The sea lions briefly "got deathly silent" when the orca sailed into view....

...that was just before it tipped over.

The small fishing village of Astoria, Oregon, tried to scare off a pesky sea lion colony with a large fake mechanical orca. It was a cunning scheme, one that pitted the sly artifice of man against whatever it is sea lions have. But alas—nature won.

The plan to unleash the fiberglass orca—which is actually a licensed boat—was concocted to spook the sea lions using recorded whale noises and the visual threat of imminent death by top ocean-dwelling predator.

But the 32-foot-long fake whale’s maiden voyage didn’t exactly go... swimmingly.

LINK (via: Gizmodo)

Geobass crew unavailable for comment

A huge arapaima – the largest type of freshwater fish in the world, and native to the Amazon in South America – was found under a bridge in Malaysia.

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Steelhead tags track mortality

Biologists are taking a unique opportunity to figure out why steelhead are dying.

They're implanting 100 juvenile steelhead with acoustic tags. That way they can track the fish as they migrate out to the ocean.

Leading voice in anti-Pebble fight, dies at 73

Bristol Bay elder Bobby Andrew, who has been a leading voice in the fight against Pebble Mine, passed away at the age of 73.

LINK (via: KDLG)

New Bill Proclaims Striped Bass Our National Fish

Congressman Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) has introduced the Striped Bass American Heritage Act, which would designate this iconic species as the United States' "National Fish." 

Just as the majestic bald eagle is the avian symbol of our nation for its strength, power, and dominance, the striped bass is a uniquely American fish that has been intertwined with the people, history and heritage of the United States for centuries. It played a pivotal role in providing the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony sustenance as early as 1620, and by 1639 conservation laws were enacted to prevent overharvesting. Over the years, however, stripers suffered from pollution that ultimately brought about the Clean Water Act, and after the passage of the historic Striped Bass Conservation Act of 1984 the stocks began a road to recovery.

Now, Congressman MacArthur, who sits on the House Natural Resources Committee, and the Recreational Fishing Alliance believe the time has come to award the striper the same recognition held by the bald eagle.

LINK (via: PR Newswire)

Tarpon tows paddleboarder up river

At times, Purcell said, it felt like the spirited tarpon almost had his board on a plane as it reached speeds of up to 10 knots.

LINK (via: Marco Island Sun Times)