(The Real) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Cetaceans

This article was originally published by Youth Time Magazine

Today is National Dolphin Day! With some of the world’s most iconic shark species covered in the previous edition of (The Real) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, this week we stay submerged in the watery ecosystems of this world and learn about another large family of aquatic animals – the cetaceans!

Comprised of a number of well-known families, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, the cetaceans are a group of widely distributed marine mammals. Around 89 species are divided into two groups including the Odontoceti, or toothed whales, and the Mysticetior, or baleen whales. Below, we take a deeper look at the most famous of them all and discover tips on where to best witness them in their natural environment.

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Blue Whale

We’ll begin with arguably the most famous of all the whales – the Blue Whale. Not just the biggest of all cetaceans, but claiming the title of largest animal ever to inhabit our planet, the Blue Whale can reach enormous lengths of up to 30 metres and grow to weights of up to 180 tonnes! Due to commercial whaling, their numbers depleted significantly throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, but their population has steadily increased since being protected worldwide from 1966. The IUCN estimates the Blue Whale population at between 10,000 – 25,000 individuals - with the greatest number residing in Antarctica before whaling began. For excellent chances of observing these colossal beasts, head to Mirissa in Sri Lanka.

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Sperm Whale

Reaching lengths of up to 20.5 meters, the Sperm Whale is the largest of the toothed whales and is considered to be the biggest true predator in the world today. A pelagic mammal, they have a worldwide ranges and will migrate seasonally for breeding and feeding purposes. Other impressive facts about these gigantic cetaceans include having the largest brain of all animals and being the second deepest diving mammal, second only to the Cuvier’s beaked whale. The species was once considered vulnerable to extinction as they were a prime target of the whaling industry for their spermaceti oil which was used for oil lamps, candles and lubricants. Their worldwide numbers are now estimated at anywhere from 200,000 to 1,500,000 individuals. Visit Iceland between May and August for the best chances of witnessing the gentle giants.

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Humpback Whale

Most famous for their trademark breaches and other distinctive surface behaviors, Humpbacks are one of the most widely observed species during whale watching tours worldwide. Like the blue, fin, and right whales, Humpbacks are a species of baleen whale that feed mostly upon plankton and small crustaceans. They inhabit all major oceans with four global populations found in the North Pacific, Indian, Southern, and Atlantic Oceans. There are believed to be 30,000 – 40,000 Humpback Whales left in the world, making up around 30% of their original population. Saguenay – St. Lawrence Marine Park in Québec is a great place for Humpback Whale watching tours, but if you want to get a little closer and try swimming with them then head to Silver Bank in the Dominican Republic.

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Southern Right Whale

One of three species classified as right whales (along with the North Atlantic Right Whale and North Pacific Right Whale), the Southern Right Whale is the most abundant in the family with up to 10,000 individuals roaming the waters of the southern hemisphere. They are one of the whale species that are highly active on the water surface and demonstrate a natural curiosity toward human vessels making the Southern Right Whale one of the most popular of all species during whale watching tours. Hermanus in South Africa is known as the mecca for spotting Southern Right Whales, an area which they migrate toward during the winter months between June and October

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Fin Whale

The second largest of all the cetaceans and animal species in general is the Fin Whale. They can be found in all the major oceans, with the highest population density occurring in cool and temperate waters. With an estimated 100,000 individuals left, they have been listed as an endangered species by IUCN. Despite the International Whaling Commission (IWC) issuing a moratorium on commercial hunting of the Fin Whale along with many other whale species, they are still often hunted in Iceland and Japan, which has contributed to their slower recovery rates. Regular encounters with Fin Whales occur on whale watching tours across the globe. They can be encountered year-round in the Southern California Bight and be seen inshore from June to February in southern Ireland.

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Narwhal

Nicknamed the “Unicorn of the sea”, the legendary Narwhal is a pale-colored porpoise with a distinctive spiraled ivory tusk and can be found only in Arctic coastal waters and rivers. Though females do sometimes grow a small tusk of their own, it is the male’s which grow the most prominent – reaching lengths of up to 8.8 feet. The purpose of the tusk eludes scientists to this day, but common theories include its use to impress females and to battle rival suitors. Narwhals typically travel in groups of 15-20, but gatherings of hundreds and in some cases, several thousands have been reported. Divided into around 12 subpopulations, Narwhals are thought to number at around 50,000 – 170,000 individuals. To spot them in their natural environment, head to Arctic Bay- a Hamlet in Baffin Island, Canada.

