Whale strandings caused by aliens?
The other day we had news of a couple of whale strandings. The first of these occurred up north and, with the help of a huge team of volunteers, it was possible to save about two thirds of the pod. The second though occurred over on Farewell Spit in Golden Bay, a very remote location. The whole pod died, more than 100 Pilot Whales. There’s something about Farewell Spit that makes it a real death trap for whales, strandings are quite common. But is there something more sinister going on?
Airport parking and algae blooms
Recently there was a letter to the editor of the local paper complaining about the harsh attitude of the management of our airport. It was from the mother of a couple of teenagers who had parked in a place reserved for airport staff. The letter sparked a flurry of responses from the general public, enough to fill half page of the weekend edition. Opinions were divided: many agreed that the airport manager was cruel and inhumane, while others felt that people needed to take responsibility for their own actions. But the whole saga reminded me of a time when a more relaxed attitude would surface (and, I suspect, there was less pressure on parking spaces). At the very beginning of 93, I received a call from the airport manager asking if I knew the whereabouts of X. Yes, X was a scientist on our staff. Well, X had left their…