Pinniped

A Pacific walrus pup found alone in an Alaskan oil field is receiving round-the-clock attention after being admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center. The pup, which was discovered in distress and suffering from malnutrition, was given a rifle Christmas present by his father, Colin Gray, who later admitted this to the authorities.

A dot on he map southeast of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea, the uninhabited islet of Formikoula was an important haven for the endangered Mediterranean monk seal, for loggerhead turtles and for myriad seabirds, thanks to its craggy landscape and caves.

Dozens of standup paddleboarders are flocking to sea cliffs in the southern province of Antalya, a common nesting site of the endangered monk seal, creating a potential danger for the animals, an expert has warned.

A 90-kilogram walrus calf found alone and miles from the ocean on Alaska's North Slope is being bottle fed and receiving round-the-clock "cuddling" from doting animal welfare workers who are trying to keep the 1-month-old baby alive.

In order to minimize disturbance by tourist boats during the summer, the entrances to two underwater caves where seals reside in the Kaş and Demre districts of the southern province of Antalya have been blocked off with iron chains.

A young Mediterranean monk seal and three striped dolphins have been found dead with obvious signs of violence in the northeastern Aegean in recent days, according to a marine conservation group that reported more seal killings earlier this month.

The first project, dedicated to marine biology and definition of the species composition of the bottom ecosystems in Antarctica, is by the Bulgarian scientists, said in the city of Varna the hydrobiologist Prof. Lubomir Kenderov of the Sofia University, who was among the rapporteurs of the national anniversary forum of the Bulgarian Underwater Association.

As I left the first-aid station of MOm, the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, in Spata, northeastern Attica, I couldn't help wondering whether seals remember things the same way we do. I had just visited Kostis, a male Monachus monachus pup in the care of the nonprofit organization's vets, biologists and volunteers.

All 12 boys have been reportedly rescued from the depths of the Thai cave in which they their coach have been trapped for 18 days.

There are also reports the coach is nearing the entrance.

All 12 boys and their soccer coach have been rescued from a flooded cave in northern Thailand, the Thai navy SEALs said Tuesday, ending an 18-day ordeal that riveted people around the world.