Dolphins deathly demise

I don't know a single human being that doesn't love dolphin's - not one I've met anyway. It is true the sight of dolphins no matter how many times you've seen them makes children and grown men alike want to skip around with joy. I think for centuries humans have felt a strong connection to these majestic creatures. This is evident in the tales told throughout history and we often hear stories of dolphin's saving humans from perceived danger. I have heard of dolphin's seemingly protecting people from the presence of  sharks (who I love by the way and whether they actually present a threat is another topic altogether) which is pretty phenomenal.
I worked with dolphin's in the wild in South Africa and have been lucky enough to swim with them in their natural environment. When you look into their eyes and watch their behavior day after day for weeks it becomes glaringly obvious that they are sentient beings. This means they have the capacity to feel, perceive and have a subjective experience - like us.
So why are humans hurting them? It is a question I can not answer, but I will try.
Can you remember around eight years ago when the front pages went crazy with the story that broke about dolphin's being secretly slaughtered in a cove in Japan? The front pages were a blaze with imagery of the bright red water and dying dolphins strewn around like garbage. Japan literally had dolphin blood on their hands. I remember it well and am disturbed that this practice is still continuing. It is harrowing beyond words.

Every year between September and March is is estimated around 23,000 dolphins are brutally and inhumanely slaughtered. The practice of dolphin hunting happens in a small town in Japan called Taiji. It is done by around 26 fishermen with government permits - the majority of people in Japan do not know that this horrendous act is taking place.
Just before sunrise the fishermen drive and chase the dolphins by frightening them into a shallow rocky area called the cove. They are then butchered in the most horrifying way you could possibly think of and taking an agonizingly long time to die. All I can tell you to do is watch 'The Cove' the 2009 documentary by Ric O'Barry exposing this murderously cruel act (available on Netflix). Since then the killing method has changed, it is still appalling, please read the below and you can make up your own mind.

https://dolphinproject.net/campaigns/save-japan-dolphins/frequently-asked-questions/

The reason this is happening all comes down to money, these dolphins are highly valuable for the fishermen. A few dolphins will end up in captivity for a high price. The butchered dolphin meat is then sold in Japan, it is often labelled as 'Whale meat' because a very small minority of Japanese actually eat dolphin meat making this all the more horrific.

What can you do to help?
1. Don't eat whale & dolphin meat, cruelty aside it is lethally high in the toxic chemical mercury. This poses a huge risk especially to pregnant women.
2. Take the pledge and vow to never buy a ticket to a dolphin show, as a consumer we have so much power and by not going to these attractions we are not supporting the killing and captivity of dolphins.
Take the pledge here; https://dolphinproject.net/take-action/take-the-pledge-not-to-buy-a-ticket-to-a-dolphin-show/

3. Check out Ric O'Barry;s Dolphin Project for more information and ways in which to help the Taiji dolphins and dolphins in captivity. I love Ric's work and think you will too.

https://dolphinproject.net/

5. Watch 'The Cove' 2009 documentary. It has now been translated into Japanese as well. Spread the word!!
6. Make a donation at The Dolphin Project.
7. Sign petitions
8. Spread the word on social media. Educate educate educate!!!
9. 'Blackfish' 2013 is also another must see documentary about the terrible life of a captive Orca whale at SeaWorld named Tilikum who took the lives of several people.

As Ric O' Barry says " A dolphin's smile is the greatest deception. It creates the illusion that they're always happy". Keeping dolphin's and orca's in captivity is profoundly cruel, they suffer greatly from disease and stress only performing tricks as they have been deprived of food. The butchering of dolphin's must end. They leave us alone, generously offer us magical moments and meaningful connections. We must give them something back. We must give them a voice.

