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CFG Bank Arena

CFG Bank Arena is a multipurpose arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This venue is located about one block away from the Baltimore Convention Center on the corner of Baltimore Street and Hopkins Place in downtown Baltimore. With a seating capacity of up to 14,000 for concerts, CFG Bank Arena is owned by the City of Baltimore and managed by the Oak View Group, a global sports and entertainment company.

The venue officially opened on October 23, 1962, as the Baltimore Civic Center. Designed by AG Odell Jr. and Associates, it was built on the site of Old Congress Hall, where the Continental Congress met in 1776. The venue has been home to several Baltimore-based sports teams, most notably the Baltimore Bullets (now Washington Wizards) of the NBA from 1963 to 1973.

As a cornerstone for the Inner Harbor redevelopment during the 1980s, it was reopened after renovations and renamed the Baltimore Arena in 1986. In 2003, it was renamed 1st Mariner Arena for Baltimore-based 1st Mariner Bank, which purchased naming rights to the arena for 10 years. When this naming rights agreement ended in 2013, the arena returned to its "Baltimore Arena" name until convenience store chain Royal Farms purchased the naming rights in September 2014; the arena was known as Royal Farms Arena until 2022. After an extensive renovation, the venue reopened as CFG Bank Arena in February 2023.

1960s–1970s
A cornerstone to the Arena was laid in 1961 with a vault that included messages from then-U.S. President John F. Kennedy, then-Maryland governor J. Millard Tawes, and then-Baltimore Mayor J. Harold Grady. The vault was opened in 2006. The current site that was chosen for the Baltimore Civic Center was actually not one of the many sites proposed to the Greater Baltimore Committee in 1955. Among nine suggested locations were two in Druid Hill Park, three at the end of the Inner Harbor basin (where the World Trade Center and Harborplace are now located), and one in Clifton Park.

From 1962 through 1976, the Baltimore Clippers of the American Hockey League played their home games at the Arena. The financially troubled Clippers ceased operations in mid-season, 1974–75, when the professional Baltimore Blades (the relocated Michigan Stags) of the World Hockey Association (WHA) moved into the market/arena. The Blades folded at the end of the season, and the Clippers regrouped for one final AHL season 1975–76. The Arena has hosted two other AHL franchises: the Baltimore Skipjacks lasted from 1981 to 1993, and the Baltimore Bandits from 1995 to 1997.

On November 12, 1962, the Arena hosted a boxing match between Joey Giardello and Johnny Morris attended by 6,000 fans.

In 1963, the Arena became the home of the NBA's Baltimore Bullets, where the team played its home games until their move to the Capital Centre in 1973. The NBA All-Star Game was also played at the Arena in 1969.

The Beatles performed at the Arena on September 13, 1964, to a total of 28,000 attendees in two performances on the same day, at 4:00 pm and 8:30 pm.

On April 3, 1965, defending WWWF champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Gene Kiniski in a return title match. Just a few months later, in January 1966, Kiniski would win the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) title.

On April 12, 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech, "Race and the Church", before a gathering of Methodist clergy at the Baltimore Civic Center.

The venue also hosted Led Zeppelin several times through the early 1970s. A couple of scenes from the Led Zeppelin concert film The Song Remains the Same were filmed backstage. On June 13, 1970, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played the Civic Center with a last-minute decision to visit from New York and sold out. This was noted to be one of the best performances of the whole 1970 tour and was one of the last shows Hendrix played before his death a few months later. Chicago performed at the Civic Center on September 4, 1971, the month before the release of their fourth album, Chicago at Carnegie Hall. Elvis Presley played the Civic Center twice: Tuesday, November 9, 1971, 8:30pm (wearing the Red Lion Suit) and again on Sunday, May 29, 1977, 8:30pm (wearing the Mexican Sundial Suit), less than three months before his untimely death. Both shows were complete sell-outs. The Grateful Dead's performance on September 17, 1972, was recorded and later released as Dick's Picks Volume 23. It contains the complete concert, except for the encore, which was "One More Saturday Night". It contains the longest CD version of "The Other One", to date, at nearly 40 minutes long.

In 1974, the World Team Tennis (WTT) Baltimore Banners played their home games there in their only season. World No. 1 player Jimmy Connors was on that team. After Connors defeated Ken Rosewall in Wimbledon they played each other at the Arena in a rematch. Billie Jean King and John Newcombe both played at the Arena, with their respective WTT clubs.

The Civic Center was host to the 1974 and 1975 MEAC men's basketball tournament. In 1975, professional basketball returned briefly with the Baltimore Claws of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The Memphis Sounds relocated to Baltimore following the 1974–75 ABA season and were first called the Baltimore Hustlers, before changing their name. Troubled financially from the start, the Claws folded after three road exhibition games.

1980s–1990s
The Arena was the home of the Major Indoor Soccer League's Baltimore Blast from their arrival in the 1980–1981 season until the league folded in 1992. The Blast won their only championship in the 1983–84 season which was attended by upwards of 11,200 fans. The Blast, regardless of incarnation, were the longest-serving tenant in the Arena's history.

Van Halen performed at the Arena on July 22, 1980, as part of their Van Halen World Invasion Tour. Bon Jovi performed to a sold-out Arena crowd during their Slippery When Wet Tour on December 29, 1986. In 1986 and 1989, the Arena was host to popular Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. Def Leppard performed at the Arena on October 9, 1987, during their Hysteria World Tour.

Kiss performed at the Arena on November 27, 1984, as part of their Animalize World Tour. This performance is notable, because lead guitarist Mark St. John makes his live debut with the band, after being temporarily replaced by Bruce Kulick for the first two months of the tour due to contracting reactive arthritis. Kulick played the first five songs of the show, then St. John joined onstage to perform five songs. Kulick returned onstage and finished the show. Both St. John and Kulick bowed with the rest of the members at the end of the show. St. John went on to play only two full shows with the band before being permanently replaced by Kulick.

The Arena was the home of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL) and later the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Baltimore Thunder from 1987 through 1999. The Thunder won the inaugural MILL championship. Notable players include Gary Gait, Tom Gravante (head Men's Lacrosse coach at Mount St. Mary's University) and Hugh Donovan. The Arena was a frequent venue for Jim Crockett Promotions (NWA) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Starting in 1988, The Great American Bash pay-per-view was held at the Arena eight times. It also hosted SuperBrawl V in 1995. Sting defeated Ric Flair to win his first NWA World Championship at 1990's Great American Bash, and Ron Simmons upset Big Van Vader in 1992 for the WCW title, becoming the first African-American to hold a major world title. The nWo was reformed in 1999 at the Baltimore Arena with Bret Hart, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Jeff Jarrett on the Nitro after Starrcade

The Arena has also hosted many WWE events over the years. Most notably the 1994 King of the Ring, No Mercy (2003), No Way Out 2006, Backlash 2008, Extreme Rules (2010), TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2011), Payback (2015), and Extreme Rules (2017) as well as multiple Raw and SmackDown! tapings. Major title changes to take place in the Arena include Superstar Billy Graham over Bruno Sammartino in 1977 for the WWWF championship and Tito Santana over Greg Valentine in 1985 for the WWF Intercontinental title in a steel cage match.

In 1989, the Arena was host to the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships. Three years later, the International Olympic Committee held the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials there. In 1995, the Arena was host to the NCAA Men's Basketball Division 1 games (Rounds 1 & 2).

The NBA's Washington Bullets (formerly based in Baltimore) played 35 regular season "home" games at the arena from January 1989 through March 1997; their final game at the arena was a 94–87 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on March 29, 1997. The team has yet to play a regular season game in Baltimore under its current Wizards moniker.

2000s
The Arena has also been a staple on the PBR's Built Ford Tough Series bull riding tour. It first visited the Arena from 2001 to 2003, then came back again from 2008 to 2010. It returned in 2012 and again in 2015.

On October 25, 2003, Maryland's Good Charlotte performed at the Arena. In July 2004, the Arena was host to the US debut of Japanese rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel, as part of the anime and east Asian culture convention Otakon.

On December 3–4, 2004, the Arena hosted the final Vans Triple Crown Of Freestyle Motocross events.

