Skip to content
All articles
  • All articles
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
We're at COP28 to Save the Whale, Save the World.

We’re at COP28 to save the whale, save the world

Ed Goodall Ed is WDC's head of intergovernmental engagement. He meets with world leaders to...
Gray whales from drone.

We’re taking steps to uncover the mysteries of whales

Vicki James Vicki is WDC's protected areas coordinator, she helps to create safe ocean spaces...
We must protect our non-human allies. Image: Tom Brakefield, aurore murguet, johan63

We’re urging governments to protect all of our climate heroes – CITES

Katie Hunter Katie supports WDC's engagement in intergovernmental conversations and is working to end captivity...
The Natütama Foundation are dedicated to protecting endangered river dolphins. Image: Natutama

Guardians of the Amazon: protecting the endangered river dolphins

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Amazon river dolphins. Image: Fernando Trujillo/Fundacion Omacha

Amazon tragedy as endangered river dolphins die in hot water

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin © Mike Bossley/WDC

WDC in Japan – Part 3: Restoring freedom to dolphins in South Korea

Katrin Matthes Katrin is WDC's communications and campaigns officer for policy & communication in Germany...
Wintery scene in Iceland

Seeking sanctuary – Iceland’s complex relationship with whales

Hayley Flanagan Hayley is WDC's engagement officer, specialising in creating brilliant content for our website...
Whaling ship Hvalur 8 arrives at the whaling station with two fin whales

A summer of hope and heartbreak for whales in Icelandic waters

Luke McMillan Luke is WDC's Head of hunting and captivity. Now that the 2023 whaling season...

A look Inside The Tanks

Valentin - orca held at Marineland Antibes, FranceRecently launched on YouTube, Jonny Meah’s short documentary, Inside the Tanks, presents a balance of views on the keeping of whales and dolphins in captivity, centred on the one of only two facilities to keep orcas in captivity in Europe, Marineland, in the French Mediterranean resort of Antibes.

Jonny accompanies marine biologist Dr Ingrid Visser, as she photographs and documents behaviour and injury among the whales and dolphins held at the facility, expressing her disgust at their incarceration and how unnatural their lives are. She talks him through how captivity leads to stereotypies developing among captive whales and dolphins, causing them to chew on walls and bars and damaging their teeth, as well as injuries such as rake marks they inflict on one another, unable to escape from the stress and aggression caused by their close confinement.

In an interesting twist, the documentary features an in-depth and first time interview on the topic with the Zoological Director of Marineland Antibes, Jon Kershaw. Perhaps surprisingly, although clearly dedicated to the continued keeping of whales and dolphins in captivity and somewhat flummoxed by SeaWorld ending the captive breeding of orcas, Jon agrees with many of Ingrid’s concerns about what happens to whales and dolphins in captivity, noting that public opinion has led Marineland to alter their dolphin shows.

The documentary is particularly interesting given the recent passing of a governmental decree banning breeding of captive whales and dolphins in France which will also end imports and swimming with dolphins programmes.

Inside The Tanks is well worth a watch. 

Photo: Valentin, now deceased, at Marineland © Anne-Sophie Ring