Daring rescue of whale off Farallones

Humpback nuzzled her saviors in thanks after they untangled her from crab lines, diver says

Peter Fimrite, Chronicle Staff Writer

San Francisco Chronicle December 14, 2005 04:00 AM Copyright San Francisco Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Marine Mammal Center / AP

One of the divers on the rescue team works on the crab pot lines that held the female humpback whale near the Farallon Islands. The weight of the crab pots was pulling the animal down. Marine Mammal Center photo via Associated Press

• Mich. assistant AG's anti-gay blog free speech? 10.01.10

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A humpback whale freed by divers from a tangle of crab trap lines near the Farallon Islands nudged its rescuers and flapped around in what marine experts said was a rare and remarkable encounter.

"It felt to me like it was thanking us, knowing that it was free and that we had helped it," James Moskito, one of the rescue divers, said Tuesday. "It stopped about a foot away from me, pushed me around a little bit and had some fun."

Sunday's daring rescue was the first successful attempt on the West Coast to free an entangled humpback, said Shelbi Stoudt, stranding manager for the Marine Mammal Center in Marin County.

The 45- to 50-foot female humpback, estimated to weigh 50 tons, was on the humpbacks' usual migratory route between the Northern California coast and Baja California when it became entangled in the nylon ropes that link crab pots.

It was spotted by a crab fisherman at 8:30 a.m. Sunday in the open water east of the Farallones, about 18 miles off the coast of San Francisco.

Mick Menigoz of Novato, who organizes whale watching and shark diving expeditions on his boat the New Superfish, got a call for help Sunday morning, alerted the Marine Mammal Center and gathered a team of divers.

By 2:30 p.m., the rescuers had reached the whale and evaluated the situation. Team members realized the only way to save the endangered leviathan was to dive into the water and cut the ropes.

It was a very risky maneuver, Stoudt said, because the mere flip of a humpback's massive tail can kill a man.

"I was the first diver in the water, and my heart sank when I saw all the lines wrapped around it," said Moskito, a 40-year-old Pleasanton resident who works with "Great White Adventures," a cage-diving outfit that contracts with Menigoz. "I really didn't think we were going to be able to save it."

Moskito said about 20 crab-pot ropes, which are 240 feet long with weights every 60 feet, were wrapped around the animal. Rope was wrapped at least four times around the tail, the back and the left front flipper, and there was a line in the whale's mouth.

The crab pot lines were cinched so tight, Moskito said, that the rope was digging into the animal's blubber and leaving visible cuts.

At least 12 crab traps, weighing 90 pounds each, hung off the whale, the divers said. The combined weight was pulling the whale downward, forcing it to struggle mightily to keep its blow- hole out of the water.

Moskito and three other divers spent about an hour cutting the ropes with a special curved knife. The whale floated passively in the water the whole time, he said, giving off a strange kind of vibration.

"When I was cutting the line going through the mouth, its eye was there winking at me, watching me," Moskito said. "It was an epic moment of my life."

When the whale realized it was free, it began swimming around in circles, according to the rescuers. Moskito said it swam to each diver, nuzzled him and then swam to the next one.

"It seemed kind of affectionate, like a dog that's happy to see you,'' Moskito said. "I never felt threatened. It was an amazing, unbelievable experience."

Humpback whales are known for their complex vocalizations that sound like singing and for their acrobatic breaching, an apparently playful activity in which they lift almost their entire bodies out of the water and splash down.

Before 1900, an estimated 15,000 humpbacks lived in the North Pacific, but the population was severely reduced by commercial whaling. In the 20th century, their numbers dwindled to fewer than 1,000. An international ban on commercial whaling was instituted in 1964, but humpbacks are still endangered. Between 5,000 and 7,500 humpbacks are left in the world's oceans, and many of those survivors migrate through the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.

Whale experts say it's nice to think that the whale was thanking its rescuers, but nobody really knows what was on its mind.

"You hate to anthropomorphize too much, but the whale was doing little dives and the guys were rubbing shoulders with it," Menigoz said. "I don't know for sure what it was thinking, but it's something that I will always remember. It was just too cool."

