Dolphin's enhanced silicone rubber replacement tail fin
FUJI, a dolphin that lost 75 per cent of her tail due to a mysterious disease, is jumping once again with the help of what is believed to be the world's first artificial fin.
The 34-year-old dolphin, held at Japan's largest aquarium on the southern island of Okinawa, wears the rubber fin for about 20 minutes a day, allowing her to jump and swim at the same speed as other dolphins.
Fuji was stricken by a mysterious disease causing necrosis - the death of cells - in 2002. Vets had to amputate most of her tail.
After the surgery, a vet at the aquarium asked his friend at Bridgestone, Japan's largest tyre-maker, for help.
A spokesman for Bridgestone said the most difficult technical challenge was creating rubber with a surface texture smooth enough to avoid scratching the dolphin's skin.
The company began working on the fin in 2003, but several samples were either too heavy or loose for the dolphin, which is 2.7m long and weighs 227kg.
Researchers used divers and underwater cameras to monitor and record Fuji swimming, continually re-engineering and improving the fin throughout 2004.
It was only in August, after Bridgestone created the lightest fin, that Fuji finally jumped.
Embed code for Blogs
Simply copy and paste the following HTML code below into your blog, website, or MySpace profile.
Copy to Clipboard
Share this video:
Simply click the button below and select your social bookmarking site.
Tag Cloud
Category: Animals & Species
Less than one day into Canada’s annual seal hunt, animal rights activists claim sealers are already breaking new laws implemented this year. As part of efforts to show the hunt is humane, the Canadian government instituted new...
Views: 42002
Category: Animals & Species
Less than one day into Canada’s annual seal hunt, animal rights activists claim sealers are already breaking new laws implemented this year. As part of efforts to show the hunt is humane, the Canadian government instituted new...
Views: 20145
Category: Animals & Species
With financial support from Greenpeace, humpback whales have been tagged by the Cook Islands Whale Research and Opération Cétacés. The satellite tagging, skin biopsies and photo identification has already provided a huge amount of...
Tags:
whale, whale tagging, greenpeace, humpback whale, cook islands, whale research, migration, scientific whaling, international whaling commission, marine wildlife, whale watching
Views: 31480
Category: Animals & Species
"No living animals have captured our imaginations as have the great whales... They fire our imaginations and stab at our emotions. They inspire our art, literature, and music. And so they should. The indescribable blend of grace,...
Views: 14362
Category: Animals & Species
What Are You Really Bringing Back With You From Vacation?
Each year millions of tourists travel to exotic locations to encounter wildlife, only to unwittingly bring home souvenirs made from endangered species.
Take the Think...
Tags:
coral, ivory, travel, skin, accesories, illegal, vacations, wildlife, tourist, endangered species, souvenirs, animals
Views: 22440
Category: Animals & Species
The HSUS Disaster Services team has ramped up its response to the wildfire emergency in southern California, operating around the clock to rescue, shelter, and provide veterinary care to hundreds of...
Tags:
disaster relief, california, veterinary, rescue, emergency response, wildfire, animal shelter, animals, disaster, hsus
Views: 16577
Category: Animals & Species
Virginia state dotted with historic towns, scenic byways ... and horrible puppy mills.
A five-month, undercover investigation by The HSUS revealed a substantial Virginia puppy mill industry that is largely unregulated and often in...
Tags:
dog, breeder, virgina, federal law, puppy mill, hsus, humane society, commercial breeder, pet, pet store, puppies, website, animal
Views: 19635
Category: Animals & Species
The Nisshin Maru is the mother ship of a whaling fleet run by the Institute of Cetacean Research, an organization based in Tokyo and affiliated with the Japanese government.
Various aerial shots of crew of Nisshin Maru flensing...
Tags:
japan, whaling, commercial, nisshin maru, whale, greenpeace, institute of cetacean research, esperanza, ship
Views: 16881
Category: Animals & Species
IFAW's courageous actions drew international attention to the plight of the seal pups and successfully rallied worldwide condemnation of the hunt. Thanks to IFAW's continued vigilance, it is now illegal to hunt whitecoat seal pups for...
Views: 15661
Category: Animals & Species
IFAW's courageous actions drew international attention to the plight of the seal pups and successfully rallied worldwide condemnation of the hunt. Thanks to IFAW's continued vigilance, it is now illegal to hunt whitecoat seal pups for...
Views: 10851
Category: Animals & Species
Footage of Japanese whalers hunting down a mink whale in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary off of Antarctica. Whalers
using a high-powered harpoon. The whale was not hit in a vital organ, therefore the whale suffers and does not die
for...
Views: 14377
Category: Animals & Species
FUJI, a dolphin that lost 75 per cent of her tail due to a mysterious disease, is jumping once again with the help of what is believed to be the world's first artificial fin.
The 34-year-old dolphin, held at Japan's largest...
Views: 17871
Tolerance is...Alanis
National Institute on Drug Abuse: Jack and Jill
Volvo's "Green" Racing S60 Wins Silver
American Lung Association: Freedom from Smoking 3
Chute-less jump
National Institute on Drug Abuse: Choices - Kids (Spanish)
UNICEF Ongoing violence imperils health, education for Kenyan children
Jessica Biel - Live Earth PSA
Hepatitis C PSA with actor Christopher Kennedy Lawford
Effects of nicotine on the brain
Verizon Wireless Working to Ensure Reliable Communications in Georgia's Emergency Forest Fire
Red Cross: "Ready for a New Century" 1956-1981
Daimler Chrysler: Dodge Demon
General Motors: Automotive Tech Interns
Fuego - Cruz Roja Americana
Volvo Green Racing
American Lung Association: Nobody Likes to Kiss an Ashtray
UNICEF: Nafa centers give Guinean girls a second chance at education