Thank you so much!

At Whale and Dolphin Conservation, we are lucky to have the best supporters in the world. On behalf of all of us at WDC, and the whales and dolphins we speak up for, I wanted to thank you for getting behind our campaigns.

Today, our End Captivity campaigner Rob Lott is representing more than 20,000 of you as he takes our Lockdown Never Ends petition to TUI’s corporate office in Berlin and asks the world’s largest tour operator to stop supporting cruel whale and dolphin captivity.

I also want to thank you for supporting our Not In Our Nets campaign by tweeting and emailing in your thousands to urge ministers to stop dolphins, porpoises and whales dying in fishing gear in UK seas.

Your support is vital for campaigns like these. Politicians have to take notice of what the voting public wants, and big corporations like TUI respond to customer pressure. There is strength in numbers and we are more powerful when we show that we represent you, our brilliant supporters.

I’ll update you on both of these major campaigns next month. In the meantime, thank you from all of us for standing up for whales and dolphins.

Julia Pix, WDC

Please consider helping our campaign with a donation 

YES, I’ll DONATE

#NotInOurNets

This humpback whale died off the coast of Scotland. You can see the fishing rope and pot tangled around his flipper. Sarah Dolman leads our work to prevent deaths in nets and she explains why the time for UK government action is now.

LEARN MORE

Little steps for whales

At the first sanctuary for whales who have been held captive for entertainment, the expert care team are excited. A new development will help ensure a safe and successful transition for the whales from the sea care pools to the main sea bay.

FIND OUT MORE

Orca beach secrets

Rubbing on pebbles is a generations-old cultural tradition for a particular group of orcas off the coast of British Columbia, Canada.  Cameras allow our partners at OrcaLab to take you right into the orcas‘ fascinating, hidden world.

WATCH VIDEO

First blood

Norway’s whalers slaughtered the first minke whale of their hunt season on 11th April. Last year they killed 575 whales, making it the deadliest whaling season since 2016. Sixteen vessels have registered to hunt this year.

FULL STORY

Games offer

We’ve teamed up with Humble Bundle, a games and entertainment software company providing awesome affordable content whilst donating proceeds to charity. For a limited time, you can get an incredible Dungeon Defenders legendary games collection. Pay what you want and every purchase supports our work! 

FIND OUT MORE

We take your privacy and the protection of your personal data seriously. We recently made some changes to our privacy policy; this explains how we collect, store and manage your information.

UK dolphins, porpoises and whales need your help 

More than 1,000 dolphins, porpoises and whales die in fishing gear in UK seas every year. That’s a shocking number, but what’s even more shocking is that our governments know what they need to do to save them.

Tell ministers this isn’t good enough and that you expect urgent action.

ACT NOW

It’s easy to have your say – just follow the link to our action page where you can send our ready-made email and/or a prepared tweet.

Getting tangled in fishing gear is a horrible way to die. We know how to prevent this suffering, yet around 1,000 porpoises, hundreds of dolphins and at least 32 minke whales and six humpback whales die this way in UK waters every year. Government action could stop these awful deaths.

A public consultation on this issue is open until 12th April, so NOW is our chance to tell government ministers they MUST do better.

It’ll take less than five minutes of your time but could save the lives of whales and dolphins around the UK.

Thank you for your support – it means a lot.

Julia Pix, WDC

ACT NOW

She deserved better

This young dolphin died in a fishing net off the coast of Cornwall last year. Our governments have known for 30 years that dolphins are dying in nets in huge numbers in UK seas. But they have failed to act to save them. 

WHAT’S BEEN DONE?

Welsh turbine trouble

A proposal for underwater tidal turbines in an area where porpoises and Risso’s dolphins come to feed and raise their newborns is threatening the West Wales Marine Special Area of Conservation and the wildlife it protects.

FULL STORY

Get drastic on plastic

You’ve seen pictures of plastic litter on beaches or marine wildlife swimming through floating rubbish and you’ve probably wondered if and how we could ever clean up this mess.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Show’s over for Lolita

The orca known as Lolita or Tokitae will no longer perform at Miami Seaquarium. Held captive for over 50 years, and alone for 42 of them, her life has been far from the one she should have enjoyed in the ocean.

FIND OUT MORE

Fin whales in danger

The man behind Iceland’s fin whaling company has hit back at announcements that Icelandic whale hunting could be ending for good. He’s told media that he hopes to slaughter fin whales this summer.