Humpback whales hold a special place in the hearts of Bay Area residents ever since one that came to be known as Humphrey journeyed up the Sacramento River in 1985. The wayward creature swam into a slough in Rio Vista, attracting 10,000 people a day as whale experts tried desperately to turn it around. Humphrey went back to sea after 25 days of near-pandemonium and worldwide media attention.

In the fall of 1990, Humphrey turned up again inside the bay in shallow water near the Bayshore Freeway, finally beaching on mud flats near Double Rock, just off the Candlestick parking lot. He remained stuck for 25 hours, until volunteers, helped by a 41-foot Coast Guard boat, pulled him free and sent him back to the ocean. He has not been seen since.

Humpbacks like Humphrey do seem to relate to people more than other whales, according to Stoudt.

"You do hear reports of friendly humpbacks, whales approaching boaters, especially in Baja California," Stoudt said, "but, for the most part, they don't like to be interacted with."

This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

 



5 Credit Card Tips for the World Traveler

Credit card acceptance continues to rise in almost every corner of the globe, but with many cards, that convenience can come at a cost. Here are five ways to be smarter about using your credit card overseas.

By Zach Honig
September 27, 2010

There's no question that cash is still king in many countries, but the widespread use of credit cards in more-developed nations has led to an increase in acceptance of Visa, MasterCard, and American Express cards everywhere from Tulum to Timbuktu.

Credit card fraud is an even bigger issue overseas than it is at home, however, and foreign transaction fees can easily add up. Here are five tips to keep in mind before your next trip across the pond.

1. Watch out for foreign transaction fees. Don't expect to swipe your card abroad without your card issuer taking a cut of your $50 olive wood wine bottle holder in Athens. Or that $25 Hard Rock Café shirt you couldn't leave behind in Sydney. Card issuers call these foreign transaction fees -- 1 percent for MasterCard and Visa, and a whopping 2.7 percent for American Express transactions abroad. Keep in mind that MasterCard and Visa fees may be even higher depending on your issuing bank, so be sure to call ahead to check on fees when you're taking care of tip number two.

2. Phone ahead. Don't board your flight without first calling your credit card issuer. Inform the customer service representative of your trip dates and the countries you plan to visit while abroad. Identity thieves can capture your credit card information in the U.S. and produce a duplicate card overseas, so banks have become increasingly vigilant when it comes to international transactions.

You may also need to call ahead before making purchases that are processed abroad, or prepaying for tours or hotels before you travel, as these may appear as foreign transactions. Also confirm your mobile phone number with the representative, just in case the bank needs to reach you while you're traveling.

3. Keep records. Each year, I return from at least one trip to find a charge I don't recognize. Typically, the fee is much higher than the amount I thought I had paid at the time. Be sure to keep every receipt from your transactions abroad, and convert the amount charged to U.S. dollars -- banks process transactions using real-time currency rates. This way, there aren't any surprises when you return home.

It's also critical to write down essential account information before leaving home, just in case you lose a card while you're abroad. Even better: take a picture of the front and back of each card and e-mail a copy to yourself and a trusted friend or relative. This can help you save money on phone calls when you cancel your cards and request a replacement.

4. Bring multiple cards. There's a fairly good chance that you won't run into any problems while using your cards abroad, but some vendors may not accept certain cards. In Europe, for example, chip-and-PIN cards are becoming more popular but most U.S. banks haven't quite caught on. In case you lose your wallet, it also never hurts to have a backup to keep in the hotel safe. If you have multiple bank accounts, bring more than one ATM card as well so you won't run into any issues with tip number five.

5. Use cash. There are obvious incentives to charging purchases to a credit card -- earning miles, purchase protection, etc. -- but in many cases, these perks don't make up for the foreign transaction fees charged by your card issuer. You won't run into any issues when it comes time to pay if you're able to present cold hard cash.

ATM withdrawals and cash advances at banks typically offer the best exchange rates -- avoid using private currency conversion services such as Travelex in the airport -- and some banks even have no-fee agreements with banks in the U.S. (Bank of America customers receive free withdrawals at China Construction Bank, for example.) Keep in mind that your bank may have daily ATM withdrawal limits.

