Today the World Whale and Dolphin Day is observed.
This holiday was established in 1986 when the International Whaling Commission after 200 years of ruthless extermination, imposed a ban on whaling. Prohibition applies even today: whale hunting and trade in whale meat is prohibited worldwide.
However, whaling is not the only threat to these animals. Another major factor in disappearance of whales, dolphins and other marine mammals is that they are captured for dolphinariums, aquariums and circuses.
Therefore, today is the day to protect not only whales, but marine life generally. Every year this day various environmental groups and organizations conduct actions and demonstrations in defense of whales and other marine mammals. Often environmentalists unite and dedicate this day to protection of one unique species, which is in mortal danger or disappearance.
It is noteworthy that July 23 is not the only date, many countries establish national days of whales. For instance, since 2008 Australia has celebrated the National Day of Whales on the first Saturday in June, and in America the World Day of Whales is traditionally observed in the summer solstice June 21. It should be noted that there is one more date for events of World Whale and Dolphin Day - February 19, that is the world day for the protection of marine mammals (Whale Day).
In Britain on Tuesday it was an auction where for the first time for almost a century the skeleton of an extinct bird dodo was sold. The organizers of the action count that the skeleton will charge an amount from 300 to 500 thousand pounds (370-620 thousand dollars).
Protected environmental zone with the square of more than 1.5 million square kilometers will be located in Ross Sea. The agreement has been signed by European Union and 24 more countries, including Russia.
Since 1907 the population of mammals, fishes, birds, amphibia and reptiles has reduced by almost 60%, as it is said in the report of World Wild Nature Fund.
Finnish researchers who concentrated on the investigation of the north light defined that it is accompanied not only with the great light show but also with specific acoustic fluctuations that can be registered with the help of the specialized equipment.
At the beach Legzira located at the Atlantic coast of Morocco, there was a wreckage of one of two stone arches that used to be the famous sightseeing of the country. The Guardian reports about that.
The delegates of the conference of Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) happened in Republic of South Africa voted for prohibition of international trade in African gray parrots.
The efforts of zoologists, ecologists and significant financial expenses that have been invested in the program of salvation of ounce brought their fruits. Particularly, the predator has been seen more often by the citizens of several provinces of Afghanistan that ounce preferred choosing as its habitat.
The largest in the world kind of apes from the genus of gorillas, particularly, Eastern gorilla residing within the territory of Democratic Republic Congo is on the edge of extinction because of the illegal hunting.
International Day of chocolate is non-official holiday dedicated to the favorite delicacy of many people on the planet. It is always celebrated on the 13-th September annually. This holiday is the wonderful reason to take a piece of chocolate, even if you try cutting down on sweets.
USA will invest $15 million in the program on fight with the climatic change in Central Asia, the head of state department John Kerry claimed at the meeting with ministers of foreign affairs of five Central Asian countries in Washington.
One of the recent colonies of wooly mammoths located at the island of Saint Paul near Alaska died more than five thousand years ago because of lack of drinking water, as it is explained by the scientists.
The experts of travel web-portal Travelbird.nl has defined that the cheapest beach in the world is situated in Vietnam. Cua Dai is located in popular among travelers city Hoi An in the central province of the country Quảng Nam.
The list of UNESCO World Heritage that connects the most significant landmarks of the planet either man-made or natural is reviewed annually. This year at the 40-th session of UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee which ended in Istanbul on the 20-th of July, the list included 21 sites more.