On February 1, 2006, the Arena hosted the first concert by The Rolling Stones, in Baltimore, since 1969, which was also at the Arena.

On February 19, 2006, No Way Out 2006 was held in Baltimore, the WWE's first pay-per-view in the city since No Mercy 2003. Kurt Angle defeated The Undertaker to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

The 2006 Miss USA Pageant was held here on April 21, 2006.

On February 11, 2008, the Arena also hosted a rally for presidential candidate Barack Obama.

On April 27, 2008, Backlash 2008 was held in Baltimore. Triple H defeated Randy Orton to win the WWE Championship.

On November 20, 2009, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band performed at the Arena, recreating the entirety of their landmark album Born to Run; it was their first tour stop in Baltimore since 1973. Several country-pop music acts have made tour stops at the Arena, including Carrie Underwood and George Strait.

 * Accolades:
 * #1 Top Grossing Venue in North America in 2009*
 * #3 Top Grossing Venue in the World in 2008*
 * #13 Ticket Sales Worldwide All Venues in 2008**
 * Prime Site Award Winner 2005–2015
 * * Capacities 10,001-15,000, Billboard magazine
 * ** Pollstar Top 100 Worldwide Arena Venues

2010s
The PBR's Built Ford Tough Series bull riding tour returned to the Arena in 2012.

Shogun Fights, the first promoter to bring professional Mixed Martial Arts to the state of Maryland, held its second event, Shogun Fights 2, on March 27, 2010. This event occurs twice each year, once in the Spring and again in the Fall.

On April 25, 2010, the Arena played host to WWE Extreme Rules. It has then played host to Monday Night Raw on June 20, 2011. This episode was named Power to the People. It has played host to WWE's Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2011 on December 18, 2011. It hosted the season 23 premiere of WWE Monday Night Raw on September 8, 2014, and ended the same WWE Raw season on September 7, 2015, with the main event being a six-man tag team match between John Cena and the Prime Time Players vs. Seth Rollins and The New Day. WWE Payback was held in this Arena on May 17, 2015. WWE Extreme Rules held on June 4, 2017, was the latest WWE pay-per-view to be held at the Arena.

On September 30, 2011, the NHL's Washington Capitals played a preseason game against the Nashville Predators in a 2–0 loss at the Arena. It was the arena's first ice hockey event to be played since 1997. A second Capitals preseason game at the arena was played on September 17, 2013, against the Boston Bruins in another 3–2 loss.

On October 17, 2013, the RFA held an NBA preseason game between the Washington Wizards and the New York Knicks to celebrate the Wizards 50th anniversary. The team, who played several games there in the 1990s as the Bullets, played another preseason game at the arena against the New Orleans Pelicans, on October 20, 2014.

On April 26, 2014, the Royal Farms Arena hosted UFC 172: Jones vs. Teixeira.

The Colonial Athletic Association announced they would be moving their men's basketball tournament to the Arena in 2014 under a three-year contract after a 24-year run at the Richmond Coliseum. It is the first time the tournament will be held outside the state of Virginia.

In still more recent years, the Arena continues holding events such as Stevie Wonder (April 2015), Prince (May 2015), the Eagles (July 2015), and Garth Brooks (five sold-out concerts in January 2016).

On November 14, 2016, Monumental Sports & Entertainment (owners of the Washington Wizards of the NBA, Washington Capitals of the NHL, Washington Mystics of the WNBA and the new Washington Valor of the Arena Football League) announced that they had been granted a second Arena Football League franchise, the Baltimore Brigade, to play at the Royal Farms Arena. It is the first time the AFL played in Baltimore and the first team to play in Maryland since the Maryland Commandos played at the Capital Centre in 1989. On July 28, 2018, the Arena and Brigade hosted its first ArenaBowl Championship, ArenaBowl XXXI where the Baltimore Brigade was upset by the Washington Valor 55–69.

On July 23, 2017, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played a concert in the arena as part of their 40th Anniversary Tour.

On November 8, 2018, Travis Scott kicked off his Astroworld – Wish You Were Here Tour in the arena.

 * Accolades:
 * #1 Top Grossing Venue in North America in 2015*
 * #2 Top Grossing Venue in North America in 2014*
 * #2 Top Grossing Venue in North America in 2012*
 * #1 Top Grossing Venue in North America in 2011*
 * Prime Site Award Winner 2005–2015
 * * Capacities 10,001-15,000, Billboard magazine
 * ** Pollstar Top 100 Worldwide Arena Venues

2020s
The COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland led to the postponement or cancellation of a number of arena events. The venue went dark until a September 2021 Guns N' Roses performance.

In February 2022, the arena hosted the CIAA men's and women's basketball tournament. No further events were scheduled due to the pending renovation. After the tournament, the city terminated its naming rights deal with Royal Farms. Oak View Group, which is leading the arena's renovation, has the right to sell naming rights and other sponsorships.

In October 2022 the arena was renamed CFG Bank Arena. The arena reopened in February 2023 after a year long renovation and once again hosted the 2023 CIAA men's and women's basketball tournament. The first concert held since the renovation was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in April 2023.

Proposed replacement and the decision for renovation
On October 16, 2004, The Baltimore Sun revealed that official steps had been taken toward replacing the Arena, then 42 years old. The Maryland Stadium Authority had started soliciting proposals for a feasibility study on building an Arena in downtown Baltimore, due on November 1, 2004. According to the request for proposals, the new Arena would be built on the same site of Royal Farms Arena and "would have a smaller seating capacity than would be required for an NHL or NBA team" but it did not set a specific seating capacity.

On May 15, 2007, The Baltimore Sun reported that the feasibility study started in 2004 had been released publicly and the study stated that the current Arena had "served its useful life" and that Baltimore must build a new Arena or face the risk of losing events. The study rejected a proposal to repair the Arena's aging systems, citing an estimated cost of $60 million, and instead suggested that the city demolish Royal Farms Arena and build a new Arena on the same site or elsewhere in Baltimore. Notably the proposed new Arena would seat only 15,000 to 16,000 people; the study assumed that Baltimore would never be successful in attracting a major pro team in the future; however, city officials were still open to this idea.

Conceivably, the new arena could be successful in attracting a minor-league hockey team, bringing more than 200 new jobs and generating up to $1 million in additional tax revenue. City officials have said that the private sector would need to bear the brunt of the estimated $162-million construction cost of the new arena, as the city is also considering giving up ownership of the arena. The Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) stated that it would begin seeking interested developers for the project by June 2007. BDC's President M. J. "Jay" Brodie said it was a "miracle" that the current Arena books as many events as it does in its current state. City officials have said the location of the new Arena would be dependent on what the developers suggest. Officials stated that they are equally comfortable with keeping the current Arena, building the new Arena in a new location, then demolishing the current Arena, or encouraging a mixed-use development in the site of the current Arena. Advocates for downtown, including the Downtown Partnership and the Westside Renaissance, want the new Arena to remain in the downtown area.

On November 18, 2007, WJZ 13 reported that seven sites have been submitted to the BDC for a new Arena, and the choices will be narrowed down by the Spring of 2008.

On July 24, 2008, it was reported that the new Arena will be built on the same site as the current one, with a capacity of upwards of 18,500. It was unknown at that time what would happen to concerts and events while construction is underway, or who would develop the new Arena. However, there have been talks about building a temporary facility for events. The Arena was planned to be completed within three years.

On August 27, 2008, The Baltimore Sun reported that developers were looking for designers to build an apartment building and outdoor shopping stores to be a part of the new Royal Farms Arena. Also, the developers announced that they were accepting all design proposals until November 26, 2008, and that, by the summer of 2009, they planned to make a final design decision.

