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https://theconversation.com/the-return-of-bladerunner-the-humpback-and-split-fin-the-killer-whale-a-cautionary-tale-about-seafaring-vessels-234389>
"In the past few days, two well known survivors of the battle between marine
mammals and vessels have been spotted in Australian waters. I’m talking about
Bladerunner the humpback and Split Fin the killer whale. Both have become
famous for the massive scars they bear on their bodies, inflicted by boats.
Bladerunner is marked by a series of lines across her back and part of her
tail. These lines were made by a propeller in motion. Split Fin, as her name
suggests, has a split dorsal fin – likely also caused by a boat propeller.
I’m lucky to have seen both during my career studying whales. I first saw
Bladerunner in 2013 while conducting research off Cape Solander, Sydney. And I
spotted Split Fin and her pod on a whale watching trip off Eden, New South
Wales, back in 2009.
I get a buzz every time I hear about another sighting. I know countless other
people feel the same way. But there’s another feeling, too, knowing they were
hurt yet narrowly avoided a fate far worse. So let’s take this opportunity to
learn a bit more about these majestic creatures and how to keep them safe from
harm."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