FULL STORY

Wine, whales and planet

Waipapa Bay are the latest to join our Climate Giant Project. Find out more about our partnership and how to get your hands on their delicious wine.

MORE INFO

We take your privacy and the protection of your personal data seriously. We recently made some changes to our privacy policy; this explains how we collect, store and manage your information.

Look what you’ve achieved for whales and dolphins …

We made amazing things happen in 2021. We’re so proud of everything we’ve achieved for whales and dolphins in the last year by standing shoulder to shoulder with all our brilliant supporters. Thank you so much for being with us – it means the world.

Together we:

🐋 Put whales and the ocean on the climate agenda at COP26

🐬 Lobbied the UK and devolved governments to act to stop dolphins, porpoises and whales dying in fishing gear

🐋 Convinced Asda to work with their suppliers to make fishing safer for whales and dolphins

🐬 Kept the pressure on TUI to help end lockdown for captive whales and dolphins

🐋 Petitioned the Norwegian government to abandon cruel plans for hearing tests on wild minke whales

We made this video for you and I hope the whales and dolphins in it brighten your day.

Every penny you give, every petition you sign and every campaign you share makes a difference. Together, we will create a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.

On behalf of the whales and dolphins and everyone at WDC, thank you for being with us. 

Julia Pix, WDC

Faroes – horror to hope 

Change needs to come from within the Faroe Islands and so after the massacre of 1,423 Atlantic white-sided dolphins, we hired Faroese campaigner Marna Frida Olsen to help us find a way to end the cruel hunts in her home country. FIND OUT MORE

Valentine’s Day gifts

If you’re looking for a gift, we’ve got you covered in our online shop. You’ll find ideas for friends, partners, pets or anyone needing some affection. And we’ll show whales and dolphins some love with every penny you spend.GET INSPIRED

Saving whale lives 

Around five humpbacks and 30 minke whales die after getting caught in fishing rope in Scotland every year. No fisher wants this to happen and it can be heart breaking when it does. So we’re helping them to avoid whale entanglements.FIND OUT HOW

UK government falls short

The UK environment minister promised to make 2021 a ’super year‘ for marine protection. A year on and they’ve failed to keep this promise, making progress in just two of the 17 areas we scrutinised.FULL STORY

Whale-sized donation

Our efforts to stop Faroese dolphin hunts and prevent whale and dolphin deaths in fishing gear have received a whaley big boost from gaming content creators and long-term supporters The Yogscast who raised a whopping £264,000 for us.HOW THIS DONATION WILL HELP

Did orcas rescue whale?

Orcas were filmed appearing to free a humpback from a rope that had got wrapped around the whale’s tail. It’s left experts puzzled and reminds us that we really know so little about these intelligent, complex beings.WATCH DRONE FOOTAGE