On December 17, 2008, The Baltimore Examiner reported that the Baltimore Development Corp. had received four proposals for the Royal Farms Arena replacement that could take away a "major entertainment venue" for Baltimore for up to "4 years" and the estimated price is $300 million, but could be more depending on additional retail and hotel uses. The Arena is reported to be an 18,500-seat venue built on the site of the current Royal Farms Arena. The four proposals were:

ESmith Legacy and Garfield Traub Development: ESmith Legacy was a team led by former NFL player Emmitt Smith that has offices in Baltimore. This proposal included the following features in addition to the larger Arena:

 * 7-screen movie theater
 * 20000 sqft of retail space
 * 1,000-seat concert venue

Streuver Brothers Eccles & Rouse: A well known Baltimore-based developer. This proposal included:

 * 300-room hotel
 * 43000 sqft of retail space

Cormony Development and Harrison Development: Respectively, Rockville- and Baltimore-based development firms who have been involved since 2007. This proposal includes:

 * 400-room hotel
 * 240,000 SF office tower
 * 12,000 SF to 20,000 SF of retail space

A&R Development, J Street Development Co., and Accent Development Co.: A partnership of Baltimore-based A&R and Washington based J Street and Accent Development under the name Arena Development. This proposal includes:

 * Up to 100000 sqft of retail space

The Baltimore Examiner reported that the BDC could make a decision on the developer as soon as mid-2009.

On July 8, 2009, ArenaDigest.com reported that Baltimore City officials had postponed their plans for constructing a new arena, due in part to the struggling economy, and the officials' decision split between building either an 18,500-seat Arena for a possible NBA or NHL franchise, or constructing a mid-size facility for concerts, family events, and minor league sports.

However, on November 12, 2010, with the recession rebounding, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced that city officials were considering new sites for a new arena. The plan called for Royal Farms Arena to remain open, while a new arena was constructed. While Rawlings-Blake believed that the new Arena would most likely to be erected in the city's West Side, the Greater Baltimore Committee suggested building the Arena as an expansion to the Baltimore Convention Center, to help re-develop the Inner Harbor. The cost would range from $750 to $930 million, since it would include the 18,500-seat Arena, 400,000 sqft expansion of the Baltimore Convention Center, an underground garage, and a new 500-room Sheraton hotel; the proposed Arena site is where the current Sheraton hotel rests.

On January 14, 2015, David S. Cordish, the chairman and CEO of the Cordish Company, proposed to build a 15,000–16,000-seat waterfront arena, but built with expanded capacity in mind. The Arena, accommodated with an outdoor amphitheater and a pedestrian bridge to connect the Inner Harbor and Federal Hill, would cost $450 million and tie up with Harbor East and Power Plant Live. However, the Cordish proposal was scrapped when Maryland Governor Larry Hogan cancelled the Red Line project, which was a dire need for the arena.

On August 3, 2016, talks about the convention center/arena proposal resumed. Up to that point, a few more studies for a new arena have been planned, including a possible renovation of Royal Farms Arena and construction of a new Arena at the city's State Center station.

On November 25, 2020, the Baltimore Development Corporation called for proposals of redeveloping the arena to a state-of-the-art facility, whether through renovation or construction of a brand-new arena. The caveat is that the arena must remain on the current site and that no proposals for alternate sites were under consideration.

On June 23, 2021, it was announced that Oak View Group, in association with the Thirty Five Ventures, the investment company of NBA player Kevin Durant and his agent and business partner, Rich Kleiman entered negotiations to invest $200 million into renovating the Royal Farms Arena. The renovations would feature "overhauled concourses, new suites, new concessions, a new exterior featuring plenty of glass, and new seating." After which, the two companies would manage and lease the arena. On November 24, 2021, the Board of Estimates approved the arrangement with a one-year renovation project beginning in February 2022. The renovation cost $250 million with the arena reopening in February 2023.

Transportation
The CFG Bank Arena is immediately adjacent to the Baltimore Arena station on the Baltimore Light Rail. The Charles Center Metro Subway Station and many bus lines are also nearby.

title: CFG Bank Arena


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Long-finned pilot whale

The long-finned pilot whale, or pothead whale (Globicephala melas) is a large species of oceanic dolphin. It shares the genus Globicephala with the short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus). Long-finned pilot whales are known as such because of their unusually long pectoral fins.

Etymology
Pilot whales get their name from the original belief that there was a "pilot" or lead individual in their groups. The name for the genus, "Globicephala" is derived from a combination of Latin globus ("globe") and Greek kephale ("head"). The specific name "melas" is Greek for "black". This species has also earned the nickname of "pothead whale" in some places because the shape of its head reminded early whalers of black cooking pots.

Taxonomy
This species was first classified in 1809 by Thomas Stewart Traill and given the name "Delphinus melas". However, this scientific name was changed later to "Globicephala melaena". Then in 1986, the specific name for this species was reverted to its original form as "melas".

Size
There is sexual dimorphism in the species. Females grow to a maximum length of up to 6 m, and a maximum weight of up to 2500 kg. Males are significantly larger at up to 7.6 m in length, and weigh up to 4500 kg. This makes the long-finned pilot whale the second largest member of the dolphin family, behind the killer whale (Orcinus orca).

Appearance
Despite its common name, the long-finned pilot whale is actually a large species of dolphin. The same is true of orcas and several other small whales. It has a bulbous forehead and is black or dark grey in colour with light-grey or white markings on the throat and belly regions. This light grey patch found on the throat of pilot whales forms the shape of an anchor. Some individuals have other distinct markings such as a light coloured area behind dorsal fin, known as a saddle patch, as well as an upwards sweeping stripe just behind the eye. The dorsal fin is thick and falcate in nature, and is located about a third of the way down the length of the animal. The common name of this species is a reference to the pilot whale's long, sickle-shaped pectoral flippers that are 18 to 27 percent of its total body length. Being a toothed whale, pilot whales have a single blowhole.

It can be challenging to tell male and female apart in the wild for many cetacean species. Long-finned pilot whales are no exception, though it was thought in the past that males had hooked dorsal fins while females did not. Recent research on fin shape has shown that this is not a predictable way to distinguish between the sexes. However, males are bigger in size, and relative fin dimensions as well as other characteristics may still be discovered to allow for distinguishing the sex of at least certain age classes for free-ranging pilot whales.

The ranges of long-finned and short-finned pilot whales overlap in some areas of the world. As the difference between them is mainly distinguished by the length of the pectoral flippers and tooth counts, it is hard to tell the two species apart in these areas.

Physiology
The long-finned pilot whale has more neocortical neurons than any mammal studied to date, in fact having almost twice as many as humans.

Social behavior
Long-finned pilot whales are very social in nature. They are usually seen in groups, which range in size from a couple of individuals to aggregations of over a thousand. However, 20 to 150 individuals are more commonly observed. Studies have shown that this species often forms small long-term social units made up of around 8-12 individuals. Genetic investigations of the pilot whales driven ashore in the Faroese hunts have shown a relatedness amongst whales, suggesting a matrilineal structure within social units. This means that calves - females and perhaps the males as well - remain with their mothers for life.

These groups have been observed socializing with common bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic white-sided dolphins and Risso's dolphins. Pilot whales mainly feed on cephalopods, though in certain regions fish may be more prominent in their diet. Northwestern Atlantic whales are thought to dine predominately on short-finned squid.

Long-finned pilot whales can often be seen lobtailing and spyhopping. Occasionally they may also breach. This species is notorious for mass strandings. During a specific time of year, approximately December to March, these whales beach themselves in high numbers along the coast of New Zealand. The reasons for stranding are not fully understood, but because pilot whales have strong social bonds, it is hypothesized that when one animal strands, the rest of the group may have the tendency to follow.

These whales have also been observed babysitting calves that are not their own, with one study showing that many of those doing the babysitting are males.

Communication
Long-finned pilot whales make many different kinds of sounds. In addition to squeaks, whistles, buzzes, and other calls likely used for communicative functions, they also produce rapid clicks that function as a type of bio sonar known as echolocation. This allows the whales to "see" in the murky, dark environments that they live in by listening to the nature of the echoes that return.

The whistles and pulsed calls that pilot whales make seem not to fall into distinct types, but rather can be arranged on a continuum. These calls are produced in a wide frequency range, which has been observed from less than 1 kHz to about 20 kHz.

Recent studies have found that a large portion of their vocal repertoire is made up of calls produced in repeated sequences. These repetitions are more commonly heard when whales are socializing than any other behavioral state (e.g. foraging, traveling, and resting).

Decision-making
During the deeper collective dives of groups of long-finned pilot whales, females on the right and left flanks (periphery) are found to lead most often. This may function in a similar fashion to what is observed in cattle drives, where flanking riders are important for maintaining cohesion of the herd of cattle. The study also found that both mature males and juveniles can lead these dives, but that they do so far less often.