Photo's by http://weknowyourdreams.com/dolphin.html

https://www.czs.org/Brookfield-ZOO/Zoo-Animals/Seven-Seas/Bottlenose-Dolphin

Not a very happy Australia Day

On Australia Day I awoke to the tragic and upsetting news that a 3m Tiger Shark had been bought up by the bait lines, shot, killed and dumped at sea. Colin Barnett's ill advised, irrational and terrible policy has unbelievably been put into place and I am certain I am not the only one ashamed of Western Australia on that day. Now when I look out into our beautiful ocean which I enjoy and feel a deep connection, it feels tarnished as a meat curtain hangs as a lethal trap for sharks and all marine life just one kilometre off shore.
Another rally took place today and as a touching song was sang I had tears of sadness as we could all see the fisheries boats patrolling the drum lines. Again I am amazed at how many people turned up over six thousand proud Western Australians that care deeply for our marine world.
If you want to help here's what you can do go to ccwa.org.au/nosharkcull and tell your local MP what you think, all you need is your email address and postcode. Keep phoning and writing to your MP asking them for an answer that makes sense. Keep going to rally's until we get those drum lines pulled up. Contact sea shepherd and find out more ways to get involved.

ccwa.ord.au/nosharkcull

Short but sweet

Yo all!
haven't 'blogged' in ages but feeling pretty passionate about my continuing theme today...the great white shark. http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/large-sharks-in-beach-kill-zones-will-be-hunted/story-fnhocxo3-1226779869534 Western Australian authorities are threatening to kill large sharks spotted on popular swimming beaches in the region. There is a large protest tomorrow 4th Jan at Cottesloe beach in Perth see the Facebook page called - A cause for jaws ( couldn't copy the URL for some reason).
It is heartwarming and gives me hope and faith people care for these creatures and see them as a wonder, albeit scary but incredible creatures. Everyone knows you can't mess with mother nature and the delicate balance of ecosystems. I'm not saying that all sharks will be removed but taking out the top predator is going to have consequences. I don't know about you but it would put me off coming to Australia because of this more than the risk of being killed by a shark. My heart goes out to the recent surfer victims of shark attacks in Western Australia but really this reaction is ridiculous. The shark is behaving naturally and doing what it knows, unfortunately with dire consequences for some innocent people and their families. But we do not need to kill them we need to set an example and lead by example. Leave them alone. How can we point the finger at other nations for kill sharks if we do the same. I was attracted to Australia because of the awe inspiring nature in this country so this attitude saddens me and other countries I imagine. Look at some countries fighting tirelessly to save endangered species yet we plan to do what? Anyway ya'all hear me rant over. Get ya selves down there and SOS - save our sharks.
Check out this picky of a whale shark I took in ningaloo reef in Northern Western Asustrali.

Summers a coming yewww.!!

I haven't written a post for so long but had a few things on my mind recently.
First off is the quite saddening news that the department of fisheries is now allowed to kill any shark in Western Australia that is too close to shore that they feel is a threat to the people. This follows a few attacks this year - 5 in total in an effort to make our beaches safer. This does sound like a lot and now WA is considered the most dangerous place in the world for shark attacks however I don't like this news at all for a few reasons;

1. There is no proof that killing a shark too close to shore would have 'saved' anybody. Sharks frequently swim close to shore and people with no problems what so ever.

2. We have a helicopter that flys over during summer and no-one has been attacked during this time period so I think this is working quite well.

3. You swim in the water at your OWN RISK. Sharks territory not OURS.

4. We do not know very much about the mating, breeding and reproduction of great white sharks. We do not know what killing one could do. What if it was a pregnant female? What damage and unbalance could this cause the eco-system.

I don't think the department of fisheries is going to go around killing sharks with wild abandon but I don't like that they are not protected. I think there would be an absolute outcry from the public is one gets shot so hopefully they are under pressure not to do so.

If you are interested in sharks and love the crazy toothed smiley creatures as much as me check out this girl she is awesome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8kEPf94Yvo&feature=watch_response

Also check out my friend Keith Conelly on facebook. He is a ranger is South Africa and takes some of the most incredible wild animal pictures I've ever seen.

Summers coming yewwww...!!!!

