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UN adopts High Seas Treaty to protect the ocean

At the UN 'High Seas Treaty' negotiations in New York, a historic vote for the...

Hopes raised for whale and dolphin protection after last minute landmark nature agreement

WDC's Ed Goodall (far right) at COP15 with Thérèse Coffey (centre) UK Secretary of State...

WDC orca champion picks up award

Beatrice Whishart MSP picks up her Nature Champion award The Scottish Environment LINK, an organisation...

Large number of dolphins moved to Abu Dhabi marine park

Up to 24 captive bottlenose dolphins have reportedly been sent to a new SeaWorld theme...

Whale watch boat sinks off Canada: five British passengers dead

A whale watching boat sank yesterday off the coast of British Columbia, western Canada, leaving at least 5 Britons dead.

The vessel, the Leviathan II, a 65-foot cruiser sank off Tofino, Vancouver Island, with 27 passengers aboard.  Twenty-one passengers have been rescued but one person is still missing.

First on the scene were members of the nearby Ahousat First Nation community, who saw flares and responded immediately, rescuing many stricken passengers.

The cause of the accident remains unclear. Coastguards have reported that sea conditions at the time were calm, however local fishermen in claim that those waters can, at times, become ‘like a washing machine’.

The Leviathan II is operated by whale watch company, Jamie’s Whaling Station and Adventure Centres.  Owner, Jamie Bray, issued a statement expressing the company’s deep sorrow at the accident. “It has been a tragic day. Our entire team is heartbroken over this incident. We are doing everything we can to assist our passengers and staff through this difficult time. We are cooperating with investigators to determine exactly what happened.”

In  March1998, a vessel owned by the same whale watch company capsized in the same area, Plover Reefs, killing the captain and a German tourist.

WDC extends sincere condolences to all those involved in, or affected by, this tragic incident.