Diet
Long-finned pilot whales are apex predators, preying on various species of squid, octopus, crustaceans and fish. Examples of fish species recorded as prey include Lanternfish, Atlantic herring, Silver hake, Atlantic mackerel and Spiny dogfish.

Reproduction
Females reach sexual maturity at about 8 years of age, while males reach sexual maturity at around 12 years of age. It seems that mating can take place at any time during the year, but it peaks in late spring/early summer for both northern and southern hemisphere populations. Mating is thought to occur when different groups meet up, and breeding within units is a rare occurrence.

Gestation lasts approximately 12 to 16 months and calving occurs once every 3 to 6 years. Calves are generally 1.6-2.0 m at birth, and weigh about 75 kg. Most calves are born in the summer, though some calving occurs throughout the year. There is evidence that some males may stay with their mothers after they reach sexual maturity.

Parasites
Among other parasites, long-finned pilot whales harbour Crassicauda carbonelli, a species of nematodes which is found exclusively in the penis.

Abundance
Though long-finned pilot whales appear to be abundant, there have been no recent reliable estimates for the worldwide population and very little long-term baseline data collected for monitoring population trends. However, based on their apparent abundance and what information is available, they are currently listed by the IUCN as "Least Concern." Conservative estimates for the population found off Newfoundland estimated around 13,000 individuals. Another study estimated a total of 780,000 animals in the North Atlantic, though this study includes both short and long-finned pilot whales as they are hard to distinguish at sea.

Current distribution
Long-finned pilot whales are found in the North Atlantic (subspecies Globicephala melas melas), as well as the Southern Hemisphere (subspecies Globicephala melas edwardii). Those in the north are wide-ranging and have been observed off the coast of the eastern U.S. and Canada, across the Atlantic in places such as the Azores and the Faroe Islands, as well as down the western coast of Europe all the way to the Strait of Gibraltar and North Africa. In the southern ocean, long-finned pilot whales are thought to range from 19 to 60° S, but are commonly seen in the Antarctic Convergence Zone and other areas, showing that they go as far as 68° S. This species has been observed near sea ice in the Antarctic.

Historical distribution
Though there are only two recognized living subspecies, there was once a third that was found in the western North Pacific around Japan. These are thought to have died off sometime between the 8th and 12th century. This unnamed form was documented in historical literature and confirmed by the discovery of fossils in several locations of Japan, such as on Rebun Island and in Chiba Prefecture. Their biological niche after the extinction has likely been refilled by short-finned pilot whales, who are currently present in parts of this region.

Antagonistic interactions with other species
Pilot whales have been occasionally observed harassing, mobbing or chasing other species of cetaceans.

Killer whales
Chases of killer whales have been documented in several parts of the world, including Iceland and the Strait of Gibraltar. It is thought that this might be due to either competition for prey or an anti-predation strategy by the long-finned pilot whales. Recently, an adult female Icelandic killer whale was observed with a newborn pilot whale travelling alongside her in a mother-calf position, leading to speculation that the relationship between both species might be far more complex than previously suggested. This same killer whale was seen a year later interacting with a larger group of pilot whales. Whether this newborn calf was adopted or abducted is unknown.

Mass strandings
Long-finned pilot whales are the most common species involved in mass strandings. The largest event consisted of 1,000 whales on the Chatham Islands in 1918. Though mass strandings of this species are most common in New Zealand, pilot whales have beached themselves in many other countries in places such as northern Europe, the Atlantic coast of North America, South America, and southern parts of Africa.

Over 600 pilot whales were involved in a stranding at Farewell Spit, New Zealand on February 9, 2017. This was the second largest mass stranding event to be documented.

Research from strandings
Scientists have learned a number of important things from mass strandings of long-finned pilot whales around the world. Studies suggest that they do not always beach together in family units, as multiple matrilines can be found in a single stranding event.

Current conservation status
The North Sea and Baltic Sea populations of the long-finned pilot whale are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), since they have an unfavourable conservation status or would benefit significantly from international co-operation organised by tailored agreements.

The long-finned pilot whale is also covered by the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS), the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS), the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region (Pacific Cetaceans MoU) and the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Conservation of the Manatee and Small Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia (Western African Aquatic Mammals MoU).

Whaling

Whaling of this species in the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic has been practiced since the time of the first Norse settlements there. The hunts, called grindadráp in Faroese, are mainly executed during the summer. They are generally regarded as non-commercial - though people may sell their share after the catch has been divided - and organized on a community level. The hunters first surround the pilot whales with a wide semicircle of many boats. The boats then drive the pilot whales into a bay or to the bottom of a fjord. It is regulated by Faroese authorities but not by the International Whaling Commission, which does not regulate the hunts of small cetaceans. As of the end of November 2008 the chief medical officers of the Faroe Islands have recommended that pilot whales no longer be considered fit for human consumption because of the level of mercury in the whales.

Though the Faroe Islands are home to the only remaining large scale long-finned pilot whale hunts in the world, this species has also been hunted historically elsewhere. An industrial drive fishery was started in the Trinity Bay area of Newfoundland, Canada in 1947 by a Norwegian whaling captain. The catches increased every year until in 1956, there were approximately 10,000 pilot whales successfully captured and killed. This species was also historically hunted along the New England coastline.

Aside from the Faroe Islands, a few pilot whales are taken opportunistically in Greenland each year.

Tourism

Long-finned pilot whales are economically important in the whale-watching industry of some areas of the world, especially in eastern Canada. Even though there are a number of other species of whales found in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence and around Newfoundland, pilots are one of the more common ones sighted inshore during the summer season. The tour vessels used in these regions are normally old converted fishing vessels or zodiacs. In these places, pilot whales provide valuable income for people living in rural fishing communities.

The effects of whale-watching on long-finned pilot whales have not been well studied.

Museum specimens
The articulated skeleton of a long-finned pilot whale, killed in the Firth of Forth in 1867, was put on display at Leeds City Museum, UK in 2019.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Long-finned pilot whale


text: User talk:64.12.96.15

title: User talk:64.12.96.15


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Comparison of World War I tanks

This is a comparison of the characteristics of tanks used in World War I.

Immediate post-war tanks
Tanks planned for production and with completed prototypes during the war, but entered service after it ended.

title: Comparison of World War I tanks


text:
Glowworm (astronomy)

A glowworm is a luminous trail of a tiny meteor, occasionally visible in the night sky during a meteor shower.

The centimeter-sized comet pieces can produce hundreds of fireballs or more each hour. In some cases, particularly during the Leonids, the fireballs make bright trails that can stay up for 10 to 15 minutes, according to astronomers.

title: Glowworm (astronomy)


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User talk:X-Bahamut

Long Live Marik!!! Lirath Q. Pynnor

Heh. Davion or Clan Wolf are more my style. :D X-Bahamut

Links work best when they are, or are very close to, the word being linked within an article. So dont do Battletech: Battlespace: Jumpship: rather just create Jumpship. When a disamabiguation is needed, one should use: aerospace fighter Lirath Q. Pynnor

Mrm. 'k. Seems I misunderstood the disambiguation bits in some of the various help wikis here. Oh well, staying up all night and finding something neato and new(To me.) will do that to a person. I'll keep it in mind, thanks. X-Bahamut 19:52, 19 Nov 2003 (UTC)

I doubt you misunderstood anything, there are lots of outofdate "rules" floating around -- we haven't been using that archiac subcategory method for over a year. Youll see why if you persist in using it, its a pain to link stuff and eventually you'll find some article that doesn't neatly fit into one single category. Lirath Q. Pynnor

And also, since you are new, be forewarned that inevitably somebody is going to remove, revert, or do something to an article which you don't like. The calmer you stay, they easier it is to deal with such issues. Lirath Q. Pynnor

 * mailing list
 * IRC channel

Heh, yeah, I realize that. Can't see it bothering me unless it's done maliciously. In which case, I've read that's dealt with quickly enough anyhow. Thanks for the heads up, in any case. X-Bahamut 20:07, 19 Nov 2003 (UTC)

