Earthquake

When checking my emails this morning, the headlines of a M8.9 earthquake and a Tsunami hitting Japan made my heart stop....immediately thought of my good friends in Taiji and of course, the dolphins at the whale museum and in the harbour pens. Then i saw that it was Northern Japan that was hit not Taiji...I contacted friends in Taiji as there was still the danger of a Tsunami striking Taiji as has happened in the past and my friends are all OK!. 


My heart goes out to Japan for the lives lost today.
  
A friend in Taiji told me today that the waves are very BIG there!

* March 11/11:This update on the dolphins in the Habour pens of Taiji came through from Mark Bramberry on Facebook:

Taiji: 6 surges in the harbour which caused damage dolphin pens - pens got washed across rocks, cries of dolphins were audible. Details sketchy

* March 11/11:  This updated report by Steven Thompson on the dolphins: 

:" Screams were from dolphins from an Aussie near the area. He went safely up Tsunami Hill. Sorry to report that none of the dolphins were seen to have escaped. Boats did get out to ride out the waves."

Also, it was suggested that taking iodine pills might be wise as there is suspected leaking radiation from nuclear reactors. 

* March 11/11:  This report in from TDAG from Japan:

Nuclear radioactive steam release information from Fukushima Nuclear power plant still not being given accurate attention in the news in my opinion. Here is one report:

The amount of radiation reached around 1,000 times the normal level in the No. 1 reactor's control room, the Kyodo news agency reported the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency as saying.

* March 12/11:  In Taiji, 24 captured dolphins were killed in the pens run by the FU. The sea water surged six times smashing the pens into the rocks. The hunters took their boats to safety in the bay. No FU staff stayed behind. The pens were not secured. Nobody checked on them. no news from the dolphin base for now...via Thomas Gainard

*March 12/11:  In Taiji, 24 captured dolphins were killed in the pens run by the FU. The sea water surged six times smashing the pens into the rocks. The hunters took their boats to safety in the bay. No FU staff stayed behind. The pens were not secured. Nobody checked on them. The dolphins were heard to cry for hours....via Mark Bramberry (TDAG)

*March 13/11: Somewhere between 13 and 24 dolphins were killed either through drowning or injury on the rocks and it appears that they were processed as meat in the slaughterhouse this morning....via Michael Dalton (Eyes On Taiji).

* March 13/11:  These Reports in from Steven Thompson who lives in Japan:

"Second reactor just blew. News on Japanese TV: nuclear steam release not dangerous...evacuate 12 miles. News from Pentagon contradicts this, reported in NYT: "helicopters flying 60 miles from the plant picked up small amounts of radioactive particulates..cesium-137 and iodine-121 — suggesting widening environmental contamination." ...I am in shock...Japanese news reporting seems controlled"

"If the Pentagon/NYT report becomes public knowledge in Japan we may see panic in Tokyo."

Radiation Detected 60 Miles From Fukushima

www.nytimes.com