Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with whales

Can whales get rabies?

respond — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:17:28 -0800

Can whales get rabies? Are there any documented cases of whales catching rabies? This seems like a good premise for a bad horror movie.

Call Me Ishmael

otherwordlyglow — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:34:09 -0800

Questions about whale watching near San Francisco...... I want to see whales and would like to buy tickets on a whale watching excursion for me and Mr OWG as a Valentine's Day gift. So my questions:

1. Are there recommended tour operators that I should target? Departing anywhere from Half Moon Bay to Point Reyes would be fine.

2. Is February a good time to go? I think the migratory path is further out in the Spring, but I assume it doesn't matter so much from the boats.

3. Is it worth going for the full day? Some seem to offer half-day excursions.

4. Is there anything in particular in the way of tips or other recommendations that we should know about? We'll have waterproof warm clothes, binoculars, snacks, and water. Anything else to know?

trying to find THE most brutal whale picture

domakesaypat — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:08:12 -0800

I've been trying to find a really brutal picture/print/woodcutting of an old-school whale/sea monster for awhile, as a potential tattoo. You know the kind, double blowholes that look more like horns, fangs, the kinds you see in the corners of old maps. Bibliodyssey has some ok ones, but I'm looking for the perfect one, because I know if I settle for another, I'll just find the perfect one the second I've permanently inked myself with a mediocre monster. Any ideas of where I could look?

Has anyone ever served a jail sentence for harassing a whale?

jason's_planet — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:23:55 -0800

Has anyone ever done time in prison for harassing a whale? In America, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 makes it illegal to harass whales. My understanding is that bringing your boat closer than 100 yards to a whale or engaging in any kind of conduct that disrupts the whale's behavior constitutes harassment.

My google research has uncovered a case where someone was fined $10,000 for violating this law. But it's possible to be sentenced to jail time under this law as well.

So . . . has anyone ever served time in a Federal prison for the crime of harassing whales?

(I understand that Canada has a similar law, so if you know of any such cases from Canada or other countries, feel free to mention those as well.)

Many thanks in advance.

What's that article about common "one in a million" events?

ontic — Sun, 28 Nov 2004 18:47:22 -0800

Looking for an article that was published in the last three years that described how common certain "one in a million" events actually are. Prominent coincidences discussed in the article were whales jumping onto the decks of ships and people finding long lost wedding rings. I believe it may have been in the Guardian or another UK paper's website. [More Inside] At one point, I had it located in an archive but couldn't figure out how to buy it (UK funds). So if anyone finds it, any tips on how to acquire it would also be welcome. Thanks!

Why are elephant and whale brains so large?

kk — Wed, 10 Nov 2004 08:58:04 -0800

Why are elephant and whale brains so large (much bigger than yours)? Their twice as big brains don't seem twice as smart as horses or dolphins, let alone humans. What is that extra gray matter doing? Pointers to scientific papers or experts appreciated.