In my FASA books, they spell it BattleTech. Lirath Q. Pynnor

Far as I've been aware, I've been following the convention. Feel free to correct any accidentally unshifted Ts you find. X-Bahamut 04:27, 20 Nov 2003 (UTC)

K, Just re-checked it, the registered copyright definitely has a capital T. Lirath Q. Pynnor

I just don't understand: Capital world, Atreus -- Why don't you want to just create a link to Atreus or Atreus (Battletech)? Lirath Q. Pynnor

Just plain didn't occur to me. Heh. I'll get on it... X-Bahamut

AfD nomination of Successor States
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Tharkad (BattleTech)
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New Avalon (BattleTech)
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Articles for deletion nomination of BattleTech technology
I have nominated BattleTech technology, an article that you created, for deletion. I do not think that this article satisfies Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion, and have explained why at Articles for deletion/BattleTech technology. Your opinions on the matter are welcome at that same discussion page; also, you are welcome to edit the article to address these concerns. Thank you for your time.Please contact me if you're unsure why you received this message. Marasmusine (talk) 13:29, 22 June 2009 (UTC)

Proposed deletion of Successor States

The article Successor States has been proposed for deletion  because of the following concern:
 * No notability asserted through reliable sources

While all constructive contributions to Wikipedia are appreciated, content or articles may be deleted for any of several reasons.

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Nomination of Successor States for deletion
A discussion is taking place as to whether the article Successor States is suitable for inclusion in Wikipedia according to Wikipedia's policies and guidelines or whether it should be deleted.

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Users may edit the article during the discussion, including to improve the article to address concerns raised in the discussion. However, do not remove the article-for-deletion notice from the top of the article. Judgesurreal777 (talk) 04:49, 6 April 2013 (UTC)

Nomination of Clans (BattleTech) for deletion
A discussion is taking place as to whether the article Clans (BattleTech) is suitable for inclusion in Wikipedia according to Wikipedia's policies and guidelines or whether it should be deleted.

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Nomination of List of BattleTech characters for deletion
A discussion is taking place as to whether the article List of BattleTech characters is suitable for inclusion in Wikipedia according to Wikipedia's policies and guidelines or whether it should be deleted.

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title: User talk:X-Bahamut


text:
Pilot whale

Pilot whales are cetaceans belonging to the genus Globicephala. The two extant species are the long-finned pilot whale (G. melas) and the short-finned pilot whale (G. macrorhynchus). The two are not readily distinguishable at sea, and analysis of the skulls is the best way to distinguish between the species. Between the two species, they range nearly worldwide, with long-finned pilot whales living in colder waters and short-finned pilot whales living in tropical and subtropical waters. Pilot whales are among the largest of the oceanic dolphins, exceeded in size only by the orca. They and other large members of the dolphin family are also known as blackfish.

Pilot whales feed primarily on squid, but will also hunt large demersal fish such as cod and turbot. They are highly social and may remain with their birth pod throughout their lifetime. Short-finned pilot whales are one of the few non-primate mammal species in which females go through menopause, and postreproductive females continue to contribute to their pod. Pilot whales are notorious for stranding themselves on beaches, but the reason behind this is not fully understood, although marine biologists have shed light on the discovery it is due to the mammals inner ear (their principal navigational sonar) being damaged from noise-pollution in the ocean, such as from cargo ships or military exercises. The conservation status of short-finned and long-finned pilot whales has been determined to be least concern.

Naming
The animals were named "pilot whales" because pods were believed to be "piloted" by a leader. They are also called "pothead whales" and "blackfish". The genus name is a combination of the Latin word globus ("round ball" or "globe") and the Greek word Kephale ("head").

Taxonomy and evolution
Pilot whales are classified into two species; the long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) and the short-finned pilot whale (G. macrorhynchus). The short-finned pilot whale was described, from skeletal materials only, by John Edward Gray in 1846. He presumed from the skeleton that the whale had a large beak. The long-finned pilot whale was first classified by Thomas Stewart Traill in 1809 as Delphinus melas. Its scientific name was eventually changed to Globicephala melaena. Since 1986, the specific name of the long-finned pilot whale was changed to its original form melas. Other species classifications have been proposed but only two have been accepted. There exist geographic forms of short-finned pilot whales off the east coast of Japan, which comprise genetically isolated stocks.

Fossils of an extinct relative, Globicephala baereckeii, have been found in Pleistocene deposits in Florida. Another Globicephala dolphin was discovered in Pliocene strata in Tuscany, Italy, and was named G. etruriae. Evolution of Tappanaga, the endemic, larger form of short-finned pilots found in northern Japan, with similar characteristics to the whales found along Vancouver Island and northern USA coasts, has indicated that the geniture of this form could be caused by the extinction of long-finned pilots in north Pacific in the 12th century, where Magondou, the smaller, southern type possibly filled the former niches of long-finned pilots, adapting and colonizing into colder waters.

Description
Pilot whales are mostly dark grey, brown, or black, but have some light areas such as a grey saddle patch behind the dorsal fin. Other light areas are an anchor-shaped patch under the chin, a faint blaze marking behind the eye, a large marking on the belly, and a genital patch. The dorsal fin is set forward on the back and sweeps backwards. A pilot whale is more robust than most dolphins and has a distinctive large, bulbous melon. Pilot whales' long, sickle-shaped flippers and tail stocks are flattened from side to side. Male long-finned pilot whales develop more circular melons than females, although this does not seem to be the case for short-finned pilot whales off the Pacific coast of Japan.

Long-finned and short-finned pilot whales are so similar, it is difficult to tell the two species apart. They were traditionally differentiated by the length of the pectoral flippers relative to total body length and the number of teeth. The long-finned pilot whale was thought to have 9–12 teeth in each row and flippers one-fifth of total body length, compared to the short-finned pilot whale with its 7–9 teeth in each row and flippers one-sixth of total body length. Studies of whales in the Atlantic showed much overlap in these characteristics between the species, making them clines instead of distinctive features. Thus, biologists have since used skull differences to distinguish the two species.

The size and weight depend on the species, as long-finned pilot whales are generally larger than short-finned pilot whales. Their lifespans are about 45 years in males and 60 years in females for both species. Both species exhibit sexual dimorphism. Adult long-finned pilot whales reach a body length of approximately 6.5 m, with males being 1 m longer than females. Their body mass reaches up to 1,300 kg in females and up to 2,300 kg in males. For short-finned pilot whales, adult females reach a body length of about 5.5 m, while males reach 7.2 m and may weigh up to 3,200 kg.

Distribution and habitat
Pilot whales can be found in oceans nearly worldwide, but data about current population sizes is deficient. The long-finned pilot whale prefers slightly cooler waters than the short-finned and is divided into two populations. The smaller group is found in a circumpolar band in the Southern Ocean from about 20 to 65°S. It may be sighted off the coasts of Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. An estimated more than 200,000 individuals were in this population in 2006. The second, much larger, population inhabits the North Atlantic Ocean, in a band from South Carolina in the United States across to the Azores and Morocco at its southern edge and from Newfoundland to Greenland, Iceland, and northern Norway at its northern limit. This population was estimated at 778,000 individuals in 1989. It is also present in the western half of the Mediterranean Sea.

The short-finned pilot whale is less populous. It is found in temperate and tropical waters of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Its population overlaps slightly with the long-finned pilot whale in the temperate waters of the North Atlantic and Southern Oceans. About 150,000 individuals are found in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. More than 30,000 animals are estimated in the western Pacific, off the coast of Japan. Pilot whales are generally nomadic, but some populations stay year-round in places such as Hawaii and parts of California. They prefer the waters of the shelf break and slope. Once commonly seen off of Southern California, short-finned pilot whales disappeared from the area after a strong El Niño year in the early 1980s, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In October 2014, crew and passengers on several boats spotted a pod of 50–200 off Dana Point, California.

Foraging and parasites
Although pilot whales are not known to have many predators, possible threats come from humans and killer whales. Both species eat primarily squid. The whales make seasonal inshore and offshore movements in response to the dispersal of their prey. Fish that are consumed include Atlantic cod, Greenland turbot, Atlantic mackerel, Atlantic herring, hake, and spiny dogfish in the northwest Atlantic. In the Faroe Islands, whales mostly eat squid, but will also eat fish species such as greater argentine and blue whiting. However, Faroe whales do not seem to feed on cod, herring, or mackerel, even when they are abundant.