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Beluga

Also known as melonhead or sea canary (due to its high-pitched twitter), the Beluga is closely related to the previously listed narwhal. With an all-white coloration and an echolocation organ situated within the protuberance at the front of its head, the Beluga is well adapted to life in the Arctic. Male Belugas can grow up to 18 feet long, making their body size somewhere between that of a dolphin’s and a true whale’s. They occur broadly in Arctic and Subarctic waters using a diverse range of habitats. The Beluga population is estimated at around 200,000 individuals, divided into 21 separate populations. Churchill, a town located on Hudson Bay in Canada is a popular hotspot for viewing and even swimming with Beluga.

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Orca

More commonly known as the killer whale and often referred to as “Wolves of the seas”, Orca are one of the most distinctive of all cetaceans. Despite their name, they belong to the oceanic dolphin family, of which they are the largest member. Orcas are considered the most cosmopolitan of all cetaceans, inhabiting a wide variety of marine environments from Polar Regions to tropical seas. A highly social species, they are well documented for their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviors. In fact, their behaviors differ greatly between groups and are passed on through generations, leading scientists to describe the phenomenon as a manifestation of animal culture. Due to the likelihood that two or more Orca types can be considered separate species, the IUCN lists the species conservation status as data deficient. Caleta Valdes, Punta Delgada and Punta Norte in Patagonia, Argentina are among the few places in the world to witness the particular Orcas which approach the shore to hunt seals. For more reliable viewings, however, head to the lively village of Grundarfjörður in Iceland.

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Amazon River Dolphin

The only freshwater species on this list, the Amazon River Dolphin or Boto can be found swimming through the Amazon River Basin of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia and the Orinoco River Basin of Colombia and Venezuela. Due to limited amount of information on population numbers and trends, in addition to little knowledge on threats and ecology, the Amazon River Dolphin’s conservation status is listed as data deficient by IUCN. These pink-colored cetaceans are one of just five dolphins that make their homes in the rivers of this world. The friendly and highly social Amazon River Dolphin is also considered the most intelligent of the river dwelling cetaceans, with a brain capacity 40% larger than that of humans. Population estimates are highly unreliable for this species, but a good place to see them in larger numbers is the Pañacocha Lagoon in the vicinity of the Yasuni National Park, Ecuador.

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Common Bottlenose Dolphin

The most familiar of all dolphin species, the Common Bottlenose Dolphin is the largest of all the beaked dolphins and number at around 600,000 individuals worldwide. Absent only from the icy polar waters of the Arctic and Antarctica, they mostly inhabit temperate and tropical oceans throughout the world. They typically lives in pods numbering around 15 individuals, but have been observed swimming together in groups of over 100, and occasionally 1000 animals in what are known as super pods. Monkey Mia, located on the west coast of Australia is known as one of the most reliable places to observe Common Bottlenose Dolphins in their natural habitat. In fact, the friendly pod are well-known for visiting the beach on a daily basis where they regularly interact with humans.

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All photos by Shutterstock/Graphics by Leigh Woods

Into the Mist

Trekking with the critically endangered mountain gorilla in Rwanda

During the past 18 months, I have been on an incredible journey throughout the Asian and African continents that has included many wonderful encounters with wildlife. From experiencing my first safari to diving with great white sharks, I have been very lucky. One might think that such a lifestyle would eventually grow wearisome, however, my desire to witness wild animals in their natural habitat grows stronger with every experience. Fortunately, I was able to further indulge my passion when I relocated to the small east African country of Rwanda last December. Aptly named “The land of a thousand hills”, Rwanda boasts a wide array of flora and fauna to be marvelled at. It is best-known among wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists for its high concentration of colourful birds and endangered primates.

Since moving to Rwanda, I have taken advantage of the many wildlife watching opportunities that this great land has to offer, visiting Akagera National Park and also travelling to the beautiful Nyungwe Forest to trek chimpanzees. There really is no other way to observe such spectacular animals than in their natural environment, as their behaviour and interactions with one another are in stark contrast to that when behind bars in a zoo. They were both truly amazing days that I will never forget. However, the magnitude of these experiences was overwhelmingly dwarfed by that of last weekend’s gorilla trekking.

Rwanda is one of three countries that are home to the critically endangered mountain gorilla. Surprisingly, it was as late as 1902 when these graceful beasts were first discovered by scientists, and since that day, mountain gorilla populations have been under serious threat of extinction. Poaching, habitat loss, disease and warfare have all contributed toward their decline and in 1981, it was estimated that as little as 254 mountain gorillas remained. Perhaps most horrifying of all, silverbacks were killed for their heads and hands which were sold to collectors. In addition, many protective parents were killed when their babies were taken away to be exhibited in zoos all over the world. Thankfully, recent years have seen large conservation efforts which have helped to ensure that these creatures have not become mere museum memories. It is now believed that there are at least 880 individuals wandering the hills of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A large contributing factor toward the recovery of the mountain gorilla population has been through ecotourism. Wildlife enthusiasts from all corners of the globe travel to eastern Africa to witness the glorious spectacle of the great apes roaming freely in their natural habitat. Visitors must book permits weeks in advance, as the number of people allowed to view the gorillas each day is very limited. Encounters with our primate cousins are also restricted to a single one-hour session per day, and so the $750 fee per permit may seem astronomical to some. In hindsight, I cannot put into words how insignificant the cost turned out to be.

