Monday, November 29, 2010

Whale sinks boat?

When I was recently in Hobart, Tasmania for the meeting of the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the town was abuzz with recent Tasmanian whale sightings - including one southern right whale that had come to the River Derwent to deliver her calf. It was the first whale birth since the 1820s. It looks like the most recent whale encounter was a bit too close for comfort - a whale is suspected as the (accidental) culprit in the sinking of a catamaran off the Tasmanian Coast. Will this dampen Tasmanians' appetite for sharing their waters with whales? It seems unlikely - this is Australia, after all, the country taking Japan to court for whaling. But Tasmanians might have to make a few adjustments if they want to encourage their new whale friends that there's room for everyone. Watch the video below and I think you'll agree you'd probably accept the occasional boat sinking if it meant having these amazing creatures as regular visitors.

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