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Orca Lulu's body contained PCB levels 100x above the safe limit. Image: SMASS

Toxic tides, troubled whales: the toll of chemical pollution

In last week's blog, we examined the challenges whales and dolphins face as they travel...
Group of orcas at surface

Breaking barriers for whales and dolphins at the Convention of Migratory Species

Many species of whales, dolphins and porpoises undertake long journeys, encountering human-made obstacles along the...
Tokyo

WDC in Japan – Part 1: Finding allies in Tokyo

At the end of May, I embarked on an incredible journey to Japan on behalf...
Amazon river dolphins leaping

The state of river dolphin conservation

At Whale and Dolphin Conservation, we partner with conservationists and communities fighting to save river...
Researchers in Southeast Alaska studying whale poo

We’re funding crucial research on whale poo to combat the climate crisis

The ocean is one of the lungs of our planet, and whales help it to...
Narwhal surfacing

The unicorns of the sea must be protected – CITES

The narwhal, is under threat. Often referred to as the unicorns of the sea, narwhals,...
Sperm whales

We’re pushing governments for action for our climate heroes – whales

The climate crisis is the greatest threat to all life on Earth. But there is...
Dolphins captured for captivity in Taiji. Image: Hans Peter Roth

Loved and killed – whales and dolphins in Japan

Protests and criticism from outside Japan in response to the slaughter of whales and dolphins...

US Government Shut Down also Puts Endangered Whales at Risk

The U.S. woke up this morning to news that the government was shutting down, furloughing all “non-essential” federal employees including those at NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the agency which is charged protecting whales and dolphins. The NMFS is responsible for implementing both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act with programs ranging from stranding response to implementing rules to reduce ship strikes and entanglements.

Already canceled are programs designed to protect North Atlantic right whales from ship strikes.  During the shutdown, no Dynamic Managed Areas will be declared to alert ships to the presence of right whales.  NOAA’s right whale Sightings Advisory System’s website, which posts sightings in near real time, has already been removed.  While the message on the site now reads “only web sites necessary to protect lives and property will be maintained”, these lives do not include those of protected marine mammal species.