Please make a donation because you can help us achieve even more in 2022

DONATE NOW

helfen Sie unseren Patenorcas und stimmen Sie bei der Weihnachtsaktion der Bank für Sozialwirtschaft für das OrcaLab ab! Jede Stimme zählt, denn die Gewinner-Projekte erhalten als Preis bis zu 5.000 Euro. WDC unterstützt seit vielen Jahren das OrcaLab in Britsh Columbia, Kanada. Dort erforschen Helena Symonds, Dr. Paul Spong und ihr Team die faszinierende Kommunikation der Orcas. Dafür benötigt das OrcaLab jetzt ein neues Unterwassermikrofon. Die akustischen Daten sind eine wichtige Grundlage, um das Verhalten und die Einzugsgebiete der Orcas besser kennenzulernen und um sie vor Unterwasserlärm und Zusammenstößen mit Schiffen zu bewahren. https://www.sozialspende.de/projekt/id/3896 Mehr Nachrichten aus der Welt der Wale und Delfine finden Sie hier:     Expedia unterstützt keine Delfinarien mehr Ein weiterer großer Reise-Anbieter hat seine Tierschutzrichtlinie in Bezug auf Wale und Delfine in Gefangenschaft geändert: Ab Frühjahr 2022 wird es bei Expedia keine Tickets mehr für Einrichtungen geben, die Shows oder Interaktionen mit gefangenen Walen und Delfinen anbieten. https://de.whales.org/2021/11/09/expedia-unterstuetzt-keine-delfinarien-mehr/         WDC startet Rettungsteam für Strandungen In den USA schließt sich WDC einem Strandungsprogramm der US-Fischereibehörde NOAA an und wird künftig Walen, Delfinen und Robben in Not mit einem eigenen Rettungsteam zu Hilfe kommen. https://de.whales.org/2021/11/17/wdc-tritt-strandungsnetzwerk-bei/         Update: Massenstrandung von Schweinswalen Erste Obduktionsergebnisse zeigen: Die unzähligen toten Schweinswale, die Ende August vor den niederländischen Wattenmeerinseln angeschwemmt wurden, starben wahrscheinlich an einer Vergiftung und/oder einer bakteriellen Infektion. https://de.whales.org/2021/11/17/update-massenanstrandung-schweinswale/         Hoffnung für bedrohte Neuseeland-Delfine Die neuseeländische Regierung möchte Schritte ergreifen, um die vom Aussterben bedrohten Hector-Delfine vor Beifang zu schützen. WDC und Partner-NGOs berieten das Landwirtschaftsministerium kürzlich zu zwei Maßnahmen, die dazu beitragen sollen, die Beifang-Problematik besser zu verstehen und sie zukünftig zu verhindern. https://de.whales.org/2021/11/25/beifang-hector-delfine/       Wie geht es auf den Färöer-Inseln weiter? Auch wenn die Medienaufmerksamkeit für das Massaker auf den Färöer-Inseln nachgelassen hat, arbeitet WDC weiterhin auf Hochtouren an einer Beendigung des Delfinschlachtens. Welche Aktivitäten laufen gerade im Hintergrund? https://de.whales.org/2021/12/08/faeroeer-inseln/       Viel Spaß beim Lesen! Herzliche Grüße Bianca König Leiterin Kommunikation WDC Deutschland   PS: Sind Sie noch auf der Suche nach einem schönen und sinnvollen Weihnachtsgeschenk? Verschenken Sie eine Patenschaft und schützen Sie Wale und Delfine!

leaders to listen to the ocean and save the whale, save the planet, save ourselves. You can help ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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To save our planet we need to wake up and listen to the ocean 

Hi, we all know that we need to restore our forests but we can’t solve the climate crisis without protecting the ocean too. It covers three-quarters of the surface of the planet and absorbs up to 35% of our carbon emissions.

A healthy ocean needs whales and so members of our team are at COP26 – the UN’s 26th Climate Change Conference – in Glasgow right now. We’re calling on world leaders to restore the ocean as if our lives depend on it … because they do!

Read on to find out what we’re doing and how you can help us, and enjoy our new video from WDC supporter and Game of Thrones star Jerome Flynn.

On behalf of everyone at Whale and Dolphin Conservation, thank you so much for all your support,

Julia Pix

P.S. If you happen to be attending the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice march in Glasgow tomorrow, listen out for us and come and say ‚hello‘!

Find out what we’re asking governments to do and how you can help.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Be inspired by this message from our awesome patron Jerome Flynn:

Huge thanks to Jerome and our brilliant friends at RAW London for their generosity and support in creating this film for us for free.

Become a Climate Giant Hero

You can make a big impact on one of the world’s biggest challenges by getting behind the world’s biggest creatures – whales. Want to know more?YES!

Politicians need to listen to the ocean, so we sent them a dawn wake-up call. 

HEAR IT

Less than 1% of climate finance is spent on marine projects.

IT’S A DROP IN THE OCEAN

The ocean is our life support system and whales are its key workers

On average every whale helps remove as much carbon from our atmosphere as 30,000 trees.

Save the whale. Save the ocean. Save the world.

FIND OUT MORE

Please consider making a donation today

DONATE NOW

Welcome to your October enews 

This has been a tough month as we’ve responded to the atrocious massacre of at least 1,428 beautiful dolphins in the Faroe Islands, only 200 miles from Scotland.

We’ve been busy lobbying the UK government and Scotland’s first minister to take action and we’ve joined forces with colleagues at other organisations to combine our campaigning efforts on the ground and present our petitions together. We will make sure Prime Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen feels the collective weight of our organisations and hears the voices of our supporters loud and clear. 

Meanwhile as Norway’s whalers kill more minke whales than at any time in the last five years, we reveal that whale meat is being sold as dog food or dumped in the sea.

Dealing with these horrors day after day isn’t easy, but we are motivated and energised by the knowledge that we have you on our side. Our supporters keep us going financially and emotionally and I wanted to thank you on behalf of everyone here at Whale and Dolphin Conservation. We really do rely on and appreciate your support – you’re brilliant!