Which means a few exciting things coming my way, one of my friends from the UK is coming to see me which I can't wait for think I will do all the usual tourist stuff like Rottnest Island and Margies with him. We are going to go to Melbourne to meet some good friends and see some tennis. I really want to see Rafa play and hope he is recovered from injury. Unfortunately tickets for Rod Laver arena seem to sell out so have to be quick in getting some now, but it is a bit of a lottery as you don't know who is playing which days and times ect as it is a knock out comp but still excited none the less but seeing Rafa would be a dream come true. He is my favorite tennis player because he is spunky and passionate he makes tennis interesting and is just unbelievable to watch.

We are spending half our time in the nunnery hostel in Fitzroy which is basically a nunnery I've heard its really cool so will let you know, and the other half in an awesome apartment we found on airbnb an awesome website in which people rent their homes and is much cheaper than a hotel or hostel for that matter.! This is where we are staying;http://www.nunnery.com.au/ & https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/328158. I will defo update with reviews.!

REVEIWS

Last night went to see the film Mental starring Toni Collette, she is awesome (If you like Muriel's wedding you will like this) and plays an awesome role. Funniest film I've seen in ages and really recommend, I laughed the whole way through.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnQPnXbj-RY

We ate at La Cholita a tapas Mexican place in Northbridge, I had heard terrible reveiws about the service on urbanspoon but they were all really nice when we were there, although we went at a quiet time on a weekday. Cocktails were delicious I had the Mexicana and the food was some of the nicest Mexican I've had in Aussie still not a patch on California and I thought the food good have done with abit more ooomph like salt and chilli perhaps? But was still tasty and fresh none the less.

Last Monday went to Parklife was 35 degrees so we sweated away...among highlights were Robyn - she is such a pocket rocket, if i chose to wear a matching short and crop top floral patterned outfit I would quite simply look like a dick but she just pulls it off and her dancing is i m m e n s e. I loved that she flashed her bra to reveal a non-sexy beige sports bra but didn't give a s**t.! Queen in my eyes. Justice dj set was as always epic and filled with awesome funky know hit eclectic tunes. Another highlight was Plan B they rocked live.

Ben Drew has an awesome and expectantly high voice which he mixes up with rhyme and grimey rap. Originally from a poor council estate in the uk you can tell he means what he sings about  and sang ill manors with contempt and passion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8GvLKTsTuI 

OI I SAID OI......

Until next time.X 

STOP RHINO POACHING NOW!

STOP RHINO POACHING NOW!

Sadly following on from my last post Themba the bull rhino passed away whilst in his compromised state failed to remove himself from a watering hole.

Below is a touching link to a tribute to William the vet and Themba. William says it all better than any words...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpaEWIQOURA

If you are interested and wondering how YOU can make a difference, share this sad story with as many people as possible, awareness CAN change things. Also visit http://www.stoprhinopoaching.com/default.aspx and add your name to the voice and read about rhino poaching. It is very informative and they have some interesting projects on the go.

Themba will always be remembered and has seemed to touch the hearts of so many. Thandi is still alive and will hopefully make it, this is a beacon of hope and hopefully many more rhinos can be saved in the future and even better saved  from the same fate and Themba. 

Thandi and Themba in better days

.... yet still a light is shining; The Rhino's fight for survival in an ever greedy world

