ROM Adventure

A visit to the ROM with a knowledgable tour guide left me bombarded with loads of stories of the lifestyles and population journeys of several creatures. One that really stood out to me was the special relationship between the clownfish and sea anenomes.

Symbiosis describes the relationship between the clownfish and sea anemones. They are the only fish that do not get stung by the tentacles of the sea anemone. Clownfish have a slimy mucus covering that protects them from the sea anemone. The clownfish and the sea anemone help each other survive in the ocean. The clownfish, while being provided with food, cleans away fish and algae leftovers from the anemone. Also, the sea anemones are given better water circulation because the clownfish fan their fins while swimming.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

The Cove

"If you're not an activist, you are an inactivist."
- The Cove


FIVE QUESTIONS ...

Where is the dolphin slaughter taking place?
Taiji, Japan

Dolphins are in which mammalian order?
Cetacean

What toxic substance is found in dolphin meat?
Mercury

The main character goes to the IWC and does what at the end?
 After capturing some incredibly disturbing footage of the brutal slaughter of dolphins, he storms into the IWC meeting with the shocking videos playing on a TV strapped to his chest. To me, that was probably the best scene in the entire documentary. The setting was perfect to expose the treacherous acts and spark some controversy. It's inspiring to see people band together and do something beyond shaking their heads or writing checks.

If you go to Marineland are you contributing to the dolphin slaughter?

That's tough. Marineland has made a statement concerning this and whether it's true or not, it's a bit comforting.

".... almost 70 percent of the bottlenose dolphins in Alliance member zoos, aquariums and marine parks were born in these facilities. As for Marineland, we have not collected any dolphins from the wild since 1972, nearly 40 years ago."

According to this, their show dolphins are born and raised in captivity having nothing to do with the dolphin slaughter.

Places like Marineland conveniently allow people to see and enjoy what these beautiful and majestic creatures can offer. In no way do I support the dolphin slaughter (who would???) but as long as the dolphins are treated right and the money put into these doesn't go towards the dolphin slaughtering market, it seems ok.  

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

Sharkwater/Shark Fins

The film Sharkwater does an incredible job of showing sharks as they really are: intelligent and powerful creatures who, like everything else on earth, just want to survive.

Sharkwater shows that it is in our own best interest to protect sharks. For the first time in the 450 billion years that sharks have been on this planet, there are certain species of sharks that are facing serious threats of extinction. Once again, human beings plow through other life in pursuit of the almighty dollar without acknowledging the long term consequences. The planet consists of two-thirds water and this water contains a lot of plankton that produces most of the planet's oxygen. The ocean is filled with fish that survive on plankton and the shark is the ocean's leading predator of these plankton eaters. If we kill off all the sharks, then the other fish will eliminate the plankton, which means a decreasing production of oxygen for us to breathe. Why do we always assume that our actions have no consequence? And why do we always put money ahead of preservation?

It's absolutely ridiculous that there is so much ecological unrest just for soup. What I find absolutely evil is when sharks are caught, their fins are chopped off immediately and THE REST OF THEIR BODY IS DISCARDED, OFTEN WHILE STILL ALIVE. They are left to drown and bleed out to death. Clearly some humans are far more cruel and wasteful than these sensitive ocean dwellers.

It's wonderful news that toronto has banned the sale of shark fins. I don't really care about tradition as much as I care about the life of another breathing living being. I hope the rest of the country and every other country follows suit. 

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS