Dead Dolphins: giant oil spill or "chilly weather?"

Marine scientists are debating whether the over 80 bottlenose dolphins found dead along the U.S. Gulf Coast since January have been due to affects from last year's massive oil spill or a winter cold snap. Regardless, upwards near 100 dead dolphins in the Gulf is indicative of something wrong.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared "an unusual mortality event" last week when the number of dead dolphins washing up in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida had reached nearly 60, What's more disconcerting is that about half of these were newly born or stillborn calves. The death toll along 200 miles of shoreline has climbed to at least 82 since then, many times the normal mortality rate for dolphins along the Gulf Coast this time of year. Although none so far showed outward signs of oil contamination, suspicions immediately turned to the various toxic petrochemicals that fouled Gulf waters after a BP drilling platform exploded last April, rupturing a wellhead on the sea floor. An estimated 5 million barrels (206 million gallons) of crude oil spewed into the Gulf over more than three months (but then, people are still arguing over that) and scientists in the Gulf already were in the midst of investigating last year's discovery of nearly 90 dead dolphins, when officials became alarmed at this surge in dead baby dolphins.

The latest spike in deaths, and a high concentration of premature infants among them, has led some experts to speculate that oil ingested or inhaled by dolphins at the time of the spill has taken a toll on the marine mammals, possibly leading to dolphin miscarriages and this die-off has come at the start of the first dolphin calving season in the Gulf since the BP blowout.

But then, scientists at the independent Dolphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama suggested on Thursday that "unusually chilly water temperatures in the Gulf may be a key factor." Right. It just got a bit chilly and over 80 dolphins miscarried in January. Yeah, I'm going with the petrochemicals.

ch 4

Humans prides them selve on rationalism, this was espeicaly true when it came to the enlightened peirod. The turm Justice is so highly regared in human society but yet their is no right to justice for animals. This was because in human society animals do not have the right to own property and so forth.

Ch.3

The question that animals have emotions? If a person has had a dog or cat as a companion, then you know that animals have emotions. Just because animals do not show emotions in the same ways as a humans does not mean they do not feel. Do not take the concept of reasons and not take into consideration of emotion is a very big mistake that humans do when it comes to animals .

Blog #11

The movie Plague Dogs was a very sad movie, but I think it put experiments into reality for many of us. I know that we use animals to experiment, but I thought it was mostly just animals like rats or mice. I did not know that dogs were used. I know that there should be know difference and it is not okay to use rats or mice either, but to see them experiment on Rowlf until he drowned was so depressing. I think it puts into perspective how overboard us humans go with the power that we have. We should not be allowed to treat animals like that and use our power in cruel ways.


I really liked how the movie put us into the minds of the dogs and had the animals talking so we could see it from their perspective. It made the entire movie more realistic. I also like the aspect of the movie that the one dog wanted a master. he loved how he was treated and wanted another good master. That goes to show that we as humans know the proper way to treat animals, but that is not everyone. Some people still think it is okay to make animals suffer. In the end it made Rowlf stronger because he was able to withstand staying in the water for a longer period of time, but all the suffering he had to go through to get to that point was very disturing.

In the book it said that both of the dogs ended up being saved in the end and they both recieved masters. I think that is a good ending, but I do not think this is by any means a kids movie. I do not even know if I agree with this movie being shown in public. I think it should only be allowed to be shown for learning purposes and research. It is a very disturbing, depressing movie.

Blog #11

The movie Plague Dogs was very depressing and just horrible. I cannot believe that this movie was even made, but it does show us that animal cruelty really does exist, and how experimenting on them really does fall under animal cruelty. In the beginning of the movie it showed a dog named Rowf in water nearly drowning, and eventually he did. They were experimenting on him to show the effect it has on dogs being rescued. To me this is sad to know that people really do experiments like this to animals. They nearly let them die, and then will save them. This is a crucial thing to do, and now Rowf is fearful of water. This does prove that when bad things happen it does not go away.

Snitter is the other dog that escapes with Rowf from the lab. They are actually free for the first time since they have been in this place. All Snitter is wanting is a master, he used to have one and he loved and missed that. He tries to explain to Rowf how great it is, and that is what they need to find. During their journey, they are running from the people who will take them back to the lab, and their life will be over again. They ran into the ocean, and these men were shooting at them, but they missed everytime. They just kept swimming and swimming, and Rowf was scared at first but realized that he needed to do this or he would be back where he escaped from. Snitter was getting weaker and weaker but Rowf kept pushing him to keep swimming, and telling him that they are almost there.

I believe that Rowf was used to surviving the water after the experiment he went through from the beginning of the movie. He would not give up. It does not show it in the movie, but it says it in the book that both dogs did survive, and they both got a master. They were free again, definitley a better ending than a beginning. This movie made me have more love and respect for animals. They to do have feelings, and it shows it in this movie. I do not agree with the experiments that are being done on animals, it needs to stop.

Blog #11

The movie Plague Dogs was depressing, in a sense, in relation to the idea that the occurances that were seen in the movie really do happen each and everyday.  Animal experimentation is a reality and will continue to be performed until someone brings a stop to this issue.  The movie started out with Rowf, a big black dog, in a tank filled with water, which was of course an experiment.  Although this was not seen in the movie, the experiment was done to note the psychological effect of being rescued.  The experimenter saw that after each trial, Rowf was able to last longer due to thought of being rescued. 

Snitter, another dog in the animal experimentation facility, made the journey with Rowf in the movie.  At the beginning of the movie when the dogs jumped in the incenerator, was the time when I truly realized my soft spot for animals.  Rowf and Snitter were so close to getting ignited and they had no idea what was about to happen to them. The moment when the dogs escaped from the facility, I was so excited, especially after they were so close to death.  They had a chance to live free and not be used for tourture anymore.  Rowf and Snitter were just looking for a "master", someone to take care of them and love them.  This made me think that this is the case with most animals.

The movie ended more happily than I thought it would.  When the dogs started towards the ocean, I thought it was bad news.  The dogs kept swimming and swimming, and Snitter looked as if he was ready to give up, but Rowf kept saying just a little longer.  I believe this related to the experimenat that was taking place in the beginning of the movie.  The dogs were able to fight through drowning at the idea of reaching dry land.  Thankfully, the movie did  not end with the dogs drowning because that would have been devastating.  The movie Plague Dogs made me realize how important animals are to me, especially dogs, and the emotional attachment that accompanies them.

#11--Plague Dogs

Watching the Plague Dogs, I can say I honestly don't know if I liked this or the Kestrel's Eye better. I liked that this movie did had narration, but it was so depressing. I felt horrible for Snitter and Rowf, because I feel like they didn't even do anything wrong. As soon as I saw the opening to this movie with the animal experimentation with Rowf, I definitely think that the producers of the movie could have went with showing this movie in much different way. I don't feel like that type of animal experimentation is needed.

Throughout the movie I continued to really feel sorry for both dogs. Poor Snitter with his brain operation, and then killing the human on accident. I was startled when the human basically shot himself. I feel like everyone was really thinking the dogs were killing to be killing but I do not think that was their intention at all. I feel like both Snitter and Rowf just wanted owners. I can honestly say that I am very glad that they decided not to show the part where they were eating human flesh, but then again maybe I would have had a completely different outlook on the movie if the would have shown that clip of the movie.

In the end, I was pleased to see that both Snitter and Rowf survived, but when they were swimming in the ocean I was worried that I would have to see them drown, after all of the previous depressing scenes throughout the movie. Overall, I can say that this movie was depressing, but I would watch it again. It was much better than the Kestrel's Eye, and I was starting to enjoy it because I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for most animals, but especially dogs. I hate to see any dog or animal tortured like that, and to see people just trying to kill them really bothered me. I am glad the dogs ended up getting rescued, and I wish I knew what happened after they were saved.