For a List of Other
Reviews & Ordering Information: Click HERE!
Would you like to
comment about this or any other material on Outdoor Nova Scotia? Sound off - at Speaker's Corner,
Outdoor Nova Scotia's outdoor discussion forum.
|
Right
Whales - Part 12 of the 'Champions of the Wild' series
Directed by Chris Aikenhead
Produced by Omni Film Productions Ltd.
Length: 25 minutes
Cost: $19.95
ISBN
0-7722-0729-1
Conserving Our Rights!
reviewed by Ronnie Scullion
 The Bay of Fundy fishing ground is just one of the hazards threatening the
survival of these giant cetaceans. In "Right Whales" we learn about the life of
the Right Whale and the man-made and natural perils it encounters.
Introduced at the start of the video as 'one of nature's great losers', the population of
North Atlantic Right Whales numbers a mere three hundred and is diminishing. These
powerful but gentle giants of the sea face certain extinction, unless current efforts to
save the species are successful.
Leading the efforts to save the Right Whales are two researchers / conservationists, whose
work form the substance of this educational video. Dr. Moira Brown is a research scientist
studying the social interaction and activities of the whales in the Bay of Fundy. Debra
Tobin is the "voice", the advocate for the whales, reaching out into communities
to educate and raise awareness of the whales' plight. Together Brown and Tobin lead a team
of dedicated researchers at East Coast Eco Systems in Digby County, Nova Scotia
"But even with our efforts", warn Tobin and Brown, "the species may not
have a chance to recover." The tone of the video is one of guarded optimism. While
efforts are made to control and eliminate man-made hazards to the whales, other factors
play a significant role in determining the overall population growth of the species. Tobin
points to the alarming observation that calving intervals, for the less than sixty known
breeding females, has steadily increased during the past two decades from three to five
years.
Daily monitoring of the whales' activities will aid researchers in
understanding and learning more about the Right Whales. East Coast Eco Systems has
accumulated data on births, migration routes and life spans of the whales.
"Individual whales are easily identified", explains Tobin, "by their
callosity patterns". These scab like encrustations form distinctive patterns on the
whale, giving each a unique look, which can be readily identified in photographs. A
'catalogue' of North Atlantic Right Whales has been compiled by the group with photographs
and detailed information about each of the three hundred individual Right Whales known.
As part of the outreach and educational projects promoted by East Coast Eco Systems, an
adoption program has been set up. School classes, families or individuals can 'adopt'
individual whales. They will be kept informed about the whales' migration routes and other
record able behaviour. Tobin explains the importance of educating today's young people, of
creating in them an empathy for these great whales in the hopes that they will want to
continue the important work of conservation.
Each video in the Champions of the Wild series features an endangered animal and
highlights the work of the 'champions' dedicated to save them. "Right Whales"
offers an inspired look at the dedication of Brown and Tobin and their efforts to
save the North Atlantic Right Whales.
 [Home Page]  [Gearing Up]  [Features]  [Destinations]  [News]
 [Events]  [Properties]  [Top Five]  [Directory]
info@outdoorns.com
Designed &
maintained by Outdoor Nova Scotia, Liverpool, N.S. BOT 1KO
Material protected by copyright. Last revised: December 12, 2003
|
