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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...
Irrawaddy dolphin

Helping fishers protect dolphins in Sarawak, Borneo

Fishing nets are bad news for dolphins and porpoises, so we're working with local fishers...
Dolphin watching from Chanonry Point, Scotland. Image: WDC/Charlie Phillips

Discovering inner peace – whale and dolphin watching and mental wellbeing

Guest blog If you've ever seen whales or dolphins in the wild, you'll know that...
Whale tail

An ocean of hope

In a monumental, jaw-dropping demonstration of global community, the nations of the world made history...
The infamous killing cove at Taiji, Japan

Why the Taiji dolphin hunt can never be justified

Supporters of the dolphin slaughter in Japan argue that killing a few hundred dolphins every...
Image: Peter Linforth

Tracking whales from space will help us save them

Satellite technology holds one of the keys to 21st century whale conservation, so we're exploring...
Fishers' involvement is crucial. Image: WDC/JTF

When porpoises and people overlap

We're funding a project in Hong Kong that's working with fishing communities to help save...

Mindful conservation – why we need a new respect for nature

'We should look at whales and dolphins as the indigenous people of the seas -...

On the sea with Soundwatch

There’s a lot of talk about the Southern Resident orcas at this year’s Superpod, and much of the focus is on their top threat: prey depletion.  While on the island, WDC is also examining the other threats to this critically endangered population, including vessel noise and harassment.  I spent a day out on the water yesterday with The Whale Museum’s Soundwatch program, which works to prevent vessel disturbance to marine wildlife and collects important data on the interactions between the Southern Residents and surrounding boats.

Snug Harbor

Many of the issues with harassment stem from a lack of knowledge about the boating regulations for these endangered whales – it is illegal to approach or be under motor within 200 yards or park in the path of the whales, among other guidelines.  A lot of recreational boaters don’t know that these laws exist, and when they see a group of orcas, they understandably get really excited and want to move in for a closer look.  What they don’t know, though, can hurt the whales – and Soundwatch is working on making sure every boater knows how to whale watch responsibly. 

Orcas rely on their vocalization and echolocation skills to navigate, communicate, and forage.  Underwater noise can impair these skills, and harassment by vessels – including kayaks! – can disrupt their natural behaviors and interrupt foraging.  It would be like someone coming up and putting a hand right between you and that bite of dinner you were about to take, while yelling in your ear!

The data Soundwatch collects helps to protect the Southern Residents and educates the public about the endangered status of these whales and the threats to their recovery.  Soundwatch delivers material to over 2,000 recreational boaters and kayakers each year; in addition to recording the number, activity, and type of boats around the orcas, and the corresponding behavior of the whales.  The group is staffed largely by volunteers, and they work hard out there! I was able to witness firsthand the chaos of keeping track of the whales, the boats coming and going, and the diligent recording of information – surveys every half hour for as long as there are whales and boats around. Soundwatch has a tough job, but their work in educating the public and protecting the Southern Residents is priceless, and I’m glad I got to be a Soundwatcher for a day!