I left the comforts of my hotel room at around six o’clock on a misty Sunday morning and shortly after I arrived at the base camp where I was to learn which gorilla family I would be trekking. My guide announced that we had been assigned to the Ntambara (fighters) group – a band of 16 individuals. I met with the six other trekkers who had been assigned to the same group and we all briefly introduced ourselves to one another. Soon after, we excitedly jumped into a jeep and headed off toward the foot of the mountain of which the Ntambara group were located. Around half an hour later we arrived at our destination, climbed out of the jeep and began our ascent up into the mist.

During the relatively effortless hike toward the national park, we made a few stops where our guide taught us about some of the flora in the area. It was interesting to learn about the local vegetation and it helped to make the 45 minutes it took to reach the border of the national park go by quickly. Before crossing through the park’s perimeter, our guide gave us instructions on how to behave when we came across the gorillas and ways in which to react to different situations that may occur. Shortly after, he received confirmation on his two-way radio that the trackers had located the Ntambara group. They continuously updated him on the location of the gorillas and it became clear to all in the group that he knew exactly how far they were positioned from us. My fellow trekkers and I were keen to learn how long we would be hiking before we found the gorillas to which our guide teasingly responded “less than five hours”.

As we climbed over the cobblestone wall which separated the surrounding farmland from the forest, it became very apparent that this was going to be an arduous trek. It had rained continuously throughout the past few days and we all found ourselves ankle deep in the thick sodden soil. We hiked for around half an hour on the main trail before we met with one of the trackers and veered off onto a completely new route. I began to grow excited as it became obvious that we were in close proximity to the Ntambara group.

We continued through the thick lush green forest for around 15 minutes before happening upon two other trackers who instructed us to stop. Within seconds I heard a noise that sounded very similar to that of bongo drums and instantly I recognised that it was the sound of a gorilla beating its chest. I could feel my eyes growing wider and an adrenaline rush like I had never felt before as the realisation set in that we were about to be acquainted with one of the greatest animals to roam the planet.

As we approached the area from which we had heard the chest-beating, a large and imposing silverback emerged from a nearby bush and slowly moved his way toward us. Members of our group began frantically throwing themselves off the trail to allow him the space to pass through. I had not imagined that I could have been within a metre or so of a wild animal with such immense power and lived to tell the tale. As he unhurriedly distanced himself from us, everybody breathed a sigh of relief as if they had believed that a strictly herbivorous creature had recently acquired a taste for human flesh. We continued on to discover more members of the Ntambara group which included two females, a juvenile and an even larger Silverback feeding in a small opening.

We spent the next hour almost entirely in silence as we observed the gorillas moving in all directions around us. As we gradually moved our way around the tranquil forest, we managed to locate other members of the Ntambara group including a few amusing adolescents. Unoriginal as it may be, though, the toddler provided the most enjoyment for me personally. Before encountering the gorillas we had been instructed that should any of the infants approach us, we should make every effort to back away in order to ensure that no complications would arise with their extremely protective parents. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do was distance myself from the juvenile that seemed intrigued by a fellow trekker and I. Nevertheless, I felt incredibly privileged to have been within a few feet of the curious little chap.

The enhanced elation I felt in contrast to my previous encounters with wildlife was undoubtedly down to the fact that I had spent less time behind the camera lens and more time simply observing. From previous experiences I have learnt that photographs are no substitution for enjoying the moment as it happens.

I honestly cannot find the words to express the wonder of sharing a short moment in time alongside such immensely powerful and magnificently intelligent animals. Magical perhaps, but the only way that one can really understand the euphoria surrounding even the briefest encounter with such glorious beings is to experience it for themselves.

(The Real) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Great Apes

This article was originally published by Youth Time International Magazine

Dr. Jane Goodall’s birthday seemed like a good time to introduce some of our closest living relatives – the great apes - along with tips on where to best see them in the wild in this latest version of (The Real) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

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Western Gorilla

Divided into two sub-species, the Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla g. gorilla) and the Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla. G diehli), can be found in the tropical and subtropical broadleaf forests of West Africa. Western Lowland Gorillas are smaller and lighter than all other gorilla subspecies and are also the most widespread. They inhabit Africa’s densest and most remote rainforests, making it hard for scientists to make accurate estimates on their overall population. However it is thought that there are somewhere around 100,000 individuals, making them the most numerous of all the subspecies. The Cross River Gorilla is the world’s rarest great ape and is restricted to a small area of montane rainforest on the border of Cameroon and Nigeria. Their population is estimated at only around 250-300 individuals.

