrations through their jawbone. Called the "walking whale", Amulocetus looked like a furry Crocodile, but was actually on its way to becoming the biggest ocean mammals on earth!
Here are two videos created by the BBC to re-create what the behaviour and appearance of these ancient species would have been like:
Evolution-Giant Whales-BBC Science
Primitive Whale-BBC Science
August 7th, 2011
Here is a fun and educational video, great for kids interested in the ocean and all the special creatures that live below the ocean's surface!!
"JUST SO DARWIN" is a series of short video clips created by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) that are perfect for young children and adults alike. With talking animal characters, this colourful video takes a look at how certain fish species have evolved to protect themselves against predators.
Enjoy!
Introducing children to the theories of evolution is a great way to get their minds thinking critically, helping their imagination to blossom! Another playful and educational video clip from the "JUST SO DARWIN" series deals with the story of evolution surrouding the Polar Bear...
July 25th, 2011
Across our world oceans, shark populations are being threatened by destructive human activities such as Shark Finning. For more information on this topic, please link to our blog from February 22nd, 2011: http://www.eco-odyssey.com/blog/3/Saving-our-Sharks.html
Shark Trust is a great organization committed to helping the sharks of our world survive by making sure humans know and understand how important they are to our ocean ecosystems.
They have a fantastic Educational resource page on their website, and its packed with tools, games, and information about sharks. There are ways for all of us to get involved in helping our oceans, big and small, we can all do something!
This link is also very useful to teachers, who can download the Marine Educators Teaching Toolkit as incorporate ocean education in schools.
So Kids, suggest it to your parents and teachers, and have fun learning about the world's fascinating sharks!
July 22nd, 2011
"Sea Choice: Healthy choices, healthy oceans" is a Canadian Sustainable Seafood Program working with other organizations to develop, educate and promote healthy oceans by providing solutions and ways we can all play a role in this cause.
Kids are especially lucky because Sea Choice is proud to add an "Educator's Guide" that teachers and parents can use to bring ocean education right into the classroom and into your home. This guide provides tools and tips so that children of all ages can participate in becoming active ambassadors in supporting our living oceans.
Ask you parents to download this guide or suggest it to your teacher at school so that you and your friends can begin to make a difference for our ocean friends!!
http://www.seachoice.org/page/educatorguide
July 2011
Children's Shark Books
Compiled by: George H Burgess and Cathleen Bester
BOOKS!!!-Recommended reading material from the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Click here to link to the list of wonderful books carrying you into the underwater world of sharks...
Reading opens our minds to all types of wonders, and learning about our ocean environment will hopefully motivate you to help protect it now and in the future!
Enjoy! http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/kids/References/SharkRef.htm