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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 -...
A dolphin called Arnie with a shell

Dolphins catch fish using giant shell tools

In Shark Bay, Australia, two groups of dolphins have figured out how to use tools...
Common dolphins at surface

Did you know that dolphins have unique personalities?

We all have personalities, and between the work Christmas party and your family get-together, perhaps...
Leaping harbour porpoise

The power of harbour porpoise poo

We know we need to save the whale to save the world. Now we are...
Holly. Image: Miray Campbell

Meet Holly, she’s an incredible orca leader

Let me tell you the story of an awe-inspiring orca with a fascinating family story...
Humpback whale. Image: Christopher Swann

A story about whales and humans

As well as working for WDC, I write books for young people. Stories; about the...
Risso's dolphin at surface

My lucky number – 13 years studying amazing Risso’s dolphins

Everything we learn about the Risso's dolphins off the coast of Scotland amazes us and...

Battle Scars…

Life can be rough at this time of year as an adult male dolphin – territories and females to defend, disputes to settle and also keeping some of the young upstart “lads” firmly in their place…it’s all go. As you can see in the composite photo below, both of the big male Bottlenose dolphins that you can adopt with us at WDC that I have seen in the last few days have been having a busy summer. Mischief, in the top section of the photo has picked up some brand new “rake marks” on his dorsal fin plus some along his back and the same goes for Sundance, the dolphin lower in the picture and he has some impressive new rakes on his body too. This isn’t unusual and in Bottlenose dolphin society this is all part of everyday life – Bottlenoses can fight, sometimes just a bit of rough and tumble (play-fighting) but at other times it gets really serious and their impressive array of teeth that are all the same size and shape come into use, often to dramatic effect like these rakes. They will eventually fade and may even get more new ones on top creating many layers that you can sometimes see in certain light conditions. Every scratch, every score, every bite mark tells a story, an encounter – a moment in time in the amazing world of a wild, free dolphin- the way that they all should be.