With our very best wishes

Julia Pix, WDC

Faroes dolphin hunt

My colleague Astrid Fuchs has worked to try to end the hunts for more than 10 years. In this blog, she reflects on the reasons the hunts continue and why it’s so hard to find a way to stop them.

TELL ME MORE

What we’ve done to help

Since the massacre of at least 1,428 Atlantic white-sided dolphins in the Faroe Islands on 12th September, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to try to ensure this never happens again. Find out what were doing and sign the petition.

INFO & PETITION

Jumping for joy!

We’re excited to announce that our winter raffle is now open! If you’d like to win £1,000 or one of nine cash prizes then play by 18 January 2022. Entries cost just £1. Play whilst helping to protect whales and dolphins. T&Cs apply, over 18s only.

PLAY NOW

Going to the dogs

We recently discovered that six tonnes of whale meat was sent to a company offering dog sled tours. With fewer Norwegians wanting to eat whales, it seems that whale meat is being sold for dog food or dumped in the sea.

WHAT’S GOING ON?

Remarkable Risso’s

With your support, we’re protecting the Risso’s dolphins who live around the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. With a mix of field research and campaigning, we’ve learnt a lot more about them and got an area of sea protected for them.

FULL STORY

Events are back …

After a year of cancellations we were thrilled to support 13 brilliant fundraisers taking on Swim Serpentine for whales and dolphins. If you’re inspired by their story and want to take part in an event, we’ll help you every step of the way!

GET INVOLVED

Save ££ and whales

Launching today, the hit video game RAFT is on sale with this fin-tastic Steam Weekend Deal. Save 33% on your purchase this weekend and 15% of sales will be donated to WDC (to a max of $100K). Sale ends Monday 25th October.

BUY NOW

Please consider a donation to help us fight dolphin hunts

DONATE NOW

Please sign our petition – and help us stop the dolphin slaughter

The massacre of at least 1,428 Atlantic white-sided dolphins on the Faroe Islands on 12th September was beyond horrific. It was senseless, barbaric and has rightly shocked the world and many Faroese people. Help us make sure this never happens again.

We have joined up with Sea Legacy/One Voice to host this petition on their website. As you are already a WDC supporter, you don’t need to tick the box to opt-in to be kept up to date on the campaign by us, we’ll continue to send you your usual email news.

SIGN OUR PETITION

Strength in numbers

Since that terrible day, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes. The Faroese government committed to a review of the nation’s dolphin hunting, but this review has not happened. We’re pushing hard to make the prime minister keep his promise. Please sign our petition to show that the world is watching.

As media coverage dies down, we need to turn global outrage into international pressure to end this killing forever. So we’ve joined forces with Sea Legacy and Avaaz. We will combine our campaigning efforts on the ground and present our petitions together. We will make sure Prime Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen feels the collective weight of our organisations and hears the voices of our supporters loud and clear.

Please add your voice. Almost 280,000 people have signed already – help us get to 300,000. We owe it to those poor, beautiful dolphins to make sure this never happens again.

Thank you.

Julia Pix, Nicola Hodgins, Astrid Fuchs and all the team at WDC

SIGN OUR PETITION

Please consider making a donation to help end the bloodshed

DONATE NOW

We need your help .

You may have seen the heartbreaking scenes emerging from Marineland in Ontario, where Kiska, the loneliest whale in the world, has been filmed violently thrashing her head against the side of her tank. This is too distressing to show. Kiska is a wild-caught Icelandic orca who has spent the last four decades in captivity. She was just three years old when she was taken from her family and condemned to a life in a barren, concrete tank.

Never has there been a greater urgency for whales and dolphins like Kiska to be retired to a coastal, open water sanctuary where they can enjoy their lives in a more natural environment.

Amaya was only six years old when she died at SeaWorld San Diego in August. She is the second orca to die in captivity since we launched our campaign calling on TUI to stop supporting this utterly cruel practice. How many more must suffer?