Pilot whales generally take several breaths before diving for a few minutes. Feeding dives may last over ten minutes. They are capable of diving to depths of 600 meters, but most dives are to a depth of 30–60 m. Shallow dives tend to take place during the day, while deeper ones take place at night. When making deep dives, pilot whales often make fast sprints to catch fast-moving prey such as squid. Compared to sperm whales and beaked whales, foraging short-finned pilot whales are more energetic at the same depth. When they reach the end of their dives, pilot whales will sprint, possibly to catch prey, and then make a few buzzes. This is unusual, considering that deep-diving, breath-holding animals would be expected to swim slowly to conserve oxygen. The animal's high metabolism possibly allows it to sprint at deep depths, which would also give it shorter diving periods than some other marine mammals. This may also be the case for long-finned pilot whales.

Pilot whales are often infested with whale lice, cestodes, and nematodes. They also can be hosts to various pathogenic bacteria and viruses, such as Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Staphylococcus, and influenza. One sample of Newfoundland pilot whales found that the most common illness was an upper respiratory tract infection.

Social structure
Both species live in groups of 10–30, but some groups may number 100 or more. Data suggest the social structures of pilot whale pods are similar to those of "resident" killer whales. The pods are highly stable and the members have close matrilineal relationships. Pod members are of various age and sex classes, although adult females tend to outnumber adult males. They have been observed making various kin-directed behaviors, such as providing food. Numerous pods will temporarily gather, perhaps to allow individuals from different pods to interact and mate, as well as provide protection.

Both species are loosely polygynous. Data suggest both males and females remain in their mother's pod for life; despite this, inbreeding within a pod does not seem to occur. During aggregations, males will temporarily leave their pods to mate with females from other pods. Male reproductive dominance or competition for mates does not seem to exist. After mating, a male pilot whale usually spends only a few months with a female, and an individual may sire several offspring in the same pod. Males return to their own pods when the aggregations disband, and their presence may contribute to the survival of the other pod members. No evidence of "bachelor" groups has been found. Pilot whale pods off southern California have been observed in three different groups: traveling/hunting groups, feeding groups and loafing groups. In traveling/hunting groups, individuals position themselves in chorus lines stretching two miles long, with only a few whales underneath. Sexual and age-class segregation apparently occurs in these groups. In feeding groups, individuals are very loosely associated, but may move in the same direction. In loafing groups, whales number between 12 and 30 individuals resting. Mating and other behaviors may take place.

Reproduction and lifecycle
Pilot whales have one of the longest birth intervals of the cetaceans, calving once every three to five years. Most matings and calvings occur during the summer for long-finned pilot whales. For short-finned pilot whales of the Southern Hemisphere, births are at their highest in spring and autumn, while in Northern Hemisphere, the time in which calving peaks can vary by population. For long-finned pilot whales, gestation lasts 12–16 months, and short-finned pilot whales have a 15-month gestation period.

The calf nurses for 36–42 months, allowing for extensive mother-calf bonds. Young pilot whales will take milk until as old as 13–15 years of age. Short-finned pilot whale females will go through menopause, but this is not as common in females of long-finned pilot whales. Postreproductive females possibly play important roles in the survival of the young. Postreproductive females will continue to lactate and nurse young. Since they can no longer bear young of their own, these females invest in the current young, allowing them to feed even though they are not their own. Short-finned pilot whales grow more slowly than long-finned pilot whales. For the short-finned pilot whale, females become sexually mature at 9 years old and males at about 13–16 years. For the long-finned pilot whale, females reach maturity at around eight years and males at around 12 years.

Vocalizations
Pilot whales emit echolocation clicks for foraging and whistles and burst pulses as social signals (e.g. to keep contact with members of their pod). With active behavior, vocalizations are more complex, while less-active behavior is accompanied by simple vocalizations. Differences have been found in the calls of the two species. Compared with short-finned pilot whales, long-finned pilot whales have relatively low-frequency calls with narrow frequency ranges. In one study of North Atlantic long-finned pilot whales, certain vocalizations were heard to accompany certain behaviors. When resting or "milling", simple whistles are emitted. Surfacing behavior is accompanied by more complex whistles and pulsed sounds. The number of whistles made increases with the number of subgroups and the distance in which the whales are spread apart. A study of short-finned pilot whales off the southwest coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands has found the members of a pod maintained contact with each other through call repertoires unique to their pod. A later study found, when foraging at around 800 m deep, short-finned pilot whales make tonal calls. The number and length of the calls seem to decrease with depth despite being farther away from conspecifics at the surface. As such, the surrounding water pressure affects the energy of the calls, but it does not appear to affect the frequency levels.

When in stressful situations, pilot whales produce "shrills" or "plaintive cries", which are variations of their whistles. To elude predators, long-finned pilot whales off the southern coast of Australia have been observed to mimic the calls of orcas while scavenging for food. This behaviour is thought to deter orca pods from approaching the pilot whales.

Antagonistic interactions with other species
Pilot whales have been occasionally observed mobbing or chasing other species of cetaceans. In several parts of the world, including off Iceland, long-finned pilot whales have been frequently documented chasing killer whales. The reasons for these chases are unknown, but it has been proposed that they might be due to either competition for prey or an anti-predation strategy. In 2021 an adult female killer whale with a newborn pilot whale travelling alongside her was observed off Western Iceland, leading scientists to question whether the relationship between these species might be far more complex than previously suggested. It is not known whether the newborn was adopted or abducted, but this same female killer whale was seen a year later interacting with a larger group of pilot whales.

Stranding
Of the cetaceans, pilot whales are among the most common stranders. Because of their strong social bonds, whole groups of pilot whales will strand. Single stranders have been recorded and these are usually diseased. Group stranding tends to be of mostly healthy individuals. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain group strandings. When using magnetic fields for navigation, the whales have been suggested to get perplexed by geomagnetic anomalies or they may be following a sick member of their group that got stranded. The pod also may be following a member of high importance that got stranded and a secondary social response makes them keep returning. Researchers from New Zealand have successfully used secondary social responses to keep a stranding pod of long-finned pilot whales from returning to the beach. In addition, the young members of the pod were taken offshore to buoys, and their distress calls lured the older whales back out to sea.

In September 2022, nearly 200 pilot whales died after becoming stranded on Ocean Beach, part of Tasmania's west coast. Authorities said only about 35 survived of the 230 that were stranded.

Human interaction
The IUCN lists long-finned pilot whales as "least concern" in the Red List of Threatened Species. Long-finned pilot whales in the North and Baltic Seas are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Those from northwest and northeast Atlantic may also need to be included to Appendix II of CMS. The short-finned pilot whale is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

Hunting
The long-finned pilot whale has traditionally been hunted by "driving", which involves many hunters and boats gathering in a semicircle behind a pod of whales close to shore, and slowly driving them towards a bay, where they become stranded and are then slaughtered. This practice was common in both the 19th and 20th centuries. The whales were hunted for bone, meat, oil, and fertilizer. In the Faroe Islands, pilot whale hunting started at least in the 16th century, and continued into modern times, with thousands being killed during the 1970s and 1980s. In other parts of the North Atlantic, such as Norway, West Greenland, Ireland and Cape Cod, pilot whales have also been hunted, but to a lesser extent. One fishery at Cape Cod harvested 2,000–3,000 whales per year during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Newfoundland's long-finned pilot whale fishery was at its highest in 1956, but declined shortly after and is now defunct. In the Southern Hemisphere, exploitation of long-finned pilot whales has been sporadic and low. Currently, long-finned pilot whales are only hunted at the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

According to the IUCN the harvesting of this species for food in the Faroe Islands and Greenland has not resulted in any detectable declines in abundance.

The short-finned pilot whale has also been hunted for many centuries, particularly by Japanese whalers. Between 1948 and 1980, hundreds of whales were exploited at Hokkaido and Sanriku in the north and Taiji, Izu, and Okinawa in the south. These fisheries were at their highest in the late 1940s and early 1950s; 2,326 short-finned pilot whales were harvested in the mid- to late 1980s. This had decreased to about 400 per year by the 1990s.