In the face of a despicable and unimaginable human act of cruelty a light is still shining for two rhino's who were poached on Friday 2nd March 2012. A cow and bull remain in critical condition at Kariega game reserve South Africa after being poached for their horns. Tragically the third rhino, a bull, died from his horrific injuries during the course of the night. The rangers came across the unfortunate animals the next morning and now Kariega is trying everything possible to help save these remarkable creatures. Kariega is a place I hold dear to my heart having done volunteer work there last year. I had an experience of a life time and can say that everyone involved in Kariega, from the managers to the rangers are next to none. The rangers are so passionate and are ambassadors for wildlife conservation in Africa and are faced with tough decisions daily, my respect really goes out to these amazing people. I had the chance to work with all these people including the ground team and the vet who are equally humbling. The ground team are the people that essentially go in after an animal had been sedated in the field for purposes of vet care or movement, they work incredibly long hours and are really brave. The vet is one of the most compassionate and inspiring people working in this field, his descions must be incredibly tough and the dedication is just admirable and difficult to put into words but I am sure anyone who has met him feels the same. His touching updates on the Kariga facebook page really show how much he cares. Thanks to these people the rhino's, nicknamed Thandiswa and Themba two Xhosa names meaning courage and hope, have a light still shining for them. I don't think many people may realise just how extensive and life threatening the facial injury's for the poached rhino are, it really is a miracle they are still alive and fighting for their lives. The bull also has a badly damaged leg, I suspect due to falling awkwardly after being darted with a sedative. Whilst at Kariega I had the wonderful honor of seeing these very rhino's in the wild many times during my stay. The experience of seeing any wild animal up close is always humbling and seeing the rhino's really was awe-inspiring. Up close the look formidable almost like they are wearing a coat of armour yet there is something endearingly soft and touching about these animals that is hard to describe and fills me with despair at the thought that anyone could inflict such awful pain on them.

How a fellow human being could do such a thing is literally beyond me, I just do not understand how anyone could inflict such pain and suffering onto another animal. Yet again the answer in this world lies in money which lines greed. Sadly Africa is a very poor continent and many people are forced to survive but these poachers may almost certainly be people who are making a lot of money from this, they fly in by helicopter, they have dart guns and the darts which contain a very strong and dangerous opioid called M99. Don't get me wrong I do not think anything including poverty and desperation justifies the cruelty and waste of such a pointless and violent act. I do not know a great deal about who these poachers are so I can not really comment further but if you are reading this and do please comment? What I do know is that the reason that these rhino's are being poached is ridiculous and comes down to a myth. The demand for rhino horn comes from the use of it in Asian medicine. People believe that is has healing powers and that it is also an aphrodisiac. Scientists have proved there is no evidence to support this claim and that rhino horn is simply made out of the stuff our fingernails are made of. Seems to utterly stupid that two beautiful animals are suffering so badly for this and another is lost.

The rhino poaching problem for South Africa is crucial they are losing rhino's almost on a daily basis. It is not a far fetched prospect that these animals do face extinction at the face of man. I am so happy i spent time with these rhino's in the wild and i can only hope that the next generation will be able to do the same. What is the answer? I simply do not know, Kariega actually 'trimmed' the horns down of the rhino's in question to prevent this kind of disaster, tragically it didn't work. I believe that the word needs to be spread on a global scale and the issue to be at a political level worldwide. We also have guardian angels that come in the form of the whole Kariega team and many others working around the clock for the greater good, these people really are doing the best they can to battle against sometimes hopeless odds to conserve the world in which we live. They derserve a knighthood they really do. The task in which it takes to take care of these surving rhino's is almost unimaginable and certainly very intensive. You can not just take the animalsl to the vet and put them in a cage they are wild animals that are roaming free, they have to be tracked and monitored. When they need medicine or treatment they need darting and sedated and a reverse drug to be given. They do not know where the animal will run and how it will fall. They need everyone possible on board to help it is no easy feat not by a long stretch.
One things is for sure the rhino will be poached and killed again this is for certain. So please spread the word...and lets hope for the complete recovery of Thandiswa and Themba for they really are symbols of courage and hope and for a better future for our rhino's for they only have us to protect them.

If this like me fills you will sadness please see the link below to help save the Kariega rhino's http://www.kariega.co.za/about-us/help-save-our-rhino-project

You can also follow Thandiswa and Themba's progress on the Kariega Game Reserve facebook page.

