Dan informed them of the rash of recent whale deaths, and expressed the need for sound science and open discussion of the cause of death of these whales. Without open scientific inquiry we will never know what the cause is. He also expressed his belief that the Homeland Security Department and U.S. Department of Defense should adopt the mission of environmental stewardship - to recognize fully that true homeland security cannot exist without a healthy environment and healthy Oceans. He further expressed concerns about the U.S. Navy position that supercedes its compliance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the use of high power sonar technology that can damage and kill marine mammals.

Congressman McNerney expressed his deep appreciation of the 'magnificence' of the Whales, and felt that they had been 'much abused as a species.' Senator Reid expressed deep concern about global warming, and promised to work hard on that issue. If any of you readers are so inspired, please contact them and thank them for listening, and encourage them to keep caring about the Oceans and to work on these issues related to Ocean health.

You can send them electronic messages at the following websites:

Senator Harry Reid

Representative Jerry McNerney

Thank you from the Whalesong Project to Robert Klein and his family for hosting the event and for their caring. Caring seems to be what will make the difference in what kind of world our grandchildren will inherit. We plan to be relentlessly caring and to work for a healthy planet, despite mounting obstacles.

Information on several whale strandings

Just days after the two humpbacks roamed through the San Francisco Bay another whale was found in the Bay - unfortunately dead. The 50-foot whale near the Golden Gate turned out to be a California gray whale - the Marine Mammal Center, based in Sausalito, will do a necropsy trying to find out about the death. Plenty of whales gather around in the Northern California coastal waters at the moment: humpbacks on the way to their feeding grounds as well as large blue whales, sperm whales and the California gray whales. Read the full story here.

Another gray whale washed up on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay last week and two incidents happened in Maui County: two dead pygmy sperm whale were found on different beaches within two weeks at the end of April. You can read the detailed report of 'The Honolulu Advertiser' here.

Some whale strandings were linked to sonar testing around the world. 'Sound effects' was the title of a report by Bree Ullman posted in the Honolulu Weekly in late April. Dr. Marsha Green, founder of the Ocean Mammal Institute, explained her concerns about the sonar program of the Navy. Please see the elaborated report here.