Pilot whales have also fallen victim to bycatches. In one year, around 30 short-finned pilot whales were caught by the squid round-haul fishery in southern California. Likewise, California's drift gill net fishery took around 20 whales a year in the mid-1990s. In 1988, 141 whales caught on the east coast of the U.S. were taken by the foreign Atlantic mackerel fishery, which forced it to be shut down.

Pollution
As with other marine mammals, pilot whales are susceptible to certain pollutants. Off the Faroes, France, the UK, and the eastern US, pilot whales were found to have been contaminated with high amounts of DDT and PCB. Pollutants such as DDT and mercury can be passed from mothers to their babies during gestation and lactation. The Faroes whales have also been contaminated with cadmium and mercury. However, pilot whales from Newfoundland and Tasmania were found to have had very low levels of DDT. Short-finned pilot whales off the west coast of the US have had high amounts of DDT and PCB in contrast to the low amounts found in whales from Japan and the Antilles.

Cuisine
Pilot whale meat is available for consumption in very few areas of Japan, mainly along the central Pacific coast, and also in other areas of the world, such as the Faroe Islands. The meat is high in protein (higher than beef) and low in fat. Because a whale's fat is contained in the layer of blubber beneath the skin, and the muscle is high in myoglobin, the meat is a dark shade of red. In Japan, where pilot whale meat can be found in certain restaurants and izakayas, the meat is sometimes served raw, as sashimi, but just as often pilot whale steaks are marinated, cut into small chunks, and grilled. When grilled, the meat is slightly flaky and quite flavorful, somewhat gamey, though similar to a quality cut of beef, with distinct yet subtle undertones recalling its marine origin.

In both Japan and the Faroe Islands, the meat is contaminated with mercury and cadmium, causing a health risk for those who frequently eat it, especially children and pregnant women. In November 2008, an article in New Scientist reported that research done on the Faroe Islands resulted in two chief medical officers recommending against the consumption of pilot whale meat, considering it to be too toxic. In 2008, the local authorities recommended that pilot whale meat should no longer be eaten due to the contamination. This has resulted in reduced consumption, according to a senior Faroese health official.

Captivity
Pilot whales, mostly short-finned pilot whales, have been kept in captivity in various marine parks, arguably starting in the late 1940s. Since 1973, some long-finned pilot whales from New England waters were taken and temporarily kept in captivity. Short-finned pilot whales off southern California, Hawaii and Japan have been kept in aquariums and oceanariums. Several pilot whales from southern California and Hawaii were taken into captivity during the 1960s and early 1970s, two of which were placed at SeaWorld San Diego. During the 1970s and early 1980s, six pilot whales were captured alive by drive hunts and taken for public display.

Pilot whales have historically had low survival rates in captivity, with the average annual survival being 0.51 years during the mid-1960s to early 1970s. There have been a few exceptions to the rule. Bubbles, a female short-finned pilot whale, who was displayed in Marineland of the Pacific and eventually at Sea World California, lived to be somewhere in her 50s when she eventually died on 12 June 2016. In 1968, a pilot whale was captured, given the name Morgan, and trained by the U.S. Navy's Deep Ops to retrieve deeper-attached objects from the ocean floor. He dove a record depth of 1654 feet and was used for training until 1971.

Films
There are two documentaries entirely dedicated to the pilot whales.

 * Full-length Cheetahs of the deep (49’, 2014, directed by Rafa Herrero Massieu ) — tells about the way of life, features of social interaction, the subtleties of hunting, games and breeding on the example of a group of non-migrating short-finned pilot whales living between the Islands of Tenerife and La Gomera of the Canary archipelago. A curious feature of the film is that: “all marine mammals filmed in freediving”.

 * Short film My Pilot, Whale (28’, 2014, directed by Alexander and Nicole Gratovsky ) demonstrates the possibility of interaction between humans and free-living pilot whales, offering the viewer a number of philosophical questions related to cetaceans: about their attitude to the world, what we have in common, what we — humans — can learn from them, and so on. The film has received a number awards of international film festivals.

title: Pilot whale


text:
Sakhalin Oblast

Sakhalin Oblast (Сахали́нская о́бласть) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) comprising the island of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands in the Russian Far East. The oblast has an area of 87100 km2. Its administrative center and largest city is Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. As of the 2021 Census, the oblast has a population of roughly 500,000.

The vast majority of the oblast's residents are ethnic Russians, with a small minority of Sakhalin Koreans. Sakhalin Oblast is rich in natural gas and oil, and is Russia's fourth wealthiest federal subject and wealthiest oblast. It borders by sea Khabarovsk Krai to the west and Kamchatka Krai to the north, along with Hokkaido, Japan to the south.

History
The etymology of Sakhalin can be traced back to the Manchu hydronym Sahaliyan Ula (Manchu: ) for "Black River" (i.e. the Amur River). Sakhalin shares this etymology with the Chinese province of Heilongjiang (Chinese for "black dragon river (Chinese: 黑龙江, Hēilóngjiāng)").

The indigenous people of Sakhalin are the Nivkhs, Oroks, and Ainu minorities.

The first Europeans to explore the waters around Sakhalin Island were Ivan Moskvitin and Martin Gerritz de Vries in the mid-1600s, Jean-François de La Pérouse in 1787 and Adam Johann von Krusenstern in 1805. Early maps of Sakhalin reflect the uncertainty of the age as to whether or not the land mass was attached to the Asian continent. The fact that it is not connected was conclusively established by Mamiya Rinzō, who explored and mapped Sakhalin in 1809 and definitively recorded by Russian navigator Gennady Nevelskoy in 1849.

Japanese settlement on Sakhalin dates to at least the Edo period. Ōtomari was supposedly established in 1679, and cartographers of the Matsumae domain mapped the island, and named it "Kita-Ezo". During the Ming and Qing dynasties China considered the island part of its empire, and included the Sakhalin peoples in its "system for subjugated peoples". At no time though was any attempt ever made to establish an Imperial military presence on the island. Japan, concerned about Russian expansion in northeast Asia, unilaterally proclaimed sovereignty over the whole island in 1845. Russian settlers ignored the claim (and the similar claim of China), however, and, beginning in the 1850s, established coal mines, administration facilities, schools, prisons and churches on the island. In 1855, Russia and Japan signed the Treaty of Shimoda, which declared that both nationals could inhabit the island: Russians in the north, and Japanese in the south, without a clear boundary between. Russia also agreed to dismantle its military base at Ōtomari. Following the Second Opium War, Russia forced the Qing to sign the Treaty of Aigun and Convention of Peking, under which China lost all territories north of Heilongjiang (Amur) and east of Ussuri, including Sakhalin, to Russia. A Czarist penal colony was established in 1857, but the southern part of the island was held by the Japanese until the 1875 Treaty of Saint Petersburg, when they ceded it to Russia in exchange for the Kuril islands. After the Russo-Japanese War, Russia and Japan signed the Treaty of Portsmouth of 1905, which resulted in the southern part of the island below 50° N passing to Japan; the Russians retained the other three-fifths of the area. South Sakhalin was administered by Japan as Karafuto-chō (樺太庁), with the capital Toyohara, now known as Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. After the Russian Revolution and subsequent civil war northern Sakhalin ultimately became governed by the Russian SFSR as a part of Far Eastern Oblast (1922–1926), Far Eastern Krai (1926–1938) and Khabarovsk Krai (included Russian-administered territories of Sakhalin in 1938–1947). Sakhalin Oblast was established on 20 October 1932 as a part of Far Eastern Krai, and became part of Khabarovsk Krai upon the latter foundation in 1938.