If you have signed our petition, thank you.  Now we need your help to fund our work to end captivity. Will you help make this generation of captive whales and dolphins the last ?YES, I WANT TO HELP WITH A DONATION

Will you play a part to help end captivity ? A donation from you, however small or large, will help us to:

• meet with TUI to discuss your concerns and deliver the petition which you have signed.
• monitor dolphin welfare at one of the facilities in China’s rapidly growing marine park industry.
• address EU lawmakers and stakeholders as part of our campaign to end whale and dolphin captivity in Europe.
• organise workshops and share the knowledge and expertise we have gained as a founding partner of the SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary with organisations seeking to build coastal sanctuaries for captive whales and dolphins.

Thank you for your support , it means so much to us to know that whales and dolphins still held captive can count on you.

Donate today and help end captivity

Each whale and dolphin held captive by the facilities which TUI supports has a heartbreaking tale to tell. Here are just a few of their stories:

Lolita’s tank in Miami Seaquarium is so small, it’s illegal by US government regulations, yet it’s been her entire world for 51 years. In the wild, she’d cover 100 miles or more a day playing, socialising, looking for food and resting

Nanuq was just six years old when he was torn away from his home waters in Manitoba, Canada. He never saw his family again. He survived 25 years in captivity, sentenced to a stress-filled, lonely existence in concrete pools. 

Corky was stolen from her Pacific Northwest home on 11th December 1969 and sold into captivity – she’s been confined to a tank ever since. Held at SeaWorld San Diego, Corky is the longest serving orca prisoner in the world. 

Makaiko was captured in the brutal Taiji dolphin hunt and moved to Mexico. He was forced to push tourists with his nose and drag them as they held his fin. But Makaiko got tangled up in nets that had been put down after a storm and no one noticed. He suffocated and died.

We take your privacy and the protection of your personal data seriously. We recently made some changes to our privacy policy; this explains how we collect, store and manage your information.

Hi there, I’m pleased to bring you your September enews.

Have you signed our petition yet asking TUI to help end lockdown for captive whales and dolphins like Lolita, the orca in the photo above?

I’ll SIGN THE PETITION

Lolita was taken from the wild in 1970. Several other whales died in the nets and their bodies were filled with rocks by their captors so they would sink to the bottom and leave no trace. 

The tiny pool you see in the picture has been Lolita’s entire world for more than 50 years. She shares it with two Pacific white-sided dolphins and has not had orca company for more than 40 years.

Many of us have struggled with isolation during the pandemic. How has an intelligent, social, highly mobile and emotionally complex individual like Lolita coped with a 50 year lockdown? Some days I simply find it too painful to contemplate. Surviving is not living as my colleague Rob Lott explores through his personal recollections of meeting Lolita and another orca – Corky who has been in captivity even longer.

But there is hope because of people like you. Together we have the power to create great change. People are questioning and challenging captivity in far greater numbers than ever before. We have persuaded travel giants like Virgin Holidays and British Airways to stop supporting captive cruelty. Now we need to persuade TUI, the world’s largest tour operator, to join them.

On behalf of all of us at WDC and the 3,600 whales and dolphins held in tanks – thank you for playing your part.

Julia Pix, WDC.

WHEN ROB MET LOLITA AND CORKY

Another captive orca dies

Amaya was only six years old when she died at SeaWorld San Diego (pictured) in August. It breaks my heart to think that she’s the second orca to die in captivity since we launched our campaign calling on TUI to stop supporting this cruelty

FIND OUT MORE

Baby dolphin rescued

Atlantic white-sided dolphins usually live offshore, so when they showed up in a Scottish harbour it was clear they were in trouble. Hear how this newborn dolphin and her/his family were rescued by an inspiring show of human teamwork.

THE STORY

Be a citizen scientist

if you live in Scotland, you could join our Shorewatch team. Our Shorewatch volunteers are trained to look out for whales and dolphins, and the data they collect helps us lobby for better protection.

TELL ME MORE

Shop with us

Did you know we have an online shop? We have an extensive range from cuddly whales to clothing made from recycled materials, plus handcrafts and homeware made by artisans from around the world.  All profits go towards protecting whales and dolphins.

SHOP WITH US

Message in a bottle

The plastic going into the ocean every year (up to 23m tonnes) weighs as much as 10 times all the blue whales alive today! So we’ve joined with BRITA to release a shocking new report which serves as a wake-up call from the ocean.

LEARN MORE

New game launched

WDC partner Curve Digital’s new game I Am Fish launched today on Steam! Join Goldfish and his friends in making a break for freedom to the sanctuary of the sea. A portion of sales is being donated  to help us protect whales and dolphins.

BUY TODAY

Please consider making a donation today

DONATE NOW