"Ocean's Gem"

"Ocean's Gem" a painting by Aotearoa artist Peta Dowle that I added to my collection in November 2007. The painting is of a Maui dolphin which is native to the North Island of New Zealand and is of the same species as the Hector's dolphin found in the South Island coastal waters - both are rare and endangered.





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Taiji Pilot Whale Massacre

Please watch this video of a protest lead by Dave Rastovich of Surfers for Cetaceans at the annual Pilot Whale massacre at Taiji, Japan. Join the VisualPetition against the slaughter of dolphins and whales.




I have been a surfer and ocean swimmer all my life. With spending so much time in and on the ocean I have been honoured with many close encounters with dolphins and I cherish the memory of every occassion.

The number of encounters locally has decreased as the population of Hectors dolphins has been decimated due to entrapments in fishing nets. The North Island native, Maui dolphin, is also threatened with extinction due to set-netting.

Seeing the horrible fate dealt out to dolphins and pilot whales in Japan has prompted me to get more heavily involved in the protest action against the slaughter of these wonderful highly-intelligent and fun-loving creatures.

http://surfersforcetaceans.com
http://www.seashepherd.org