Slumming it in style-train travel IS the way forward

I very recently travelled from one side of Australia to the other on a journey that saw me cross 2,698 miles across barren landscape and desert, and I did this by train! You see I recently moved to Perth the most isolated city in the world, the closest city is Jakarta Indonesia, gone are the days of nipping across to Paris from London or having a choice of amazing city after amazing destination all within about a three hour flight, Rome, Venice, Greek Islands, Budapest, Amsterdam, Norway ... you get the gist. You see, I wanted to get a feel for this huge country which I now live get a sense of the place experience the isolation. One cannot do this on foot, would not make it for more than a few hours out on the Nullabor Plains it would be very foolish and idiotic to say the very least bar impossible (although I have heard it has been done, if this is you please get in touch). Firstly it would be a logistical nightmare how would one carry enough sunblock and water? Anyway travelling by plane does not give any real sense of perspective and space so I decided to travel on the Indian Pacific train crossing from one great ocean over land to another over three long days and three long nights in a reclining chair with nothing but views. Superficially and materialistically I was worried I wouldn't have somewhere to plug my laptop in to watch films (turns out I did), seems ridiculous now as I didn't plug my laptop in once. I settled back in to 'train time' and I simply can not stress enough how much I enjoyed myself. The train was quite old fashioned, I'm talking lime green dining cart and garish carpets but this just added to the charm. I met loads of super interesting people from an eccentric English man to a couple of guys who seemingly hitched a lift in the middle of a 2000km desert and appeared in the middle of no-where. I made friends who I now realise live near me and ones who I will stay in touch with. I called them my train family as we ate, slept and passed the time together. From the Blue Mountains outside Sydney to the Red Centre and vast Nullabor Plain I came to appreciate Australia for its natural beauty and amazingness of the country, to be honest I fell in love. Waking up to a sunrise over the red centre was awe inspiring. The colours are so strong the earth as red as blood with the green trees painting a beautiful picture. You might think such harsh environments where temperatures regularly exceed 50 degrees nothing would live but we saw all sorts from Kangaroo's to wild Camels and Wedge Tailed Eagles hunting rabbits, it really was astonishing. Kangaroo's are very well adapted at keeping cool in the deserts and lick themselves to stay cool. Camels where bought to Australia by Afghans from the Middle East and they thrive here, amazingly camels are able to withstand changes in body temperatures and go without water for periods of time that would certainly kill other animals. To see these creatures rise up like a mirage on the desert is quite something. We also got of at several stops along the way one of these being Cook. Cook is a tiny place in the Nullabor Plain, a vast expanse crossing 2000km with nothing but shrubland for mile upon endless mile. Western Australia is so huge the Nullabor took one whole day to cross then a further night to get to Perth. Cook is a widely isolated place featuring just four lonely residents, one dog, one cat, no swimming pool, a few buildings and temperatures that soar about 50 degrees, how one can live here I do not know. On meeting one of the locals I asked him, his response was that he loved the silence. I bet he does! This is a place if you drive half a mile away you lose sight of the small buildings Cook has (I think about five  in total), getting lost in incredibly easy as every direction looks the same, I know I would go mad here. The train that comes through twice a week is their lifeline and I can only but wonder what the hell happens if the train ever breaks down out here in the middle of this harsh environment. The Australian outback is so big that planes have gone down and crashed never to be found. Amongst others, we also got to go to Kalgoorlie a hick outback mining town which was worth seeing and not for the faint hearted cosmopolitan city loving girl like myself. Don't get me wrong I love the country side its peacefulness and beauty astounds me but being as isolated as this with no sea nearby would send me crazy much like I rabid dog I imagine. One of the coolest things about this train is that you can take your car on the back. I mean who in their right mind could face driving across Australia and I'm only saying this after having the luxury of being taken across in the comfort of an air conditioned train with booze and friends but driving send shudders down my spine...we did see many a crashed car...I'm not surprised the boredom would be too much. To conclude this was an experience of a lifetime an awesome way to really see the Australian outback and the sense of overwhelming space. In fact I loved it so much I'm planning to do the train journey from Adelaide to Darwin and literally can not wait..!