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Hong Kong Airlines Busted for Flying Dolphins from Taiji, Japan

Everyone knows that it’s kind of risky to transport pets to here or there—except when using Pet Airways of course. Risky is probably just the beginning when it comes to sending a few critters that love the water, and that’s just what happened when one airline decided to send some dolphins across the globe underneath the belly of an airplane.

We’ll let you know that all the dolphins are doing well, but Hong Kong Airlines is getting called out for sending five finned friends as cargo between Vietnam and Japan. Some are calling the shipping conditions as bad as “flying coffins,” as the critters were stuck for as long as seven hours. The dolphins apparently were being sent from the Japanese town of Taiji, which—to make matters worse—has a less than stellar reputation due to their annual dolphin hunt.

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New Zealand Travel / Adventure Travel / Animals / Dolphins / Water Sports / → All Tags

Where to See (and Swim With) the World’s Smallest Dolphins and Penguins

Jaunted special contributor Eric Rosen drops us a line from way, way down under...

There’s nothing new about swimming with dolphins these days; it seems like you can hang out with the aquatic mammals pretty much anywhere from Australia to the Bahamas. But during a recent visit to check out post-quake Christchurch, I drove an hour outside the city to the Frenchified hamlet of Akaroa on the craggy Banks Peninsula to swim with some pretty special aquatic life: the world’s tiniest marine dolphins and wild penguins.

Akaroa is a winding hour-long drive southeast of Christchurch through the hills of the Banks Peninsula, where some of the earliest settlements on New Zealand’s South Island were founded. Akaroa actually lies quite near the center of this bulbous landmass, but it’s on the water because its harbor was formed by the collapse of an enormous mega-volcano eons ago.

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Animals / Dolphins / Uruguay Travel / Zoos / Penguins / Tourists / → All Tags

Where to Find (But Not Harass) the Baby Dolphin, 'Nipper'

It's been over a year since our last cute dolphin report (omg remember the pink dolphin of Louisiana?!) and since it's Monday and all, we just have to share this story: an injured baby dolphin was found by tourists in Uruguay, and it's being nursed back to health.

The little cutie was suffering from fishing net wounds and had washed up on a beach at the La Plata River. Now he is at the NGO Rescate Fauna Marina in Punta Colorada, outside of Montevideo, in the safe hands of marine biologists who work with other tiny marine animals, like the dolphin's new neighbor Pingu the Penguin. Apparently they gave the baby dolphin his own cute name: "Nipper."

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Wild Animal Travel / Movie Travel / Dolphins / → All Tags

Feel-Bad Travel: 'The Cove' Makes Us Want to Apologize to Flipper

Did you ever go to an aquarium or amusement park as a kid and watch a dolphin show? Did you clap your hands and squeal with glee as the beautiful, smiling animals performed amazing feats of athleticism and intelligence? You did? Well you are an awful, awful person! That's because by supporting venues that use trained dolphins, you're contributing to the barbaric practice of dolphin harvesting that goes on in the coastal town of Taiji, Japan. According to a new documentary called The Cove, 23,000 dolphins are brutally slaughtered there every year in the search for a handful of dolphins that are deemed attractive enough to be trained for amusement parks and other entertainment experiences. The rest become mercury-tainted food.

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Animals / Lakes / Pink Dolphins / Dolphins / → All Tags

Where To Find (But Not Harass) The Pink Dolphin

Girls growing up in the late 80/early 90s will be tickled...er...pink to know that a Lisa Frank illustration has come to life. Now all we need is this rose-hued dolphin to spout a rainbow out its blowhole and our long-lasting wish will be entirely fulfilled.

Pinky the Dolphin is a rare albino dolphin who inhabits the waters of Lake Calcasieu, an inland saltwater estuary, north of the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. He was discovered by a charter boat captain who found the dolphin swimming in a pod of four. (He also snapped this picture above.)

Naturally, a pink dolphin is attracting a lot of attention from Lisa Frank fans to biologists who we realize are probably one and the same.

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Animals / UK Travel / dolphins / → All Tags

Scottish Dolphin Swims Through Glasgow

A dolphin popped up in the polluted waters of the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland over the weekend. The unlikely animal sighting has experts worried because the dolphin appears to be badly injured and emaciated. Officials say they don't expect it to survive, but they may be able to help the dolphin if it beaches itself on a sandbar. In the meantime, we clearly have to name him Clyde.

Clyde has been identified as a Risso's dolphin. The species is found all over the world but it's rare for them to be seen outside of deep ocean water. That said, these dolphins do have a bit of a history of seeking out human attention. One named Pelorus Jack became legendary after spending nearly forty years escorting ships through a dangerous stretch of Cook Strait in New Zealand.

If Clyde survives and has a similar craving for animal stardom it would be the biggest windfall for the Scottish tourism industry since Braveheart. Go, Clyde, go!

Related Stories:
· Concern Grows for Injured Dolphin in Glasgow River [Guardian]
· Search Resumes for Clyde Dolphin [BBC]
· Animals coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: BBC]

Moko / Active Travel / New Zealand Travel / Google Maps / Animals / Dolphins / → All Tags

Where Did Moko the Dolphin Save the Day?

A couple days ago, two pygmy sperm whales got stuck on a sandbar in New Zealand, sadly a common occurrence in the shallow waters off the Mahia Peninsula. As conservation workers struggled to help the animals, Moko, a dolphin that's frequently spotted in the area, swam up and guided the whales back out to sea. It was a real Flipper moment.

While animals do all the life saving around Mahia, humans do plenty of surfing. The water's not too toasty, but with a wetsuit, you'll be comfortable. Off the beach, the Mahia Peninsula Scenic Reserve has a two-mile hiking trail that offers scenic views of the coastline.

The area is in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand, which is famous for its wines. Dozens of vineyards welcome guests for tastings, and many of the spots also have restaurants where you can do lunch and toast to friendly dolphins.

Related Stories:
· Dolphin Appears to Guide Whales to Sea [AP, via Google]
· Mahia Peninsula Scenic Reserve [Official Site]
· Hawke's Bay Tourism [Official Site]