The announcement of the plan to put tidal sea turbines in the waters off Vancouver Island, Canada was greeted by a huge number of complaints from WDC supporters and other members of the public who joined our calls for public protest against the application.
 
The turbines would have put any whale or dolphin that were to swim into one of these devices as risk of death or severe injury – including those orcas from the WDC adoption programme.
 
WDC is not against initiatives to combat climate change but placing turbines like these in an area so heavily populated by orcas could have been devastating for these amazing creatures, who feed there regularly along with humpback whales, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoise and other species.
 
Footage from whale research project and long-standing WDC partner organization, OrcaLab (which looks out over Blackney Pass, Vancouver Island) shows just why this area is so unsuitable for such a turbine development.

The construction and operation of these turbines would also have placed the orcas at risk from high levels of underwater noise.

Now, SRM Projects Ltd – the company behind the turbine plan, has announced that it is withdrawing the application. In a joint press release with Orcalab, the company recognised the importance of this key habitat and unsuitability for such a development.

 
OrcaLabs, Paul Spong said: “Many, many thanks and congratulations to all at WDC who contributed the energy that convinced the proponent that this was a bad idea!”

You can help us to protect the orcas and their home by adopting a whale.