It’s one of the planet’s largest biomass aggregations…an annual migration of sardines up the coast of South Africa. Millions, if not billions, of small fish migrate up the east coast pursued by sharks, whales and dolphins. And at the very end of this chase - humans.
In the midst of the chaos of sardines, dolphins, birds and sharks there appeared a lonesome Humpback whale. She seemed not to be concerned with the frenzy which ensued around her but rather quite intrigued by the shoal of sardines which seeked refuse under her enormous shadow.
iSimangaliso Wetland Park in South Africa is home to one of the world's most pristine reef systems, home to hundreds of different species from rare fish to tiny seahorses...and hundreds of cleaning stations where fish come in for their daily cleaning sessions. Petro van Jaarsveld who is currently conducting her PhD studies on these fascinating stations takes us on a tour inside the surprisingly complex and beautiful world of a fish car wash...
The narwhal is a relatively small arctic toothed whale (4 - 5 meters). It is shy and typically lives in the drift ice around the northern ice cap, where it can live up to 100 years. This makes the narwhal particularly vulnerable to the severe climate changes that are taking place around the Arctic. The Inuit have traditionally hunted narwhals both for their valuable tusk, fine meat and not least, for the tasty skin.
On December 14th, 1991, the passenger ship Salem Express sank when a storm hit the Red Sea. The shipwreck was a human tragedy. Among the passengers were hundreds of pilgrims who were on their way home from Mecca.
More than a thousand sea cows have died in Florida this year, many of them starving to death due to environmental degradation. Now a previously completely unthinkable measure is being considered – feeding the wild mammals with cabbage and lettuce in order for them to survive the winter