I also never leave home without enough cash to make it to the nearest U.S. Embassy. I don't care if that means a two-day trek through the desert on a donkey -- there's always enough cash (in U.S. dollars) tucked away in a sock to get me home.

Bonus Travel Tip: Some card issuers offer additional benefits when you book travel using your card, such as lost baggage reimbursement and emergency cash transfers. Discuss these benefits with your bank when informing a representative about upcoming travel.

At a school in Bali students to learn how to consume without pollution or waste

The Green School aims to raise a generation of children capable of acting sustainably

• Arnaud Guiguitant
• Guardian Weekly, Tuesday 28 September 2010 13.59 BST

A Balinese woman bundles rice before drying those during a harvest in Jati Luwih, Bali, Indonesia. Photograph: Firdia Lisnawati/AP

Touring the campus of the Green School, an international organisation at Sibang Kaja on the island of Bali in Indonesia, you might think you were exploring a castaway's hideout. Set in an earthly paradise the buildings are made of bamboo, bricks or dried mud, pebbles mark the edge of paths, furniture is made of carved timber and sails from boats take the place of windows in some of the classrooms. We also spotted terraced paddy fields, beehives, buffalo in enclosures fenced with manioc branches, and vegetable patches growing tomatoes, cucumbers, sugar palms and cocoa.

In this environmentally friendly academy, visitors are greeted with a glass of fresh water, drawn straight from the well. "We do not want to be dependent on anything," says John Hardy, a Canadian who worked as a jeweller before founding this ground-breaking school in 2008. "We drink our own water, serve our own produce at the cafeteria, generate our own electricity and build accommodation compliant with sustainable development guidelines," he says.

In a setting worthy of Robinson Crusoe, 120 pupils aged three to 14 are being taught the basic principles of environmental awareness. On top of a conventional curriculum, accredited by Cambridge University, most of the lessons address issues related to conservation. The children soon find out about organic agriculture, recycling and green transport.

"We want to raise a generation of responsible citizens, capable of acting sustainably for our planet. We teach them to base consumption on fair trade, to save energy, to till the earth and reap its benefits without pollution or wastage," Hardy adds.

On the morning of our visit, the science classes had moved to the banks of the Ayung river, below the campus. They are experimenting with a small-scale hydroelectric power station that, it is hoped, will supply the school with power, supplementing the existing solar panels. "How does it work? How much power will it produce? That's what powers our computers!" Pupils' questions about renewable energy reflect their interest but show they are still very much connected with the modern world. "We introduce them to some of the alternatives to oil so they can understand why they have become necessary to avoid depleting resources," Hardy says.

The lesson ends and we move to another class, which is focusing on new uses for bamboo. It is the key material here. Vast quantities have been used to build the school, and its chairs, desks, lockers, blackboards and even basketball baskets. It was chosen because it is so plentiful in Indonesia – the campus has its own plantation of 15,000 plants to combat deforestation – but also because it can store large amounts of carbon dioxide.

"We restricted the use of cement, concrete and plastics because of their environmental impact. Almost all of the campus is made of locally sourced natural materials, with low carbon emissions," Hardy explains. He has added a research module on CO₂ sequestration methods to the curriculum.

Other green schools may soon be opening in India, China or Vietnam, with the same slogan: "Choose your future". "We must act fast," says Louis, 13, from Belgium. "We must change how we behave, think sustainable development and recycling. Otherwise the planet is in great danger."

This article originally appeared in Le Monde.



Obama to visit Indonesia in November

 
AFP - Friday, September 24  From Yahoo News
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - – President Barack Obama said on Thursday he will make his twice-postponed trip to Indonesia in November, making good on a promise to travel to the Muslim-majority nation where he lived as a boy.

Obama called off previous plans to make his first visit to Indonesia as president due to his ultimately successful drive to pass health care reform and then over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The visit will allow Obama to speak directly to the Islamic world in the world's largest Muslim-majority country, following rows over plans to build a Muslim cultural center in New York and a US pastor's cancelled plans to burn Korans.

It will also be a homecoming of sorts, as Obama lived in the country for four years as a boy with his late mother, and has often spoken fondly of his memories of that time.