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Eastern Gorilla

As with the Western Gorilla, the Eastern Gorillas are made up of two subspecies – the Eastern Lowland Gorilla, or, Grauer’s Gorilla (Gorilla. b. graueri) and the Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla. b. beringei). The Grauer’s Gorilla is the largest of all the gorilla subspecies and can be found only in the rainforests of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Research suggests that Eastern Lowland Gorillas occupy only around 13% of their former geographic range and that their population has declined from 17,000 individuals in the 1990s to just 4,000 today. Their closely related cousins, the Mountain Gorilla are slightly smaller and sport longer coats of hair. Made famous by Diane Fossey and the film Gorillas in the Mist, Mountain Gorilla populations have steadily increased in the last few years thanks to dedicated conservation initiatives. Once on the brink of extinction, their numbers are at around 880 individuals today. Only three countries are home to the magnificent Mountain Gorilla, namely Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Chimpanzee

One of our closest living relatives, the Chimpanzee share about 96% of our DNA. Scientists have divided the species into four separate subspecies based on differences in appearance and distribution (Western chimpanzee (Pan. t. verus), Central chimpanzee (Pan. t. troglodytes), Eastern chimpanzee (Pan. t. schweinfurthii), and Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan. t. ellioti)). It is estimated that the wild population of all subspecies together ranges between 150,000 to 250,000 individuals with the Central Chimpanzee being the most numerous and Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee the least. Collectively, they are the most widespread species of all great apes, though their distribution is still considerably smaller and fragmented than it once was. The largest remaining populations occur in central Africa, but the best places to trek chimpanzees are Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania, Kibale National Park in Uganda and Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda.

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Bonobo

The Bonobo is arguably our closest living relative yet we still know relatively little about them. Very similar in appearance to the chimpanzee, they are also known as pygmy chimpanzees due to the fact they are generally smaller in size. Other distinguishing features include jet black faces with red lips and a prominent tail tuft. Aside from physical characteristics, Bonobos exhibit remarkably different social behavior from chimpanzees. In particular, they are a far more peaceful species than their close cousins who have been known to kill and even eat one another. Restricted to the low-lying basin of Equatorial Africa and found only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is estimated that around 10,000 to 20,000 bonobos are left in the wild. However, data has revealed that their population is fragmented and decreasing. For the best chances of seeing wild Bonobos, head to Salonga National Park.

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Sumatran Orangutan

Until very recently, the Sumatran Orangutan was considered the most endangered of two-subspecies with only around 14,600 individuals left in the wild. That was until a new and even more vulnerable to extinction subspecies was discovered on the very same Indonesian island of Sumatra. They are almost exclusively arboreal and can be found living among the trees of tropical rainforests where they feed upon figs and other fruits. Sumatran Orangutans once ranged across the entire island of Sumatra and even further south into Java, however, the nine remaining populations now only inhabit the northerly provinces of North Sumatra and Aceh. For tourists wishing to see the Sumatran Orangutan in the wild, their best bet is to visit Gunung Leuser National Park.

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Bornean Orangutan

With an estimated 104,700 individuals living in the three countries (Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia) which make up the island of Borneo, the Bornean Orangutan is easily the most numerous of the three subspecies. Despite their large population, they are still considered as critically endangered on the IUCN red list because of their rapid decline due to habitat loss and illegal poaching. In fact, their populations have declined by more than 50% over the past 60 years owing to the fact that forests and swamps that were once their homes are being torn down to make way for palm oil plantations and logging. Scientists have divided the Bornean Orangutan into three subspecies (Central Bornean Orangutan, Northwest Bornean Orangutan and Northeast Bornean Orangutan) with the former having the largest population. Arguably the best place to spot the “old man of the jungle” in its natural environment is in the Danum Valley.

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Tapanuli Orangutan

Announced in late 2017 as a new subspecies of orangutan, the Tapanuli Orangutan is now considered to be the rarest of the great apes alongside the cross river gorilla with an estimated 800 or fewer individuals. They were discovered first in 1997, but following extensive research were determined as a new third species based on morphological and genomic evidence. The Tapanuli Orangutan is believed to have been isolated from its close relatives around 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. They occupy and are endemic to an area of 475 square mile upland forest in the Batang Toru Ecosystem situated in northern Sumatra.

All photos are Shutterstock. Graphics by Leigh Woods.