In August 1945, the Soviet Union took over the control of the entire Sakhalin and Kuril Islands. The Soviet attack on South Sakhalin started on August 11, 1945, about a month before the Surrender of Japan in World War II. The 56th Rifle Corps consisting of the 79th Rifle Division, the 2nd Rifle Brigade, the 5th Rifle Brigade and the 214th Tank Brigade attacked the Japanese 88th Division. Although the Red Army outnumbered the Japanese by three times, they could not advance due to strong Japanese resistance. It was not until the 113th Rifle Brigade and the 365th Independent Naval Infantry Rifle Battalion from Sovietskaya Gavan (Советская Гавань) landed on Tōrō (塔路), a seashore village of western Sakhalin on August 16 that the Soviets broke the Japanese defense line. Japanese resistance grew weaker after this landing. Actual fighting continued until August 21. However, this was relatively limited in scope. From August 22 to August 23, most of the remaining Japanese units announced truce. The Soviets completed the conquest of Sakhalin on August 25, 1945, by occupying the capital of Sakhalin, then known as Toyohara. Japanese sources claim that 20,000 civilians were killed during the invasion.

Post-war
Soviet-conquered areas of South Sakhalin and Kuril Islands were declared a South Sakhalin Oblast by the Soviet authorities in a decree issued on 2 February 1946. Almost a year later, on January 2, 1947, the South Sakhalin Oblast was disbanded and included into Sakhalin Oblast, forming present-day boundary of the latter. On the same day Sakhalin Oblast was excluded from Khabarovsk Krai. The Japanese who had been living there before mostly repatriated to Japan, but at least one-third of Koreans were refused repatriation; stuck on the island, they and their descendants became known as the Sakhalin Koreans. The Karafuto Prefecture was abolished by Japan as a legal entity on June 1, 1949.

The Treaty of San Francisco (1952) provides, that Japan renounces "all right, title and claim to the Kurile Islands, and to that portion of Sakhalin and the islands adjacent to it over which Japan acquired sovereignty as a consequence of the Treaty of Portsmouth of September 5, 1905". However, the status of the southern Kuril Islands remains disputed, as Japan does not consider them to be a part of the Kuril Islands (calling them "Northern Territories" instead) and, thus, claims sovereignty over them as "unaffected" by the 1952 renunciation. The issue remains a major strain on Japanese-Russian relations. Even now, no official peace treaty has been signed between the two nations.

In addition, because the treaty did not explicitly specify cession of the renounced areas to the Soviet Union, Japan officially considers South Sakhalin and northern Kuril Islands to be a territories of undetermined ownership and these areas are marked as No Man's Land with white color on Japanese maps, although Japan currently has a Consulate-General in Sakhalin's capital city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, located on the renounced territory.

On September 1, 1983, the Soviets downed Korean Air Lines Flight 007, carrying 269 occupants, including U.S. Congressman Larry McDonald, west of Sakhalin Island near the smaller Moneron Island.

In 1995 the 7.0 Neftegorsk earthquake shook the former settlement of Neftegorsk with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Total damage was $64.1–300 million, with 1,989 deaths and 750 injured. The settlement was not rebuilt. On 24 April 1996 Sakhalin Oblast, alongside Rostov Oblast, signed a power-sharing agreement with the federal government, granting it autonomy. This agreement would be abolished on 4 March 2002.

Ainu
As of the 2002 census, 333 residents of the oblast still identified themselves as ethnic Japanese.

Most of the 888 Japanese people living in Russia (2010 Census) are also of mixed Japanese-Ainu ancestry, although they do not acknowledge it (full Japanese ancestry gives them the right of visa-free entry to Japan).

Post-war population
According to the first post World War II Soviet Census in 1959, the population of the oblast numbered 649,405. That figure dropped slightly to 615,652 in 1970 before rising to 661,778 in 1979 and peaking at 710,242 in 1989. Throughout this time period, the Russian population increased slightly in percentage from 77.7% in 1959 to 81.6% in 1989. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the population of the oblast has declined sharply. Compared with the Soviet 1989 Census, the population of the Oblast according to the Russian 2002 Census had declined by 163,547 or 23.0%, to 546,695. The 2010 population of 497,973 recorded in 2010 is the lowest on record since the oblast was created, although the decline was less (8.9%) than during the 1990s.

Oil, gas, and coal
Several Russian, French, South Korean, British, Canadian and American oil and gas companies have been either drilling or prospecting for oil and gas on the island since the mid-1990s. Coal and some manganese had been mined there by the Soviet authorities since the 1920s.

Politics
The governor Alexander Khoroshavin was appointed on August 9, 2007. He was succeeded by Oleg Kozhemyako on March 25, 2015, in 2018 he was replaced by Valery Limarenko.

Tourism
Due to restrictions, the entire Sakhalin Oblast and its internal and territorial waters except for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are considered to be a border zone, which means that the freedom of movement for foreigners is dramatically restricted and any movement outside of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk requires registration to the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Border Guard. Scuba diving and recreation on the seacoast is permitted only in places defined by the Border Guard.

Demographics
Population: Vital statistics for 2022:
 * Births: 4,972 (10.3 per 1,000)
 * Deaths: 6,444 (13.3 per 1,000)

Total fertility rate (2022):

1.81 children per woman

Life expectancy (2021):

Total — 68.42 years (male — 63.72, female — 73.41)

Ethnic groups: 394,794 ethnic Russians are the largest group, followed by 16,060 Koreans (see Sakhalin Koreans), 3,634 Ukrainians and a host of less numerous ethnic groups, including 93 Japanese and Ainu (0.02%), who were native to the region and opposed the Soviet acquisition of the territory following World War II. The ethnic composition of the oblast in 2021 by percentages was as follows:
 * Russians: 91.2%
 * Koreans (Sakhalin Koreans): 3.7%
 * Ukrainians: 0.8%
 * Tatars: 0.5%
 * Belarusians: 0.2%
 * Japanese or Ainu: 0.02%
 * 33,733 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.

Religion
According to a 2012 survey 21.6% of the population of Sakhalin Oblast adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church, 4% are unaffiliated generic Christians, 2% adheres to other Orthodox churches or is an Orthodox believer without belonging to any church, 1% of the population adheres to the Slavic native faith (Rodnovery) or to local Siberian native faiths, 1% adheres to forms of Protestantism. In addition, 37% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 15% is atheist, and 18.4% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.

title: Sakhalin Oblast


text:
User talk:John Wilkinson

Hello John welcome to Wikipedia! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. If you ever need editing help visit How does one edit a page or how to format them visit our manual of style. Experiment at Sandbox. If you need pointers on how we title pages visit Naming conventions. If you have any other questions about the project then check out Help or add a question to the Village pump or my talk page. You can reformat Medical Herbalism according to these guidelines. Cheers, Muriel Gottrop

Hello John and welcome. I see Muriel Gottrop got too you before me. Please follow her advice. Maybe you could give contributions to List of herbs wher a lot of medicinal herbs are listed but no specific articles exist yet. On the other hand the article you have submited for the moment doesn't quite stand up to the Wiki criteria as it is more of a publicity than informative. As title it is quite OK but the contents must become more informative on medicinal herbs instead of who and where this subject is taught. I hope you don't mind these observations. If you need any help in editing etc... to make it a NPOV article which is informative don't hesitate to ask me. Vanderesch 15:01, 19 Nov 2003 (UTC)

User:John Wilkinson
I've added the "" template to your user page (User:John Wilkinson), suggesting that it be deleted according to the proposed deletion process. I've explained why in the deletion notice (see also "What Wikipedia is not" and Wikipedia's deletion policy).

Please note that the purpose of a user page is not as a personal homepage or used as a general webhosting service, but as a way for active editors of Wikipedia to introduce themselves to other editors. If you disagree with the notice, discuss the issues here or on my user talk page. You may remove the deletion notice, and the page will not be deleted for the moment, but note that it may still be sent to Miscellany for Deletion, where it may be deleted if consensus to delete is reached, or if it matches any of the speedy deletion criteria. Calton | Talk 15:46, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:John Wilkinson


text:
Yaga

Yaga may refer to:

 * Yajna, a Vedic fire ritual
 * Yaga Gathering, a music festival in Lithuania
 * Baba Yaga, a supernatural, witch-like being in Slavic mythology
 * Baba Yaga (Dungeons & Dragons), a creature in the fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons; patterned on the character from Slavic myth
 * Geraldine Yaga Grimm, a character in the animated show Mysticons
 * A race of cruel, black-skinned, winged humanoids from Robert E. Howard's 1939 planetary romance novel, Almuric.

title: Yaga