The president noted in a speech Thursday to the UN General Assembly that he had already announced plans to visit India in November, adding that "I will continue to Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country."

Obama, who, as a native of Hawaii, has billed himself as America's first Pacific President, will then make previously scheduled trips to South Korea and Japan.

The president had intended to travel on to Australia during the two previously postponed visits to Indonesia, but there are no plans to make that visit in November.

Obama's trip to Indonesia in November will be another clear sign of his intention to improve US ties with the region, and will come after Friday's US summit here with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

In Indonesia, Obama will stress the country's emerging economic weight and the role of the world's most populous Muslim nation in battling extremism, as well as to build on his speech to the Muslim world in Cairo last year.

5 Great Reasons to Go to Bali

September 22, 2010 by Renee Blodgett  

From http://www.weblogtheworld.com

I’m dreaming of an Island where the waves are legendary, the fruit tastes better than candy, and the smiling locals are almost as warming as the satay and curry. Yes, I’m talking about Bali – just a small part of one of the earth’s largest archipelagos and home to the fourth largest population in the world.

With all of the Eat Pray Love hype, I thought it high time to set the record straight about Bali. While it certainly may be the land of mirthful medicine men and sordid love affairs for some, Bali offers itself up as one of the most interesting and easy-to-love tourist destinations in Indonesia, if not all of Asia, with quite a few more perks than may be evident in a Hollywood adaptation.

Here are top five top reasons to see the real Bali:

Monkeying Around

Few people in this world, at least that I know of, would pass up a chance to get close to monkeys. Bali is one of those particularly-heavily monkey inhabited places in this world where they will, and often do, fearlessly come very close to people.

Mostly to jack your loot, so hold onto your hats, ladies and gents!

Sometimes the best thing to do in Bali is to just sit back and watch the ‘monkey show’, wherever you (and food) may be. The Sacred Monkey Forest of Ubud can be a good place to do so, particularly because these monkeys just might come up and touch you, jump on you, and even pee on you! A forewarning though: just like a hot prom date circa junior year of high school, you’ll need to let them make the first move so as not to upset them and suffer the consequences (again – getting peed on.  Or maybe even bitten – ouch).

Also, when in Bali, I’d say be a monkey yourself – go a little rabid and indiscriminately grab as much mango, pineapple, and passion fruit as you can at every possible opportunity. If you’re like me, you’ll most likely end up with a burning mouth from all the acidity, but you won’t care because it’s just. that. damn. good.

Which brings me to…

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Seconds, Thirds, and Fourths Please!

Balinese food (and Indonesian food in general) is some damn good grub. Also? It just makes sense! Typical Balinese just eat when they’re hungry rather than making a huge production of things and insisting on communal meal times. I encourage you to take the same approach, and find many reasons to be hungry.

If you’re like me, you’ll appreciate the spice, and the coconut element that is commonly used.  Some notable dishes include Opor ayam (chicken cooked in coconut milk), Satay (skewered meat), and Guling Celeng (suckling pig).

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Shred Gnar Bro

You don’t need me to tell you that surfing is huge in Bali, I’m sure. However, I’d recommend actually going to an area off of the island itself for some more secluded, lovely beach experiences.

Nusa Lembongan, although more developed than other islands surrounding Bali, is devoid of cars, buses, and all that NOISE.

The water is crystal blue, the sand is white, and it’s a little slice of heaven.

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Four Hands

Massages are pretty great. They are. I’d say they’re quite amazing after sitting on a plane in coach for 14 hours in a seat that would probably be deemed inhumane even for death-row inmates.

But I digress.

If a massage done by one person, with only two measly hands feels good, then what about a massage with two people and FOUR hands?! Yes, the Balinese four hand massage truly is an awesome experience – It’s almost poetic, in a way. It feels like a symphony is being played on the body, with four perfectly synced hands. Relaxing and enjoying Bali only gets easier after this experience.

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Bask in the Beauty

It comes to pass that every place I visit, I sit there thinking about how I absolutely must come back and bring my family so that they, too, can get a chance to see the beautiful sights.

From Guest Author.

Posted in: Culture, Travel

Location: Asia, Bali, Indonesia