ENVIRONMENT
Protect Our Seas
News and views from the world of marine heritage and conservation
Endeavour debate
The wreckage of British explorer James Cook ’ s ship HMS Endeavour , which has been lost in US waters for almost 250 years , may have finally been pinpointed . Cook famously sailed the ship around the South Pacific before landing on the east coast of Australia in 1770 . Australian National Maritime Museum chief executive Kevin Sumption announced last month that the remains of Cook ’ s vessel had been identified in Newport Harbor , Rhode Island , where maritime archaeologists have been investigating several 18th Century shipwrecks . Meanwhile , an American expert involved in the discovery has hit out at the claims , saying it is ‘ premature ’ to definitively state the ship is the Endeavour .
Do not disturb
Urgent action is required to protect UK seals at risk of disturbance , according to the Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust ( CSGRT ). CSGRT said seal disturbance had increased since 2013 , particularly in the summer season , and was widespread right around the Cornish coast . The group classifies seal disturbance as doing anything which wakes a seal or makes it move in response to the presence of a person . The issue has now been aired in Parliament under the 10-Minute Rule Bill , and SCUBA will report on any decisions in a future issue .
In hope of a hump
New research has revealed the vast journeys undertaken by humpback whales in search of a mate during breeding season . Researchers from Whale Trust Maui found that one male had travelled from the coast of Mexico to the ‘ Au ’ au Channel off xstudy , the researchers relied on the Happywhale database , which holds photos of more than 26,000 individual humpback whales , dating back to 1977 . In particular , the researchers focused on two male humpbacks , who were photographed in both Hawaii and Mexico during the same winter breeding seasons . On average , humpback whales swim at speeds of around 2.5mph ( 4kph ).
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